Page 50 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2016

DINING pay what you want
STARFISHCAFÉ Serving hope one plate at a time
story by Lisa Kröger photos by Linda Ferrill
With one look at the menu, it is clear that Starfish Café in Bay Saint Louis is different from the typical restaurant. The food is fresh and local, with an emphasis on environmentally conscious ingredients. The chicken is antibiotic- free and cage-free. The beef is free- range, coming from Collins, Miss. Some of the vegetables and herbs come directly from the property’s garden, which also features a beehive to supply honey. But it’s not the
focus on the fresh cooking that makes Starfish Café stand out from the rest.
For one thing, prices are nowhere to be found. Starfish Café is completely “pay what you want.”
Prior to opening Starfish Café, Diana “Di” Fillhart, co-founder of PNEUMA-Winds of Hope, which operates Starfish Café, worked with homeless and inner city ministries in New York City. “We were always by faith,” she explained. “Whatever
came in for donations, that’s what we did.”
With that background, and after reading an article about a restaurant in Boulder, Colo., that was operating solely on donations, Fillhart decided to make the switch in her own café.
“We are now a non-profit that does transformation, and we do that through a restaurant that provides healthy alternatives and focuses on wellness for a lifetime,” she said.
The transformation is what makes this place truly special.
Starfish Café hosts a 20-week experiential learning program for students over the age of 18. The students get hands-on restaurant training, of course, but Fillhart also wants to make sure the students are prepared with skills that will take them through life. “They learn social skills from the front-of-the-house work. They learn basic culinary skills, knife skills, cooking sauces. They get life-coaching, anger management,
LEFT: Diana “Di” Fillhart, co-founder
of PNEUMA-Winds of Hope which operates Starfish Café.
TOP: Zac Fillhart works with student Kim Johnson on food preparations. BOTTOM: Some of the vegetables and honey come directly from the property.
which I call emotional balance, resiliency training, and financial literacy.”
The graduates of the program can then go into Hollywood Casino’s Culinary Associate Program or directly to work in local restaurants.
Donations to Starfish Café help support the program and student tuition. PNEUMA-Winds of Hope
is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization, and donations are tax- deductible.
50 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • March 2016
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Starfish Café
211 Main St., Bay Saint Louis www.starfishcafebsl.com