ST. LOUIS — The Boat House in Forest Park was coming out of a busy lunch rush as back of house manager Jonathan Myers directed traffic.
"Head's up. Excellent. Have a good one."
Back of house manager Jonathan Myers said the leftovers from big batch meals here are routinely turned over a good cause.
"Our entire kitchen staff, led by Jack McMurray, likes to give whatever we can to this organization," Myers said. "Everybody that we work with has been really hands-on and excited to give whatever we can give.
They typically send surplus from brunch to The Women's Safe House.
"One of the things about The Women's Safe House is we've always tried to be a homey environment," executive director Sylvia Jackson said. "We know that women and kids that come to our facility are fleeing from the threat of violence in their home. So we generally try to serve at least our dinner meal family style."
But with a commercial kitchen under renovation, The Women's Safe House needs a little more help with the dinner table.
The refrigerator is running at The Women's Safe House in St. Louis, but they can't make many hot meals. Because of that, they're turning to local restaurants, asking for anything they can reheat for the roughly 40 women and children who will stay here nightly until the kitchen's replaced next month.
"I'll tell you one thing about the St. Louis community, it's always been a warm community in terms of philanthropy and helping out," Jackson said.
At the Boathouse, they say service is what they do. Now they're filling stomachs and hearts.
"It's a great opportunity for us to be able to give back to people in need," Myers said, "and it's a great opportunity for them to be able to have food they may not otherwise be able to eat."
If you would like to help The Women's Safe House, click here.
