Saturday, April 14, 2018

Breakfast with Steven at Agape Cafe


Agape Cafe is celebrating its 25th year of serving, hot made to order breakfasts from 7 - 8:30 am every Wednesday of the academic calendar. It is the mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, with additional support from Trinity Episcopal Church, New Song Episcopal Church, Table to Table, and CafĂ© del Sol.
I remember when it was first getting started and have attended a number of fundraisers over the years. It really is hard to imagine that 25 years has passed, but today they honored a volunteer that has been with the Agape Cafe from the beginning. It is estimated that John Cowen has cooked over 125,000 eggs for those in need of good food.

I sat with a gentleman named Steven in the back of the room. He wore multiple layers with an outer layer of worn Carhartts. I asked what he recommended for breakfast and he rattle off a long list. We spoke about the weather and how bitterly cold it was for April. He told me he picks up cans and scrap metal for a living. He gave me advice on where to sell metal so I wouldn't be ripped off. He said the other day that one house had $13 of cans and that certainly looked like they had a good party. I asked what his best day ever was and he said it was about $50, but it was hard to transport on his bike and trailer. He said he better get going and that since it was a rotten day, he might just head back to camp.

I found myself sitting alone when my breakfast arrived and I couldn't stop thinking about Steven and how hard his life is. Steven is why I want to continue to be a Supervisor. Over the years I have been a guest at several homeless camps and have met many Stevens. Unfortunately the haves and the have nots in our community are growing further apart. We can't allow Steven to get lost in the growth and progress of this great community.



Please help Agape Cafe if you can:
http://agapecafe.org/

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