Twice a week, a pavilion at Legacy Park in Venice becomes a gathering place for people experiencing homelessness and others struggling with food insecurity.
From 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, Coffee Talk offers coffee, food, clothing, basic necessities and, perhaps most importantly, a place to sit, talk and feel welcome.
“We provide community,” said the nonprofit’s leader, Lois Steketee, who refers to those Coffee Talk serves as her clients. “They are totally accepted and loved, provided for, and they are not judged.”
Coffee Talk began at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in 2014, when retired Pastor Wesley Runk and his wife, Mary Beth, helped run the food pantry housed at the church. Seeing people waiting outside, Runk began offering them coffee and pastries.
That simple gesture grew into Coffee Talk, which became an independent nonprofit in 2015. After several moves, the organization found its current home in 2023 at Legacy Park, across from the Historic Venice Train Depot.
Emmanuel continues its support. The church holds an annual freewill offering that Steketee said brings in about $2,500, provides meeting space for volunteers, and collects clothing and other needed goods throughout the year.
Steketee became involved after Runk died, when Mary Beth broke her leg and could no longer oversee the program. “I told her, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,’” Steketee recalled. “I stepped in and have been doing it ever since.”
Today, Coffee Talk has close to 50 volunteers during season. Some prepare lunches, others bring hot meals, serve food or simply sit and talk with guests. Emmanuel members Dolores and Larry Tutor stock a dedicated van with clothing and necessities, including always-needed socks and men’s underwear. Donated bicycles are also highly prized.
And yes, there really is coffee. Steketee arrives with a 40-cup urn, switching to iced tea when summer temperatures climb.
That spirit of hospitality extends to the holidays. On Thanksgiving, Coffee Talk serves its clients a traditional dinner with all the fixings, complete with holiday decorations.
But the real draw, Steketee said, is connection.
“Our clients want acknowledgment, just to be accepted as a human being,” she said. “They are people just like you.”