“A meal is an easy way to show love!”

Heather Greenwood’s Gracefull Café may look like your regular coffee shop or local lunch spot, but there’s something incredibly special on the menu: generosity!

Volunteering at a Denver food pantry not far from her home, Heather Greenwood could hardly believe how many people had gathered, waiting in line for a meal.

Having grown up on a farm, Heather’s family only had to run to their garden for ripe tomatoes and fresh beans. Heather couldn’t imagine she and Troy ever not being able to put food on the table for their kids, Avery and Henry.

Until now, she’d had no idea that so many people in her own community needed help.

What if we had to tuck our kids in bed at night, their stomachs rumbling with hunger? she thought. And, tears welling in her eyes, she thought: If only I could do more!

Serving up kindness

Inthe months that followed, life threw Heather and Troy some curve balls of their own: 11-year- old Avery was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Then, they lost a beloved friend to cancer.

More than ever, Heather longed for a meaningful way to make a difference in the lives of others.

“What if we open a restaurant where everyone could eat— even if they can’t afford to pay?” she brainstormed to Troy.

The Gracefull Café, an inviting place where nobody would be turned down for a fresh, nutritious meal, began to take shape in their hearts and minds. Though Heather didn’t have any restaurant experience, she did enjoy cooking and, having been a CPA and high school business teacher over the years, had some business know-how. So she and Troy decided upon a simple philosophy: They would charge reasonable prices for meals—$5 for breakfast and $8 for lunch— and ask guests to pay what they could, if anything at all.

Dipping into their savings, they found a 100-year- old brick bungalow in nearby Littleton. To help cover costs, they also created Gracefull Foundation, a nonprofit providing guests the opportunity to pay for a meal for someone in need. And when the black-andwhite checkerboard floors were shining, the tables spread with cloths and signs emblazoned “Gather. Eat. Give” were hung on the walls, the Gracefull Community Café opened its doors. “Thanks for coming!” Heather welcomed everyone, the aroma of fresh coffee wafting through the air. “This is the best smoothie I’ve ever had!” one young woman grinned, sipping a banana chocolate mocha smoothie as others ordered the chorizo and avocado breakfast tacos, many paying extra to cover meals for those who couldn’t pay.

For Lloyd, who lives in his car with his dogs, the Gracefull Café has been a blessing. After losing his job, he also lost his home. Though he receives a small disability check, it is not enough to pay for regular groceries.

But at the Gracefull Café, he gets two hearty meals a day.

“Thank you for never being judgmental. You are like family to me!” Lloyd marveled, wrapping his arms around Heather.

Food for the soul

Asword spread, volunteers signed up to help with everything from dishwashing to food prep. Local friends offered to share bounty from their gardens that Heather and her full-time chef, Andrea, transformed into carrot pesto pizza and strawberry and cucumber spinach salads.

Out of work for two years, Ricky picks up odd jobs to survive, dropping in to The Gracefull Café whenever he can’t afford a decent meal.

“Not only is the food delicious, but you give me hope things will get better,” he says.

Tammy and John, a young couple who lived in a “homeless hotel” and worked three part-time jobs just to get by, agree. Several times a week, they would visit the café for lunch.

“Being able to get a good meal and support has been priceless,” they say. And recently, when John was hired full-time, everyone at the Gracefull high-fived and cheered, celebrating his victory!

Today, not long after celebrating its fi rst anniversary, The Gracefull Café has served more than 2,600 meals. Troy, Avery and Henry all pitch in, bussing tables and lending a hand as sous chefs. And the community continues to support Heather’s vision.

The Gracefull Café is all about love and giving back. Thank you, Heather, for allowing us to contribute to the good of others if we are able to and to receive that good if we are not! neighbor Phyllis Shimamoto wrote on their Facebook page.

Yet Heather remains humble, her own heart full.

“Food brings people together and breaks down boundaries. I can’t solve every issue in peoples’ lives, but I can at least make sure that folks have a place that feels like home, where they are welcome and cared about,” she says. “A meal is an easy way to show love. And that’s something everyone deserves!”

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon all.” or not at HARRIET VAN HORNE