When you shop, Community Cafe in Fort Mill, Lake Wylie has a way to serve someone else

If folks are buying food for themselves anyway, The Community Cafe has a you-scratch-my-back offer that could help everyone.

The Cafe locations need gas. Between its Lake Wylie and two Fort Mill locations, buying food and delivering to shut-ins, the Cafe can put a few miles on the van. So when they found out Publix stores run a special on gas cards, an idea emerged.

With a $50 grocery purchase at Publix, shoppers can buy a $50 Shell gas card for just $40. They can then give the card to the Cafe and get their $40 reimbursed. Because the Cafe is a nonprofit, shoppers also can get a $10 donation tax deduction.

All while helping a group set on helping others.

“The gas cards are used to fuel the van which is used for moving food and equipment for the Cafes,” said founder and head chef Don Murfin. “The cards save us 20 percent off the cost of gasoline.”

The trick is, shoppers have to know when the cards are available.

“It’s a promotion we run often throughout the year, but it’s not something we run all the time,” said Publix spokesperson Kim Reynolds.

The deal is advertised in newspapers, in store or online at publix.com or through the Publix app.

“They would know in the circulars,” Reynolds said.

The Cafe offers free, hot meals once a week at each of its locations. Volunteers continue to add ways of serving its community, even as they could see more demand depending on federal budget decisions.

On March 16, Meals on Wheels America put a statement online stating the organization doesn’t know exact details on proposed federal budget cuts to some of its funding sources, but the cuts could be “a devastating blow” to the service it provides to vulnerable seniors. A nationwide network of 5,000 community-run programs receive about 35 percent of their funding from the federal government.

The local Cafe sites operate on individual, church and corporate donations, so public funding sources don’t impact them. Except, should people unable to access other programs, such as Meals on Wheels, come their way instead, by adding to the people they can serve.

“We may well see an uptick,” Murfin said.

The Cafe sites pride themselves on serving everyone, bringing together people in need of a free meal with people who simply want a good one, and conversation around a table. They serve a variety of groups who bring seniors, special need adults and others. Anyone who accesses Meals on Wheels is welcome at the Cafe sites regardless what funding cuts may come.

“I always thought the Meals on Wheels was a totally volunteer program,” Murfin said. “If they currently get funding from the government, that would suggest that recipients have to ‘qualify.’ We don't ask questions of anyone.”

Even without the federal decision, the Cafe sites were looking to reach more people. Certain areas of York County aren’t easily accessible to the three Cafe locations, so an ongoing campaign aims to add a food truck.

“(The) food truck campaign is going well,” Murfin said.

“We have received cash donations amounting to 43 percent of the $50,000 purchase price. We are currently in the process of drafting grant requests to foundations who have an interest in helping those in need.”

The group also is starting to work with public schools.

“We have recently started working with local schools to provide food to those children on the reduced cost meal programs,” also targeted for cuts in the budget proposed by the Trump administration, Murfin said. “It's amazing how much those kids eat.”

Along with gas cards and food truck funding, the Cafe is looking for a volunteer assistant Fridays at Lake Wylie Lutheran Church. For more on the Cafe sites or how to help, visit communitycafecares.com.

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 2:45 PM with the headline "When you shop, Community Cafe in Fort Mill, Lake Wylie has a way to serve someone else."