Panera Cares
My only three-day weekend since January started off with the amazing adventure. I drove down to Clayton, Missouri...parked my car in one of the many public parking lots (apparently, the county seat of St. Louis doesn't believe in regular parking lots) and started walking towards the familiar Panera color scheme.
The biggest difference is that the entrace to this St. Louis Bread Co. was marked "Community Cafe." I walked into this cafe not knowing what to expect, only that I was planning to volunteer my time for the day in effort to learn what a Panera Cares is all about. I was greeted by a young gentleman that asked me if I had visited the cafe before; when I explained that I was there to volunteer, we began to talk about what the St. Louis Bread Co. Cares does for individuals and the community.
I spent the remainder of breakfast and all of lunch getting to know the managers, associates, and guests, asking a million questions about the business and back-stories of those who frequented the cafe. Associates were very candid about their experience there, and volunteers were happy to explain that they came to this cafe for a nutritious meal and the amazing people that work there.
The company I work for has these amazing cafes that are open to the community, that allow people to have a nutritious meal when they could not otherwise afford one. This concept is simply amazing, and this particular cafe is very humbling. I am so fortunate to have been able to participate and help out such a wonderful place.
I plan to continue my journey with this cafe--I will definitely be going back to help Brooke and her team.
The biggest difference is that the entrace to this St. Louis Bread Co. was marked "Community Cafe." I walked into this cafe not knowing what to expect, only that I was planning to volunteer my time for the day in effort to learn what a Panera Cares is all about. I was greeted by a young gentleman that asked me if I had visited the cafe before; when I explained that I was there to volunteer, we began to talk about what the St. Louis Bread Co. Cares does for individuals and the community.
I spent the remainder of breakfast and all of lunch getting to know the managers, associates, and guests, asking a million questions about the business and back-stories of those who frequented the cafe. Associates were very candid about their experience there, and volunteers were happy to explain that they came to this cafe for a nutritious meal and the amazing people that work there.
The company I work for has these amazing cafes that are open to the community, that allow people to have a nutritious meal when they could not otherwise afford one. This concept is simply amazing, and this particular cafe is very humbling. I am so fortunate to have been able to participate and help out such a wonderful place.
I plan to continue my journey with this cafe--I will definitely be going back to help Brooke and her team.
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