You have to love a story that has no bad guys.
Last fall, the pastor of a small church here in Jefferson, Darrell Rewis, was having breakfast at Beef O’Brady’s with his friend Steve Perry, the owner of the restaurant.
I don’t know either man, but based on what followed, I have a sense of their characters.
Darrell is pastor of the Corner-Stone Baptist Church, which is relatively new in town. Considering his line of work, it isn’t surprising that he was contemplating ways to involve his church in a project that served a genuine need in the community.
Nor was it surprising that the topic of food came up when Pastor Darrell mentioned this to Steve Perry.
By the end of breakfast, the two of them had worked out a simple and elegant plan. They would serve a free meal, every week, to anyone in town who showed up.
Specifically, every Saturday during 2010, from 8:00 AM until 10:00 AM, members of the Corner-Stone Church would take over the kitchen at Beef O’Brady’s and serve a free pancake breakfast.
Everyone welcome. No questions asked.
Right now, halfway through the year, the project is operating very well. The cost of the breakfasts, which is minimal, is shared by the church and the restaurant. There is no shortage of volunteers to cook and serve.
The turnout of families and individuals happy to get a free, nourishing meal has been steady, quiet, and appreciative.
Jefferson is not an affluent town. Plenty of people here are low-income. Naturally, more families than ever are in a bind right now, owing to the bad economy.
Yes, I know — one meal a week isn’t much. But when a hungry kid sits down at the table, at that moment, it means the world.
I’m impressed with this project because it’s so effective and so uncomplicated.
I’m impressed because it tells people who are down on their luck that someone cares about them.
I’m impressed because it represents genuine charity.
I note that the final Saturday in 2010 is December 25, Christmas Day. A meal will be served that morning, too.
Whether the project will continue in 2011, I don’t know. I hope so.
It would be nice if another church or restaurant in town would step up to the plate — pun intended — and maybe add dinner.
Good deeds have a way of taking root. They can spread like weeds if you let them.
Mr. Write's Page 
That sounds like a great idea. I wish some Beefs down in Central Florida did this. Do they make you listen to a Jesus spiel? I mean, it would be a little less than altruistic if they baited you with pancakes in order to throw Jesus at ya. Just sayin…
I don’t know if they preach to the captive audience or not. That would change my opinion of the project, bigtime. Maybe I’ll go have pancakes and find out.