Eighteen million American households struggled with food insecurity in 2023, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Ohio, help is coming from an unexpected place: the Toledo Public Library.
At the library, Brad Reubendale, former CEO of SAME Café, has transformed traditional library space into a hub for fighting hunger.
Reubendale founded SAME Café — an acronym for the words “So All May Eat” — which operates out of a local library and serves lunch to those in need. The café is a participation restaurant where patrons can either volunteer, pay what they can afford or exchange fresh produce for a meal.
In Toledo, Ohio, about a third of customers volunteer their time in return for food, while two-thirds make some form of financial contribution. A small number of patrons also provide produce in exchange for a meal. The café works closely with local farms and gardens to source most of its fresh ingredients.
It’s a place where everyone is welcome to eat, regardless of their ability to pay.
“Every type of person comes, families come, business folks come, folks needing resources or services come. So it really is a community hub,” said said Rori Quinonez, a café regular.
The first nonprofit SAME Café opened in Denver in 2007, founded by Libby and Brad Birky. Inspired by the café’s success, Reubendale wanted to bring the model to spaces where those most in need could be found.
“Libraries are one of the last vestiges of any place that’s truly public space,” he said. “No one can be kicked out of a library for being poor.”
Reubendale has a personal connection to the mission of SAME Café. After coming out as gay, he lost his job as a pastor and found himself homeless and living out of his car. During this difficult time, SAME Café in Denver became a much-needed place of support for him. He would visit the café, often dressed up, and quietly make a small donation.
“I’d quietly put a dollar in because I didn’t want to have to tell my trauma to be able to get access to the resource,” he said.
Reubendale believes that those who run nonprofits should have firsthand experience with needing such services.
For Reubendale, SAME Café is about more than just food—it’s about maintaining dignity.
“We don’t wanna have someone greeting at the door saying, ‘Tell me about your story, do you deserve this?'” he said. “It’s about dignity, not just the food.”
The café’s approach is rooted in the belief that real change happens when people help themselves.
“I think SAME Café is one of those beautiful places where people can find help for themselves,” Reubendale said. “I don’t believe in helping people. The only way that people get help is when they help themselves.”
