Everyone Is Welcome: The Role of Community Cafés in Addressing Food Insecurity and Community Connectedness

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nonprofit organizations such as a community café that use a pay-what-you-can model are emerging as innovative solutions to address food security. The community café is unique in that it can also address social connectedness. This study explored how a community café can address food security and social connectedness. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used the socioecological model and was conducted from April 2023 to March 2025. Participants included individuals who dined at the café or were enrolled in its culinary apprenticeship program. The data collected included the USDA FSSM, SF-12 Quality of Life, demographic and biometric data (BMI, BP, A1C). RESULTS: Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine relationships among community belonging, physical and mental health, and sociodemographic factors. Higher engagement with the café was associated with more favorable health outcomes. Regression models identified key relationships between café participation, biometric indicators, and quality of life scores. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study provide novel insight into how community café models may influence individual health outcomes and community connectedness. These results support the importance of community cafes in addressing the multifaceted challenges of food insecurity and promoting social connectedness.