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(2012·辽宁,D)
Inside the pleasingly fragrant cafe, So All May Eat (SAME) in downtown Denver, the spirit of generosity (慷慨) is instantly noticeable: A donation box stands in place of a cash register. Customers here pay only what they can afford, no questions asked.
A risky business plan, perhaps, but SAME Cafe has done one unchangeable thing in the Mile High City for six years: Open only at midday, the restaurant provides poor local people with healthy, delicious lunches six days a week. Those unable to pay for their meals can instead volunteer as waiters and waitresses, and dishwashers, or look after the buildings and equipment for the cafe.
“It's based on trust, and it's working all right,” says coowner Brad Birky, who started the cafe in 2006 with his wife Libby. Previously volunteering at soup kitchens, the Birkys were dissatisfied with the often unhealthy meals they served there.
“We wanted to offer quality food in a restaurant where everyone felt comfortable, regardless of their circumstances,” Birky says. SAME's special lunch menu changes daily and most food materials are natural and grown by local farmers.
The cafe now averages 65 to 70 customers (and eight volunteers) a day. And the spirit of