Trinity Cafe - Tampa

Trinity Café provides human dignity by serving balanced gourmet meals at no cost to the homeless, disabled, and working poor without tedious means-testing or religious proselytization. For those who can afford it, a donation bucket is available near the door. I decided to volunteer to get an inside peek at how it all worked.

At 10:30 am (weekdays), diners line up to receive tickets for lunch. This lets the kitchen know how many meals to make. At 11:30 am (weekdays) the doors open and the diners are assigned seats as they become available. There are two volunteers to a table. One serves the meals and the other provides conversation. It’s actually not a bad way to meet interesting people.

The day I went, they had chicken underneath some sort of tomato-basil sauce and cheese next to grits and a vegetable mix. I had time to snag a plate after everyone else was finished. The tables have tablecloths and flower arrangements in the center, which gives the place a little character. I liked working there for a day (less than three hours). It had a fun atmosphere and a sense of camaraderie among the volunteers and employees. Spots fill up fast, so sign up well ahead of time. For their full schedule, visit their website below.
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2801 N Nebraska Avenue, Tampa, Florida
2202 E Busch Boulevard, Tampa, Florida
TrinityCafe.org

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Written by Daniel Noe, WayOutLife.com