Spark of Hope (Spark Community Cafe)

We are the dream of 5 high school seniors who vowed to make a difference in hunger in our community. They gathered a few others who shared their concerns and Spark Community Cafe was born. We survived a pandemic, supply chain obstacles, and rising food and packaging costs. Over 6.5 years of operating from our brick and mortar cafe we provided over 91,000 meals. But increases of the fixed operating costs of the physical Cafe were overshadowing the mission. So, in June of 2025 we closed the doors of the Cafe.

What has not changed is our commitment to our mission. Though our name has changed, Spark of Hope remains steadfast in our mission to support and offer hope to those in our community who too often wonder if there will be food on their table that night.

Most of those who are food insecure in our community have jobs. They just do not earn enough to meet the rising cost of food, housing, utilities and other basic family needs. Others find their circumstances change, and access to food becomes a challenge.

We prepare nutritious and balanced family meals from a rotating menu of 14 recipes. The average weekly cost for this food and the packaging currently is nearly $400. This October, the requests for meals from individuals and families struggling with food insecurity rose from 200 to 264 meals delivered to 56 households each week. Volunteers prepare and package the family-style meals that other volunteers deliver once a week. Our volunteers are the engine of our mission.

We are hoping you share our belief that no child should go hungry in our community; that no parent should have to skip a meal so a loved one can eat; and, that no senior should have to choose between staying housed or eating. We understand that every family-style meal we deliver is more than food; it is a spark of hope and encouragement because our community cares for each other.