Polo woman opens ‘pay what you can’ café in community troubled by poverty – WIFR

Report on The Gratitude Cafe Initiative in Polo, Illinois

Executive Summary

This report details the operations and community impact of The Gratitude Cafe, a food service initiative located in the Polo Senior Center, Polo, Illinois. The initiative, founded by Kathy Wragg, directly addresses several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by combating food insecurity and poverty through a community-supported operational model. The cafe provides a critical service in a community where the poverty rate is nearly double the state and national average.

Initiative Overview and SDG Alignment

Mission and Core Objectives

The Gratitude Cafe was established in October to address rising food insecurity and the cost of living crisis within the Polo community. Its primary mission is to ensure no resident goes hungry by providing hot, nutritious meals.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The cafe’s central purpose is to provide consistent access to food, directly contributing to the goal of ending hunger and ensuring food security.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: By offering meals on a “pay what you can” basis, the initiative directly mitigates the financial pressures on individuals living below the poverty line, a significant demographic in Polo.

Operational Model

The cafe operates on a “pay what you can” system, offering a menu with suggested donation prices. This model is designed to be inclusive and remove financial barriers to access.

1. Patrons are presented with a menu and suggested prices (e.g., $3 to $6).
2. Payment of the suggested donation is encouraged but not required.
3. Those who can afford to pay more are encouraged to do so, helping to subsidize meals for others.
4. The cafe serves approximately 60 meals per week, indicating a consistent community need.

This model directly supports SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by ensuring that all members of the community, regardless of economic status, have equal access to quality food.

Contributions to Health and Community Sustainability

Focus on Nutrition and Well-being

The Gratitude Cafe places a significant emphasis on the nutritional value of its meals, which is a key component of community health.

• Nutrient-Rich Ingredients: Meals incorporate microgreens grown on-site at the senior center. This practice adds significant nutritional value, addressing potential dietary deficiencies.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: By providing nutritious, balanced meals, the cafe promotes the health of its patrons, particularly seniors who may be more vulnerable to malnutrition.

Community Partnership and Sustainability

The success of the cafe is rooted in community collaboration and generosity, reflecting a sustainable, locally-driven solution.

• Community-Driven Support: The initiative is sustained by the generosity of community members who can afford to pay more, creating a self-supporting system.
• Strategic Partnerships: The cafe collaborates with the Polo Lifeline Food Pantry, creating a network of support that enhances the community’s food security infrastructure. This aligns with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
• Social Cohesion: The project acts as a community hub, strengthening social bonds and fostering a collective sense of responsibility, which is a cornerstone of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • The article directly addresses poverty by stating that “one in five people in Polo live below the poverty line,” which is nearly double the state and national average. It also highlights the “cost of living crisis” and the financial struggles of residents, particularly those on Social Security, whose benefits “don’t keep up with the cost of living.” The Gratitude Cafe’s “pay what you can system” is a direct response to this economic hardship.

2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • This is the central theme of the article. The cafe was started specifically to address “hunger insecurity or food insecurity here in Polo.” The founder’s goal is to “make sure that nobody is going hungry.” The initiative provides regular access to affordable and nutritious meals, directly tackling the problem of hunger within the community.

3. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article connects food access to health. The cafe provides a “good hot meal,” which is described as better than a “cold meat sandwich at home.” More specifically, it emphasizes the nutritional value of the food by including microgreens, which are “so important to your health” and can provide “a whole day’s nutrition.” This shows a focus not just on providing calories but on promoting health through proper nutrition.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The Gratitude Cafe is a community-based solution to a local problem. The founder emphasizes, “It’s a community thing.” The project is located in the Polo Senior Center, utilizing a public community space to foster social inclusion and support vulnerable populations. The collaboration between the cafe and Polo’s Lifeline Food Pantry demonstrates a local partnership aimed at making the community more resilient and supportive for all its residents.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.

   • The Gratitude Cafe’s “pay what you can system” functions as a localized social protection measure. It ensures that everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, can access a meal. The article states, “If they can’t [afford it], that’s okay too. They can just come and eat.” This system provides a safety net for those affected by the “cost of living crisis” and poverty.

2. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

   • The cafe’s primary mission is to combat “food insecurity” in Polo. By serving meals weekly and operating on a donation basis, it directly works to ensure that community members, especially the poor and vulnerable (such as seniors at the center), have access to sufficient food.

3. Target 2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition…

   • The initiative goes beyond simply providing food by focusing on its nutritional quality. The deliberate inclusion of microgreens, which “pack a little of this into our meals, we’re adding nutrition in,” is a direct effort to address potential nutritional deficiencies and end a form of malnutrition within the community.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator related to SDG 1 (Poverty):

   • Proportion of population below the poverty line: The article explicitly states, “Census data shows about one in five people in Polo live below the poverty line.” This is a direct measurement corresponding to Indicator 1.2.1 (Proportion of population living below the national poverty line).
   • Number of beneficiaries of social protection programs: The article mentions the cafe “serves about 60 meals each week.” This number can be used as a proxy indicator for the number of people benefiting from this local social protection system, which aligns with the spirit of Indicator 1.3.1.

2. Indicator related to SDG 2 (Hunger):

   • Prevalence of food insecurity: The article is premised on addressing “hunger insecurity or food insecurity here in Polo.” While it doesn’t provide a specific percentage, the existence and demand for the cafe serve as a qualitative indicator of food insecurity in the community, which relates to Indicator 2.1.2.
   • Number of meals served: The statistic that the cafe serves “about 60 meals each week” is a direct quantitative indicator of the food being provided to the community to combat hunger.

3. Indicator related to SDG 3 (Health):

   • Nutritional quality of food provided: The article implies an indicator of nutritional improvement by mentioning the “not-so-secret ingredient of microgreens” and the goal of “adding nutrition in.” This is a qualitative indicator of efforts to improve the health and well-being of patrons.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wifr.com