I gotta give props to NBC Nightly News for their new Making a Difference series which is focusing on the good things people are doing during these difficult economic times. Monday night they reported on the Same Café in Denver.
SAME stands for So All May Eat. The café is unique in that there are no prices on the menu and no cash register. People pay whatever they can for the food. Those who can’t afford to pay with money can work if they choose. Have a look at the video report…
Is that cool or what?
If you’d like to hear more about the Same Café, there’s an insightful 15-minute audio interview with Brad and Libby Birky, who own and operate the Same Café, done by the Grace Matters radio program. (BTW, don’t bother with the second half of the radio show, which is the host’s commentary and IMHO undercuts the Birky’s real motive for running the Same Café).
In addition to finding a creative, sustainable way to help people in need, I love the way the Birkys describe the diverse community of people that has developed in the café – business men and women, college students, retired couples, people coming in off the street, people coming in from the day labor facility, and women and children from a shelter around the block – people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors.
Plus I love that they make healthy, organic meals and the menu is eclectic and changes day to day.
I would love to see something like that here in the Safety Harbor/Clearwater area. I know I would be a regular.
The website for the Same Café is SoAllMayEat.org