So Much to Give Cafe

PLEASE HELP OUR GUESTS ACCESS SECOND FLOOR

ELEVATOR FUND RAFFLE

Starting on Giving Tuesday, November 29th, we announced our Elevator Fund Raffle. We are selling $100 tickets for the Elevator Raffle for chance to win $2,500.00 and your name on a weekend dinner special! Drawing will happen once we have reached our $65,000 goal. SEE BELOW TO ENTER RAFFLE FOR $100.

The Cafe is a place where all people can enjoy a meal and also have the opportunity to be gainfully employed, whether they have a disability or not. Our initial plan had been to get up-and-running and THEN begin raising funds to build a wheelchair lift. HOWEVER, we were informed by Worcester Township we must provide access or lose use of our second floor dining room. We only have a few months to raise $65,000! As of February 1st, we are at $52,000! Thanks to generous donors and small fundraisers, we are almost to goal! We have contracted with 101 Mobility to build the tower and we have applied for permits!

Our beautiful upstairs is where we aspire to create a sensory-friendly room and offer after-dining social events and activities for those with varying abilities. Unfortunately, we are ineligible to receive government grants for this high-priced item since we are tenants and do not own the building.

ENTER THE $100 RAFFLE BELOW VIA Paypal or Credit Card. Or you may mail a check for $100 payable to Pillars of Light and Love, 511 W Main St, Trappe, PA 19426. Please write Elevator Raffle on memo field.

We thank you so much for your consideration!

OUR STORY OF the So Much to Give INCLUSIVE Cafe

"So Much to Give” is a program created by Maureen Stanko launched in early 2022 under Pillars of Light and Love. Inspired by the need to create opportunities for her son with autism, its mission is to help young adults with disabilities to gain personal fulfillment by utilizing their unique gifts and talents to make a positive difference in the community.

Maureen's friend, Tyler Kammerle, had been developing an innovative restaurant concept that seeks to further this mission by merging the idea of employing people with amazing abilities and implementing accessible systems to help create a truly inclusive dining experience for all. Because of this, Kathy Opperman and the Board of Directors of Pillars of Light and Love decided to work in tandem with Tyler to open the "So Much to Give Inclusive Café", and Maureen was more than eager to help with the project. Thanks to the hard work of many and endless support from the community, the "So Much to Give Inclusive Café" was able to "soft" open in November of 2022, just six months after Kathy and Tyler crossed paths! The official Grand Open Ribbon Cutting was held with hundreds in attendance on Saturday, January 21st.

Tyler is now the restaurant's General Manager and continues to create and develop the model of the inclusive Cafe with great plans in the works for the future!

Learn more about the original program Maureen runs each month with events at Pillars of Light and Love and at the Cafe at the link below.

Contact Maureen to volunteer at SoMuchToGiveCafePA@gmail.com

So Much to Give