Donation-based restaurant inside Ohio library helps combat food insecurity: "It's about dignity, not just the food"

Eighteen million American households struggled with food insecurity in 2023, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Ohio, help is coming from an unexpected place: the Toledo Public Library. 

At the library, Brad Reubendale, former CEO of SAME Café, has transformed traditional library space into a hub for fighting hunger.

Reubendale founded SAME Café — an acronym for the words "So All May Eat" — which operates out of a local library and serves lunch to those in need. The café is a participation restaurant where patrons can either volunteer, pay what they can afford or exchange fresh produce for a meal.