Saturday, May 2nd: Cafe’ du Memphis (Monde) to Benefit Homeless Families

Saturday, May 2nd: Cafe’ du Memphis (Monde) to benefit homeless families

All food and drinks will be served by Rotarians and volunteers.

When: May 2, 2015 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where: East Parkway Pavilion at Overton Park (281 East Parkway North, Memphis, TN 38112)
Cost: $7 for Coffee and Beignets – Individual, $10 for Coffee and Beignets with Commemorative Mug – Individual, $15 for Full Plate – Individual

A full plate includes shrimp & grits, beignets, coffee, and a commemorative mug but you can also purchase individual items.

The event will happen rain or shine. Visitors will also get the chance to hear LIVE music from Jeremy Shrader.

For more information about Dorothy Day House of Hospitality visit http://www.dorothydaymemphis.org.

If you’ve ever longed for beignets (a French donut), Café au Lait (a French twist on coffee) or authentic Louisiana cuisine like shrimp and grits, Overton Park is the place you should be on Saturday morning, May 2, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.

Volunteers from The Rotary Club of Memphis will recreate New Orleans’ famous “Café du Monde” in the Overton Park Pavilion on East Parkway near Sam Cooper Blvd. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant will help produce the delicious food and a Dixieland Band will play the famous music that will transport park visitors to the ambiance of New Orleans’ French Quarter.

The event called “Café du Memphis” is a new fundraiser for the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality (DDHH). DDHH works to keep homeless families together, off the streets and thriving.

The Midtown Memphis house is one of the only homeless shelters in the region where families can remain united while they get back on their feet.

“The important thing about the Dorothy Day House is that we keep families together, “said Sister Maureen Griner, the ministry’s Founder and Executive Director.

“We allow husbands and wives to stay together, we allow boys and girls of all ages to be with their parents. Most shelters separate families. We think it is important that they stay together during the trauma of homelessness, “said the Catholic nun who runs DDHH with volunteers and donations.

Mothers and fathers have a safe place to care for their children and do their own cooking. Sister Maureen says the house provides security for families who do not have to worry about where they’ll get their next meal or wash up and rest.

“Homeless families are often caught in the tyranny of the moment,” Sister Maureen says. “The DDHH gives them the security they need to break out of homelessness and create a better life for themselves.”

There were three families residing at DDHH on a recent visit, but dozens more have requested the chance to live there while getting back on their feet. Sister Maureen dreams of serving the many who appeal for help.

“We dream of having a Dorothy Day Village, including several houses and an apartment building,” Sister Maureen says. “This would allow us to take more families directly out of homelessness and also would allow us to move families to a level of independence in an apartment as soon as they have secure income.”

The “Café du Memphis” event on Saturday morning will help DDHH meet its current client needs and begin to fulfill the vision to expand.