JACKSON, MI – For some families, going out to dinner can be just a rare treat for some families, but Café Connection is working to make it more frequent.
Logan Dodge came up with Café Connection at the First Baptist Church of Jackson just about a year ago after the Rev. Dallas Flippin challenged the church’s board to come up with ideas for missions.
Once the ball got rolling, the church, 201 S. Jackson St. in downtown Jackson, has offered a free dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday, where families can come in, sit down and be served a hot meal by volunteers.
“So, there’s no getting in line to get your food. It’s that restaurant experience that most people who are able to go out to restaurants know,” Dodge said.
Going out to dinner is an experience often most associated with a special experience, like a birthday or anniversary, Dodge said. The main goal for these dinners are to reach those families who may not be able treat themselves like this, Dodge said.
“It’s also one night a week that families may not have to cook at home or figure out what to do,” Dodge said. “It really takes that burden away.”
People so far have been very happy about the experience at the free restaurant, Dodge said. During the last four months, it has served more than 90 guests every night, Flippin said. Some guests have told volunteers this was the first time they had the chance to go out to eat in years, he said, adding many are often taken aback by the traditional restaurant style.
“Their expectations are whatever the traditional soup kitchen or food pantry, that kind of environment, is going to be,” Flippin said. “And so they’re always taken aback by the tablecloths and the nice chairs and nice china (dinnerware).”
A small menu, consisting of a rotating soup and salad; three entrees, including macaroni and cheese, a stir fry option and another rotating item, along with some wraps, is available.
“There’s so much on the menu,” Dodge said. “The whole point is they get to choose. We don’t choose for them.”
Besides the food, the point of the free restaurant is in its name – connection, Dodge said.
“That was the point of really connecting our church more to the downtown Jackson community,” Dodge said. “Our church core really comes in from suburbia, and so, this was an opportunity for us to really reach out to our neighbors.”
Café Connection is open to everyone, which is why it is separated from the church to knock down that barrier, Flippin said. Dinner is still hosted at the church, but the café has a different name, a separate website and food is served in a room without the church atmosphere, he said.
More information can be found on Café Connection’s Facebook page and website. People can also reserve a table on the website.
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Dining out is more accessible to Jackson families through Café Connection - MLive.com
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