Lexington restaurants team up to help shelters. ‘Do what we do best: Make food’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Grounded All Day organized sandwich drives and rallied local restaurants to feed shelters
- Volunteers made almost 800 PB&J sandwiches; shelters opened extra housing space
- Restaurant owners pledged meals while Catholic Action Center faces $75,000 cost
It started with making sandwiches Friday before the winter storm hit. Now, a Lexington cafe is rounding up supplies for overwhelmed local shelters.
Grounded All Day Cafe, 106 Burke Road in Meadowthorpe, is helping to feed Lexington’s homeless community and calling on other location restaurants for help.
Last week, ahead of Winter Storm Fern, Grounded All Day collected donations and welcomed those who could help make sandwiches for the Catholic Action Center. They did the same last year when the shelter on Industry Road put out an urgent request for sandwiches and individually wrapped snacks.
And on Monday, owner Rock Daniels put out a “call to action” for other restaurant owners and operators asking for their help feeding for those in the local shelters.
“To my fellow Lexington Restaurant owners and operators, My name is Rock Daniels, owner of Grounded All Day Cafe with my wife, Heather. We are reaching out to you today because our community is in a moment of crisis,” they wrote online on Facebook.
“For the next eight days, Lexington is facing extreme temperatures. Local shelters are overwhelmed, and as the city works to procure emergency housing, our neighbors experiencing homelessness are facing the bitter cold without the resources they need. Let’s do what we do best: MAKE FOOD,” Daniels wrote. “While others find the beds, let’s provide the nourishment. If each of us agrees to donate even a small portion of food, we can make a massive collective difference. We are stronger when we work as one kitchen.”
He said the owners of Mileta, Athenian Grill and Watan Mediterranean Grill had already said they would participate.
Almost immediately, Alex Coats and Eric Boggs of Goodfellas Pizzeria texted to say they would donate pizzas. Gwyn Everly reached out to say J. Render’s also would help.
By afternoon, Watan Mediterranean Grill, Lexington Pasta Garage, LX BBQ and Jacked Nutrition had joined as well. Then Nate’s Coffee donated beans, Everest Nepalese and Indian restaurant joined, with Bluegrass Hospitality Group figuring out logistics.
“I have a lot of friends in the restaurant business who might want to join in, so I decided to put it out on social media to see who else might get involved,” he said.
The cafe also plans to host another sandwich-making party later this week, Daniels said online.
Daniels said he has worked with the Catholic Action Center for about 20 years, helping to feed those who are unhoused.
Last week, ahead of the storm, he said, director Ginny Ramsey contacted him about the upcoming need.
“There are so many people they are having to put in alternate housing across town, and they don’t have enough food,” he said.
On Friday night, people who came to the cafe helped make almost 800 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, he said. Later this week, he plans to make pimento cheese, chicken salad and potato salad to go out, along with more PB&J.
“The Catholic Action Center is full. They’ve even opened up the upstairs to house people,” he said.
Already, more than 150 people are being place in alternate housing, which will cost the center about $75,000 over the next eight to nine days as people will need to say until the temperature gets to safe levels.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 12:06 PM.
