Popular Breakfast Spot Opens Doors in Evening to Serve the Needy
A healthy meal and a night out to restaurant are tough to come by when funds are tight. EggCetera Café joins with One Love Global Wellness Foundation to feed the local hungry on the third Thursday of the month.
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In the evening, EggCetera Café, a popular spot for breakfast and lunch in downtown Mokena, is usually dark. However on Jan. 25, its doors were open. The restaurant was filled with young and old coming together to enjoy a free meal and plenty of genuine smiles served up by volunteers.
Dino Bastas, owner of EggCetera Café, 19709 Mokena St., hosted the first of a monthly free dinner for the needy, according to a Saturday SunTimesMedia story. The dinners are expected to be a regular routine on the third Thursday of the month. The debut event was staffed by young volunteers from St. John's United Church of Christ, 11100 2nd St.
The free dinner program, dubbed "Mission Meals," is administered through the non-profit organization One Love Global Wellness Foundation. The brainchild of Tammy Leonard and her father, Don Cantelo, the foundation aims to assist those who tend to fall through the cracks. Read more in the SunTimesMedia about the faces of people who have come to rely on programs such as these. Find out about the kind of compassion that compels people like Bastas, Cantelo and Leonard to come together to dish out an ongoing net of inspiration.
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In This article
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Eggcetera Cafe
19709 Mokena St, Mokena, IL -
St. John's United Church of Christ
11100 2nd St, Mokena, IL -
Ann C. Piasecki
Joined Patch Wednesday, November 24, 2010
nancy m duzinskas
9:55 am on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Where can I donate specifically to this local endeavor? There is nothing on the website One Love Global Wellness about how to make specific donations and I would like to keep donations local?
Ann C. Piasecki
11:44 am on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Hi Nancy, Don Cantelo, the co-founder of the One Love Foundation, runs Grant Staff on Front Street. His business number is: 708.479.6613. I hope that helps.
Tammy Leonard
2:30 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Hi Nancy, this is Tammy Leonard. One Love Global Wellness, as well as Mission Meals is run out of my office, Grant Staff, 11006 Front Street Mokena. We gladly accept and appreciate donations, as One Love is a 501 (c) 3 foundation and all donations are tax deductible. The donations help sponsor the dinners as well as purchase the needed “extras” motivational materials, toys, books, socks etc. All donations do stay local. Feel free to call me anytime. 708-479-6613. Don Cantelo, my father, also works out of the office, so feel free to call him as well. We appreciate all the support as this project, because of need, keeps growing and growing. Donations can be made to One Love Global Wellness Foundation, P.O. Box 712, Mokena, IL 60448. Questions can be emailed at grantseeker@sbcglobal.net Thank you to all!
Chris
3:18 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
That is so wonderful! What kinds of donations are excepted besides money? Is there a place to drop of gently loved toys that my son has grown out of or perhaps previously loved clothing?
Nikki Dalaly
1:57 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Can I donate my time? I would not mind comming out on these Thursdays and helping. What if I know people who could benifit from this? Where can I point them?
Ann C. Piasecki
8:22 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Hi Nikki;
I think you migh find it helpful to contact Tammy Leonard. She responded above. Here's her email: grantseeker@sbcglobal.net