{"id":724,"date":"2013-12-30T21:01:31","date_gmt":"2013-12-30T21:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/?p=724"},"modified":"2016-07-18T02:49:37","modified_gmt":"2016-07-18T02:49:37","slug":"service-and-salvation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/service-and-salvation\/","title":{"rendered":"Service and Salvation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div\n\tclass=\"ngg-galleryoverview\"\n\tid=\"ngg-gallery-046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d-1\">\n\n    \t\t<!-- Thumbnails -->\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-0\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3508.jpg\"\n               title=\"Trinity Cafe director, Cindy Davis.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3508.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3508.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"297\"\n               data-title=\"img_3508\"\n               data-description=\"Trinity Cafe director, Cindy Davis.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3508\"\n                    alt=\"img_3508\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3508.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-1\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3530.jpg\"\n               title=\"Chef Alfred Astl.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3530.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3530.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"298\"\n               data-title=\"img_3530\"\n               data-description=\"Chef Alfred Astl.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3530\"\n                    alt=\"img_3530\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3530.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-2\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3546.jpg\"\n               title=\"Trinity Cafe has served nearly 1 million free meals to the area&#039;s homeless.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3546.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3546.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"299\"\n               data-title=\"img_3546\"\n               data-description=\"Trinity Cafe has served nearly 1 million free meals to the area&#039;s homeless.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3546\"\n                    alt=\"img_3546\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3546.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-3\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3549.jpg\"\n               title=\"Guests are treated with a full three-course meal, but more importantly, they&#039;re offered compassion.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3549.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3549.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"300\"\n               data-title=\"img_3549\"\n               data-description=\"Guests are treated with a full three-course meal, but more importantly, they&#039;re offered compassion.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3549\"\n                    alt=\"img_3549\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3549.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-4\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3555.jpg\"\n               title=\"One of Trinity Cafe&#039;s many volunteer servers.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3555.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3555.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"301\"\n               data-title=\"img_3555\"\n               data-description=\"One of Trinity Cafe&#039;s many volunteer servers.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3555\"\n                    alt=\"img_3555\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3555.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-5\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3559.jpg\"\n               title=\"Guests dine at Trinity Cafe.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3559.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3559.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"302\"\n               data-title=\"img_3559\"\n               data-description=\"Guests dine at Trinity Cafe.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3559\"\n                    alt=\"img_3559\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3559.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-6\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3561.jpg\"\n               title=\"One of Trinity Cafe&#039;s many volunteer servers.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3561.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3561.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"303\"\n               data-title=\"img_3561\"\n               data-description=\"One of Trinity Cafe&#039;s many volunteer servers.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3561\"\n                    alt=\"img_3561\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3561.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-7\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3564.jpg\"\n               title=\"Cindy and Chef Alfred serve lunch.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3564.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3564.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"304\"\n               data-title=\"img_3564\"\n               data-description=\"Cindy and Chef Alfred serve lunch.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3564\"\n                    alt=\"img_3564\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3564.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-8\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3571.jpg\"\n               title=\"Guests dine at Trinity Cafe.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3571.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3571.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"305\"\n               data-title=\"img_3571\"\n               data-description=\"Guests dine at Trinity Cafe.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3571\"\n                    alt=\"img_3571\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3571.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ngg-image-9\" class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail-box\" >\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"ngg-gallery-thumbnail\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3575_1.jpg\"\n               title=\"A volunteer server assists a guest.\"\n               data-src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/img_3575_1.jpg\"\n               data-thumbnail=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3575_1.jpg\"\n               data-image-id=\"306\"\n               data-title=\"img_3575_1\"\n               data-description=\"A volunteer server assists a guest.\"\n               class=\"ngg-fancybox\" rel=\"046b556df40b000af19e52a9c0af538d\">\n                <img\n                    title=\"img_3575_1\"\n                    alt=\"img_3575_1\"\n                    src=\"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/trinity-cafe\/thumbs\/thumbs_img_3575_1.jpg\"\n                    width=\"120\"\n                    height=\"90\"\n                    style=\"max-width:100%;\"\n                \/>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n        \n\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Pagination -->\n\t<div class='ngg-clear'><\/div>\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Service and Salvation<\/p>\n<p>Trinity Caf\u00e9 in downtown Tampa celebrates 10 years and 750,000 meals served to the community\u2019s homeless and working poor<\/p>\n<p><i>(This featured was originally published by South Tampa Magazine in December 2011. Since the article was published, Trinity Cafe opened its new facility on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa.)\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The line to enter Trinity Caf\u00e9 wraps around the Salvation Army building and spills onto the corner near Madison Street. The crowd varies in age, gender and race but they represent the nearly 18,000 homeless and working poor citizens of Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n<p>For 10 years, Trinity Caf\u00e9 has provided these struggling men and women with a nutritious and delicious lunch in downtown. For just $2 a plate, Chef Alfred Astl\u2014who left a high-profile job in the hotel industry to join Trinity Caf\u00e9\u2014crafts the best meal that a small amount of money can buy, while the servers interact and converse with this all-too-often overlooked population.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe face of homelessness has changed over the last few years,\u201d says director Cindy Davis. \u201cThese are people who come from all walks of life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Watch the weekly lunch service at Trinity Caf\u00e9 and the atmosphere is unlike most \u201csoup kitchens.\u201d There are seven tables set up in a restaurant-style setting. Each is staffed with at least one volunteer hostess who sits with the guests and serves them when they need assistance. The guests take as much time as they\u2019d like and are served a three-course meal, which changes every day. No money passes through their hands; just a ticket handed out earlier that day in front of the building. The volunteer staff can serve anywhere from 200-230 guests Monday-Friday from 11:30am-1pm. Chef Alfred says that averages out to about 7,000 meals a month.<\/p>\n<p>Like nearly every non-profit organization, Trinity Caf\u00e9 runs on a tiny budget. Chef Alfred and Davis are the only two paid full-time staff members within the organization. Volunteers from around the community and a few part-time employees do the rest. Even though times continue to be tough, the group served its 750,000<sup>th<\/sup> meal on Nov. 1, 2011. For Chef Alfred, the milestone is a testament to the hard work and the commitment from the staff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven a small charity can do big things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Volunteers and food donations are always appreciated but Trinity Caf\u00e9\u2019s biggest and most consistent need is monetary donations, Davis says. The organization recently purchased a new, larger facility on Nebraska Avenue and hopes to raise $650,000 to help convert it into a full-service kitchen and restaurant that will serve at least 20-percent more guests and operate seven days a week. Davis says they\u2019re more than 40-perent of the way there.<\/p>\n<p>What started as four men trying to help a few homeless sleeping on the steps of a church has blossomed into a full-fledged facility offering the needy a chance to escape the bleakness of street-living and poverty. For Davis, every day is a humbling adventure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always walk away knowing that I\u2019m making a small difference in someone\u2019s life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Show your support:<\/p>\n<p>To volunteer, contact program director Cindy Davis at (813) 865-4822 or <a href=\"mailto:cdavis@trinitycafe.org\">cdavis@trinitycafe.org<\/a>. To make donations, please visit www.TrinityCafe.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Service and Salvation Trinity Caf\u00e9 in downtown Tampa celebrates 10 years and 750,000 meals served to the community\u2019s homeless and working poor (This featured was originally published by South Tampa Magazine in December 2011. Since the article was published, Trinity Cafe opened its new facility on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa.)\u00a0 The line to enter Trinity [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1762],"tags":[1592,1591,1590,1589],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=724"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/southtampamagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}