Caring For Restaurant And
Hospitality Workers in Crisis

through timely interventions, intentional relationships
and transformational care

Current Big Table Locations

Nashville EATW
EATW Flickr SAN 2023
EATW Flickr SPO 2023
Unexpected 20 Billboard 2
Our Care Model Billboard2
How to Care Billboard
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caring for those most in need

Our industry – the restaurant and hospitality industry – is full of amazing and gifted people and hires people no other industry will. These hard-working people have significantly increased risk for financial and emotional crisis as compared to other industries. In fact, EVERY one of the ten lowest-paid jobs in the country is in our industry based on 2020 statistics. Yet because hospitality workers are naturally required to keep smiles on their faces, their needs are virtually invisible to the world. Their job is to serve and take care of others – Big Table’s mission is to walk alongside and help take care of them when they need it most.

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

“It is more of a family than a non-profit. Big Table is like a port in the storm. It has reaffirmed my faith in people.“
david | care recipient

hope is always on the menu

Big Table was born out of a need. A server who couldn't afford medical care. A hotel housekeeper who was on the verge of eviction. A busboy who needed a car repair so he could make his shift. Every story is different. But the pain is the same - hardworking people just struggling to get by. Thanks to our selfless donors and our network of generous partners, including doctors, dentists, therapists, auto mechanics, and lawyers, we are able to meet each of these people at their exact moment of need with exactly the help they need.

We are able to catch them before they fall, building intentional relationships, and offering direction and hope. Won't you join us?

Finding Hope and Home

You helped make this possible, I cannot believe it. Thank you so much.

A housekeeper in a local hotel, Brittany was our first care referral in Colorado Springs. She had been struggling to make rent as a single mom while also navigating some tough family dynamics. Initially, Big Table helped her catch up on rent, but Brittany ended up homeless after losing her job months later. We continued to care by providing encouragement and sharing some hard conversations about getting her life on track. Brittany didn’t give up. She landed a new job, diligently saved money, and recently moved into a new place. We were there—with a U-Haul and support. After a redemptive day of lifting and sweating, she is now smiling in a safe, comfortable home again.

Brittany
Colorado Springs

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.

our mission

Big Table exists to see the lives of those working in the restaurant and hospitality industry transformed by building community and caring for those who are in crisis, transition, or falling through the cracks.