On the first Thursday of every month, Monroeville Rotary showcases different nonprofits.
Rotary’s meeting on April 3 at the Monroeville Public Library hosted Kevin Bode, founder of Knead Community Café in New Kensington.
Bode is a financial advisor who spent time overseas doing mission work. He was raised in New Kensington and said he felt a calling to give back to the community where he grew up.
In 2015, Bode and his wife Mary attended a One World Everybody Eats conference in Tampa, Fla., to learn more about the “pay what you can” concept. The couple then traveled the country to visit community cafes, which support nutritious and dignified dining for everyone.
Bode brought the concept back to New Kensington; more than 70 people showed up to discuss the idea of a new restaurant.
“We had the support of the community,” Bode said.
His goals for Knead were to feed people, bring back the community and create an economic spark. With the help of a grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation, the Bodes bought a building and asked for help with renovations.
“We had 150 volunteers come out in one day to help gut the building,” Bode said.
Knead Community Café opened its doors in February 2017.
The concept is simple. People pay what they can for a meal. If they can’t, they’re asked to volunteer their time. If someone is able to give more, then they are paying it forward for the next customer. No one is turned away.
Knead also helps people obtain furniture and housing, and partners with UPMC and Wesley Family Services to assist with medical, mental health and counseling services.
“We try to find out what people need,” Bode said. “It’s not just a meal. It’s about helping people.”
Knead has “grab and go” meals on Thursdays and offers free family movie nights outside in the courtyard in the summer.
The café began with volunteers and now has eight paid positions.
“God’s been good to us,” Bode said. “We’ve always been in the black.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters
The Rotary also welcomed guest speaker Gabby Adams, marketing and outreach coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, which includes Allegheny, Greene and Washington counties.
The nonprofit pairs adult volunteers (known as “Bigs”) with young people (or “Littles”) ages 5 through young adulthood for mentoring relationships.
“We recruit, screen, match and support mentoring relationships with youth, at no cost to participants,” Adams said. “Fostering a strong sense of community for the past 60 years, our programming is a transformative experience for both Bigs and Littles.”
Bigs must be 21 or older, have transportation, be able to meet twice monthly and submit state and federal clearances. Youth, parents and volunteers are interviewed, and a match support specialist is there to offer assistance throughout the program.
During her discussion, Adams reviewed BBBS’s various programming and the impact of mentorship.
BBBS of Greater Pittsburgh offers community based programs, such as One-to-One, Sports, Bigs in Blue, Post Secondary and Workplace programs. Level Up is a group mentoring program, while Big Siblings is geared toward young people in the LGBTQ+ community.
“It takes a village,” Adams said. “And it’s the little things that make the biggest impact.”
Adams stressed that something as typical as playing basketball or going to the movies can have a positive influence on a child.
Research from an economic study titled “The Long-Term Impacts of Mentors: Evidence from Experimental and Administrative Data” confirms that mentoring delivers real, measurable economic outcomes. Kids who participate in the BBBS program are 20% more likely to enroll in college, earn 15% more over their lifetime, 46% less likely to use illegal drugs and 27% less likely to begin using alcohol.
