Universoul Cafe, a nonprofit workforce development and food recovery organization in Sacramento, hosted its monthly community dinner Wednesday to bring together community leaders and members to discuss food access in the city.”Our whole goal with Dinner at Six is making sure that everyone is talking. We’re bringing together those who make the policies and those who are affected by the policies, so that everyone has a fair and equitable seat at the table to talk about this,” said Tonya Mack, CEO and founder of Universoul Cafe, ahead of Wednesday’s dinner.The event comes after a significant setback for the organization last year: a devastating break-in at their Del Paso Heights warehouse.“When the break-in and all the vandalism happened back in July, we were absolutely devastated. We lost everything and essentially had to start all over from scratch,” Mack said. “What’s beautiful about that is how the community showed up.”Despite the challenges, Mack said, community support and corporate donations have enabled Universoul Cafe to continue feeding those in need. The organization recently received a sizeable grant from First 5 Sacramento, Mack said.“We were thrilled to not only see that swell of support from the community, but also that money and those donations helped us to continue during a time where we were just trying to figure it all out,” she said.While the search for a new warehouse continues, the organization is utilizing Chef Derris Mosley’s kitchen in Old Sacramento.“We still see the joy in the people faces as we still feed them. Nothing changes. We just got to just keep pushing. Just keep pushing through,” he said. “What they have done with the community and for the kids and everything, it just excites my heart. It makes me want to do more and more for what they have going on in and for the community all together.”Mack remains optimistic about the future, emphasizing that while they are still searching for a permanent home, Universoul Cafe’s mission remains unchanged. “The best thing about feeding people is community,” she said. “You don’t have to speak the same language. You don’t have to know my name, but if I offer you food and it’s prepared with love, you receive it with love. That’s the very, very best part about Universal Cafe. We put our heart in our food.”Mack encouraged any interested in getting involved in the group’s efforts to reach out through their website or social platforms.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Universoul Cafe, a nonprofit workforce development and food recovery organization in Sacramento, hosted its monthly community dinner Wednesday to bring together community leaders and members to discuss food access in the city.
“Our whole goal with Dinner at Six is making sure that everyone is talking. We’re bringing together those who make the policies and those who are affected by the policies, so that everyone has a fair and equitable seat at the table to talk about this,” said Tonya Mack, CEO and founder of Universoul Cafe, ahead of Wednesday’s dinner.
The event comes after a significant setback for the organization last year: a devastating break-in at their Del Paso Heights warehouse.
“When the break-in and all the vandalism happened back in July, we were absolutely devastated. We lost everything and essentially had to start all over from scratch,” Mack said. “What’s beautiful about that is how the community showed up.”
Despite the challenges, Mack said, community support and corporate donations have enabled Universoul Cafe to continue feeding those in need. The organization recently received a sizeable grant from First 5 Sacramento, Mack said.
“We were thrilled to not only see that swell of support from the community, but also that money and those donations helped us to continue during a time where we were just trying to figure it all out,” she said.
While the search for a new warehouse continues, the organization is utilizing Chef Derris Mosley’s kitchen in Old Sacramento.
“We still see the joy in the people faces as we still feed them. Nothing changes. We just got to just keep pushing. Just keep pushing through,” he said. “What they have done with the community and for the kids and everything, it just excites my heart. It makes me want to do more and more for what they have going on in and for the community all together.”
Mack remains optimistic about the future, emphasizing that while they are still searching for a permanent home, Universoul Cafe’s mission remains unchanged.
“The best thing about feeding people is community,” she said. “You don’t have to speak the same language. You don’t have to know my name, but if I offer you food and it’s prepared with love, you receive it with love. That’s the very, very best part about Universal Cafe. We put our heart in our food.”
Mack encouraged any interested in getting involved in the group’s efforts to reach out through their website or social platforms.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel