In This Season of Giving-One Place To Learn About

GOOD FOOD!

     Today is Colorado Gives Day, a day where giving to your favorite charity can double your money, at least I hope so!  It has occurred for a number of years, where a Denver foundation named Community First sponsors a day for donors to give to their favorite non-profits, with the backing of a grant that will match at least a portion of the donations.  There are several charities that I support, but one is special to me because a former colleague and her husband created it.
     My friend and fellow teacher Libby, and her husband Brad, have long been supporters of those in need.  As she taught with us, we all knew that Brad was going to cooking school to become a chef, and at the same time, they volunteered for various organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, giving food and their expertise, good cooking, to help others. They had a dream, to open a restaurant that served good food, where anyone could come to eat, and pay what they could.  After Brad graduated, he and Libby opened what they called The Same Cafe, using the acronym Same (So All May Eat).   for the first few years of operation, Libby still taught, and worked the other hours of her life at the restaurant.  I'm not sure when she slept.
       Sadly for us, she resigned and is now working full time at the restaurant.  It celebrated its fifth year in business this year!  It's a special place, one where one might eat alongside business people, young mothers out to lunch with their toddlers, school kids (they're very close to one of the Denver high schools), a resident in the neighborhood, or a homeless man or woman.  They keep a box for donations, they hire people that work for meals, they welcome volunteers.  And, they cook great food.  The menu varies some, because they buy locally as much as possible, but you can always get a great personal pizza with fresh ingredients, a wonderful bowl of soup, a tasty salad of available greens, and one of Libby's famous sugar cookies.
      I imagine that each one of you has a favorite place to give your money or your time at this time of year, or any time of year.  There are many who do good works, and deserve all we can do to help.  One friend and I often dream, "When we win the lottery, we're..."  But for now, I give at different times of the year, but especially on this Tuesday, Colorado Gives Day!  And I wanted to pay a tribute in this blog to my friend, Libby.  I'm proud of her and her husband for following their dream.

                 The Tuesday Slice of Life can be found at the Two Writing Teachers blog.