You sat down, chose what sounded good from a menu, and then someone brought the food to your table and you ate it. Nothing unusual, right? But for some, this way of dining is anything but typical.
With help from funds donated by Community Health System and other organizations, Papa Mike’s Café at the Poverello House is changing that.
How Papa Mike’s works
Poverello House, located in downtown Fresno, provides food, shelter and social services to people who are unhoused or in need. In 2024, they took their vision of serving others to a new height: offering a full-service, no-cost restaurant experience for anyone in Fresno who is hungry.
“They’re able to order off a menu anything they want,” said Zach Darrah, CEO of Poverello House. “Everything is fresh, made to order, with full table service.”
Staffed mostly by volunteers, the cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, with an additional coffee and pastries menu added on Saturday and Sunday.
“We have seen [volunteers] come down and they go, ‘This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever been part of,’” Darrah shared.
Community partners with others to address food insecurity
When Darrah first came up with the idea of Papa Mike’s Café, not everyone was as optimistic as he was.
“When I shared this vision with Community Health System and they were the first one to say, ‘Yes, we’re in, let’s be part of this with you,’ that makes you feel like, okay,” he smiled. “People are going to walk this journey with us.”
Community saw Papa Mike’s Café as a great opportunity to make a positive, healthy change for those in our region.
Despite living in a Valley rich with agriculture, food insecurity is a top need identified by the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), a report sharing primary health issues in our service area.
Food insecurity is when someone doesn’t have regular access to safe and healthy food. In 2021, more than 23% of residents surveyed for the CHNA reported having trouble paying for food in the last 12 months.
Community’s commitment to ensuring people in our Valley are not only cared for, but empowered to live their healthiest lives, extends beyond our hospital walls. And that means helping organizations like Poverello House provide healthy, nutritious food to all who need it.
Where dignity is the main course
When you walk into Papa Mike’s, you see a tagline displayed proudly on the wall: “Where Dignity is the Main Course.” To Darrah, dignity is as important as the food being served.
“Someone’s dignity has to be affirmed before they are able to get back on track, get back on their feet,” he said.
Papa Mike’s Café is an experience many of the people they serve don’t traditionally get to have. “Not only do they not have the resources perhaps to eat in a restaurant, but also [they may not] be welcomed into a restaurant environment,” said Darrah.
“Which, they are all welcome here, at Poverello House,” he added.
Watch video of this story on MedWatch Today, Community's weekly, half-hour TV show produced in partnership with KSEE24 and CBS47.
