Knead Community Café, which opened Feb. 25, does not have conventional pricing for its freshly made soups, salads and sandwiches. Instead, the menu states a suggested price. While many diners pay that amount or more, others pay what they can, or they pay their bill by working at the Café. To keep the operation running, the kitchen and dining areas are staffed by volunteers who share the Bodes’ commitment to helping neighbors. “Our mission is to build community,” Kevin says. “Knead Café is a place where people come together, work together and serve their neighbors. That means a lot.” Community members from all walks of life can enter the Café to find a good meal and great company. Whether it’s in the dining room or the kitchen, people treat one another as equals. “Their paths may never have crossed before, but they find commonality,” Mary says. “Everything’s done with dignity and love.” The space is not only for those in need of a healthful, low-cost meal, but for anyone looking for conversation and good cooking. Diners don’t know if the person next to them is paying with cash, or by volunteering hours, and they don’t know if the person working in the Café is donating time or working off a bill. The restaurant blurs the line between those who are experiencing food insecurity and those who are not, and that dynamic helps the Bodes in leading a community dialog about hunger by empowering those who visit. “We’re embraced as a safe place to go,” Mary says. “You can come in here without being judged.” T H E P I T T S B U R G H F O U N D AT I O N 1 6 F O R U M “Our mission is to build community. Knead Café is a place come together, work together BryceWilliams, an intern at the CFWC from Mt. Pleasant, serves Knead Café diners Sara Yohe from New Kensington and Jane Glenn from Lower Burrell.