Sunday LOVE story

One of my favorite daily reads is a newsletter from Help Others.  It's an organization that post stories of victory, encouragement and RAOK [Random acts of kindness].  I'd like to live in a world where stories like the one you are about to read is normal rather than rare in our daily dose of news. Blahhh, we know better don't we?  Positive stories don't sell newspapers.   I bet you thought I was going to dish about my personal life a bit.  Dream on and read on...

Cafe' of Love - by dotrut2001, the site originally posted this story on 12/1/2009

(Photos courtesy of www.veer.com)

"An effort made for the happiness of others lifts us above ourselves." -- Lydia M. Child

In the early 80's, I was introduced by a homeless lady named Rosie to a little café in Portland, Oregon.  I had taken Rosie for coffee or food many times in the months I had known her.  This day she insisted she was taking me to lunch.  We walked from the hotel where I worked to a little cafe on Davis Street.  I was franctic, knowing she had no money, and I did not want to hurt her feeling by offering to pay yet again.  The cafe was filled with people, all of them smiling, even the workers.  Rosie told me to sit and drink coffee while she worked for her lunch.  After about 20 minutes, she paid for one meal and we sat enjoying the best vegetarian chili and cornbread I had ever eaten.  She explained to me that the café let you work for a meal if you had no money, or would give you a free meal if you were not able to work.  She also explained that the workers were all volunteers.

Well, this morning I was thinking of all the visits I paid that café over the years and out of curiosity, I surfed the internet  for them.  To my joy and amazement they are still open.  Doing the great work of feeding the homeless and hungry, as well as helping in many other ways.  I am not sure if I should put their name on here or not, but I can tell you this is a work of love by the founder Genny.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if every city had a place like this?

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Well, after a little detective work, of my own, I found out about which cafe' dotrut2001 was writing.  It is Sisters of The Road Cafe'  click on the name and click here to read all about the genesis of this grassroots mission.