current big table locations
care for the working poor
Our industry – the restaurant and hospitality industry – is full of amazing and gifted people and hires people no other industry will. More of the WORKING POOR work in this industry than any other place in the nation. Caring for them means caring for people who are already doing all they can on their own and still not making it.
1 in 6
restaurant workers are below the official poverty line – DOUBLE any other working population
43%
make less than economists say is needed just to make ends meet
“I arrived for surgery and they told me you paid $1,000 towards it and I just cried. Thank you so much!“
TONYA
join us in caring for people like Tonya
Tonya was referred for dental work. She had braces and had twice broken her jaw. Her mouth was wired shut for two years with the braces still in. Recently her dentist took the braces off, but her jaw was still unstable. Insurance only covered $1,200 for the whole year. When she arrived for surgery last week to re-stabilize her jaw, she planned to charge it on her credit card. Big Table called the dentist and paid $1,000 toward the $1,600 fee.
relationships start around the table
how it works
a personal referral
Big Table works on a referral model, not a “hotline” model. We build a network of managers, owners, and employees across the industry and when they see someone in crisis, they submit a personal referral.
immediate crisis care
We respond directly and personally – seeking to meet an immediate crisis need as quickly as possible with the goal of keeping a family or individual from falling off the ledge.
ongoing relationships
Where we see lives truly change is when we are able to shift from triage care to investing in longer term coaching and mentoring with a care recipient. Once the crisis has passed we continue to walk alongside individuals – offering accountability and encouragement.