named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Pay-as-you-can Lunch Service
Weekly lunch program offering scratch-made meals with no required payment; guests may contribute financially, through volunteering, or via food donations
Volunteer Engagement Program
Opportunities for community members to support café operations through cooking, serving, and event support; includes training for new volunteers
activities · 2 groups
What they do
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Nonprofit-Operated Cafés and Social Enterprises 1 activity
- Conduct organizational learning to inform pay-as-you-can model developmentResearched existing community cafés across the United States and conducted on-site learning through volunteering in Denver, Colorado, to inform the design and implementation of its own pay-as-you-can community café model.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Operate pay-as-you-can community lunch serviceProvides daily lunch service in a café-style setting where guests may contribute monetarily, through time, or via in-kind donations, with no requirement to pay. The menu rotates weekly based on seasonal, fresh, and donated ingredients, and guests may select one item from each of three categories: entrees, sides, and desserts.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$204K
Contributions & grants$228K112%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$-24K
expenses
Total expenses$177K
Program expenses0%
Admin / overhead100%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$116K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$81K
Cash$55K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$81K
Liquid reserves3.7 mo
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue +96.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 11
- Dana Epstein — Vice President
- Jesse Anaya — Board Member
- Karl Johnson — Board Member
- Mandy Bailey — Board Member
- Matthew Taboni — Treasurer
- Molly Rich Lambros — Board Member
- Morgan Stewart — Board Member
- Payam Mohseni — Board Member
- Stephanie Mejia — Board Member
- Stephanie Smith — Board President
- Trueman Muhrer-Irwin — Board Member
relationships · 4
Who they work with
- Facebook Partner — Shares current menu information through Facebook
- Instagram Partner — Shares current menu information through Instagram
- One World Everybody Eats Network — Member of the One World Everybody Eats network of community cafes.
- One World Everybody Eats Partner — Connected with the organization's founder to learn about the community café model and explore launching a similar café in Buffalo.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Client-Choice and Participatory Service Modelmethodology: client_choiceBy allowing guests to choose their meals and contribute in flexible ways — monetarily or through service — we increase engagement and dignity, because participation fosters agency and mutual respect rather than dependency.
- Pay-As-You-Can Model with Flexible Contributionsmethodology: pay_as_you_canBy allowing guests to contribute financially or through non-monetary means based on their ability, we increase access to nutritious meals and foster mutual aid, because this approach affirms dignity, reduces stigma, and strengthens community engagement.
- Radical Hospitality through Shared Meal Experiencemethodology: radical_hospitalityBy creating a dignified, inclusive dining environment centered on the shared emotional experience of a meal, we address both food insecurity and social isolation, because the act of breaking bread together fosters belonging and human connection.