If you’ve got a job feeding the homeless, it helps to understand their point of view.
Brad Reubendale does, as he’s experienced homelessness before. But now, as the CEO of SAME Café, he’s extending a hand to those who need a good meal while strengthening the community. With locations in Denver, Colorado, and Toledo, Ohio, this participation-based concept offers a lifeline to many who simply can’t afford healthy food—though plenty of people who can pay for lunch eat there as well. You can contribute time or money and, in doing so, become part of an extended family.
The road that brought Reubendale to this point in life was not remotely a straightforward one. Originally a minister with a master of divinity degree, he one day found himself out of work and suddenly homeless. For about nine months, he did couch surfing and lived in friends’ basements. “I slept in my car once or twice. Had to move every two weeks or a month.”
At that point, he learned how a good meal can nourish not only the body, but also the soul. “I’d heard about this café where you could get free food. I had lost access to healthy food. I went there because I knew they weren’t going to ask me anything about my story or my background. So I put on my nice clothes and I would put a dollar in the box. It allowed me to preserve my own sense of self and dignity.”
SAME (stands for “So All May Eat”) was started in 2006 by Brad and Libby Birky. The couple had volunteered at soup kitchens and food pantries and decided to turn a small storefront into a café for those who couldn’t afford a healthy meal. They operated the café until seven years ago, when they were looking for someone to take over.
For Brad Reubendale, the timing was perfect. He’d managed to get back on his feet, get a degree in nonprofit management, and then get experience fundraising. When the job opened up at SAME, the memories of his own experience eating there came back. “I wanted that job because I think there should be a SAME Café in every city in America. It was so powerful for me when I experienced my challenges. I told them my story about when I was homeless, and they took a risk and hired me.”
The second café in Toledo is in a location that might seem odd: a public library. Reubendale said this makes sense for a simple reason. “Libraries are one of the last truly public spaces in the world. Homeless people are always in a library. It’s often the only place they can get access to the internet, it’s also warm or cool depending on the season, and there are bathrooms available.” Libraries often offer training programs and services that the homeless can access. “The challenge is to attract people who wouldn’t think to go to a library to eat.”
The cafés are open for lunch Monday through Friday. Meals have to be healthy, with options on the menu every day. “We usually do two soups, two salads, and two pizzas. And those flavors will change every single day based on what’s in season and what’s in stock. We want variety because choice is a privilege that usually comes with money.” Reubendale estimates that about 80 percent of the customers in Denver and 90 percent in Toledo experience what he calls “food insecurity.”
SAME Café was a lifesaver for John Olander in Denver, who had been living on the streets and in his car while dealing with alcoholism. Now sober for a few years, he has found more than just sustenance at the café—as he joined a writing group that met regularly at the café and started to express himself through poetry. “That was an integral part of my recovery. The level of tolerance that they demonstrate with people not in their best state is remarkable. Great food and more importantly, a sense of belonging.”
Reubendale shared an emotional story about a talk he once gave to a group of second graders. One child asked him if he had been homeless, and when he shared his own experience, the kid had a big smile on his face. Reubendale didn’t understand until the teacher explained. “She told me, ‘They saw you on TV, and they heard your story of being homeless. All of them are in poverty and many of them have experienced homelessness. And they’ve been really excited to come see this place where someone who was homeless was running it.’ I started crying.”
While Reubendale is no longer a pastor, he’s still doing the work inspired by the biblical story of Jesus feeding the multitudes. Along with serving the hungry a hot meal, he’s lifting their spirits by making everyone feel welcome.
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
