May Day at Agape Cafe

Some mornings, we don't just serve hot, made-to-order breakfasts, free to the community.

At the cafe, we've had regulars over the years, and two come early to help out.  One of them, F, arrives like clockwork, half an hour before we serve.  He helps to set up the coffee and pastry table, checks periodically through the morning to see whether pots or silverware baskets need refilling, and keeps an eye out for anyone in the dining room needing help.

Today, F didn't show up.  The kitchen staff grew concerned.  He'd just lost his housing, and I feared for his living on the street, especially with his medical complications.

Soon we learned that F had been jailed for something involving a car he'd rented -- no need to elaborate, other than saying it seems likely that what happened was mostly not under his control.  Since the local jail is overcrowded, he's been moved to another city.

Before the kitchen cleanup was finished, several of our volunteers had chipped in to send money for F's commissary account at the jail, and two others are figuring out how to help get him a place to live.
I wish I could see the look on F's face when he learns that his friends have done something to help him out, since he's been lending us a hand for many years.

Cafe volunteers, you rock.