August 26, 2015

Favorites August 2015

“A single, ordinary person still can make a difference – and single, ordinary people are doing precisely that every day.”
— Chris Bohjalian

Making a difference in the here and now—that is what the Starfish Café in Bay St. Louis (a.k.a. BSL), Mississippi is all about. The café and organization run a 20-week experiential learning program to help young adults with life skills while gaining restaurant training and experience. Our dear friend Mary Kay was an avid supporter of the café and we had the pleasure of visiting it numerous times (I quote, “Hurry up and finish our breakfast so we can make it to lunch at the Starfish before it closes!”) while we were in Bay St. Louis for her memorial this spring.

The Mission of the Starfish Café:

To make a difference one by one in lives recovering from hardships of life;

to provide experiential education in life with skills preparing them for success.

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Our vision is to treat all people with respect, dignity and honesty, as each is created for a unique plan and purpose. Our commitment is to minister to, facilitate and equip each Starfish student with tools to fully and completely reach their potential.

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You probably know the story: A man was walking along the beach littered with thousands of starfish that had been washed up during a storm. He came upon a young boy throwing the starfish back into the ocean one by one. The man pointed out the folly of this effort, that there are simply too many starfish to make a difference. The boy tossed in another starfish into the water and replied to the man, “It made a difference to that one.”

There are numerous and deep root causes why our young people grow up or fall into hardships, and there are efforts by many to understand and facilitate those tectonic shifts towards a healthier culture. But real change can be maddeningly slow, and in the meanwhile Di and the Starfish Café are making a difference in people’s lives right now, one by one.

The work they do at the café project is incredible, but I haven’t even mentioned the food of which I am still dreaming about!

Spring rolls, fish tacos, asparagus fries, smoked salmon lettuce wraps, tur-ba-cado sandwiches—-we ate our way through the Menu and often reminisce about the flavors. But it wasn’t just the food, the atmosphere and hospitality are very much a part of what feeds those who walk through the doors, it’s nourishing on all levels.

Ingredients are fresh and Special-Diet needs are accommodated both graciously and deliciously—such a relief to anyone who has sheepishly and apologetically asked waitstaff about inconveniencing the cooks with their (probably annoying) dietary requests. I know that any disruption in the flow of cooking takes time, so as a cook I am quadruply grateful for their efforts to cultivate our comfort and ease! Many, many thanks.

The Desserts. The desserts were so divine that when we came back for our second meal we ordered dessert first. Seriously. They’re worth a 16-hour drive and if it weren’t so stinking hot there right now I would consider the trip. What I’m really trying to say is if you are anywhere near the Gulf Coast, DO NOT MISS the Ginger Lime Pie (with a gf crust) and the Lemon Curd! My salivary glands are squirting right now just remembering these delights. Powerful citrus punch and not too sweet; they were perfect.

The Starfish Café sits about three blocks from the Gulf of Mexico and all that goes with it. We are three days away from the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina—I am so grateful for and continually amazed at the monumental efforts of all who worked and are STILL working to recover, rebirth and rebuild their communities. You are an inspiration to us all.