Kettering Employees Give Back to the Community at Non-profit Restaurant

“I believe that caring for the community starts outside the hospital walls,” Stacy Naff, clinical nurse manager at Kettering Health Greene Memorial, said.

She leads the Medical Surgical/Telemetry Unit Practice Council (UPC) and works closely with Jenn Davis, who leads the Radiology UPC. They recently organized a community service event for their teams at One Bistro, a local faith-based non-profit serving in Xenia, Ohio, United States.

A Day at One Bistro

The community-focused eatery operates with volunteer servers, bussers, hostesses, and dishwashers. “I loved what they stood for, and it aligned with our mission here at Kettering Health, so I wanted to get involved and help support them,” Naff explained.

One Bistro operates on a “pay what you can afford” model, meaning all menu prices are suggested, and if a customer is unable to pay, they can rest assured that they will still receive a wholesome meal. Alternatively, customers can opt to “pay it forward,” covering the cost of a meal for someone in need. Beyond the standard operation, One Bistro also prepares and serves a free meal to the community one evening each week.

Naff’s and Davis’s UPCs joined forces on a Saturday morning to volunteer their time; they seated and served customers before ending the day by cleaning the kitchen and dining room. In Naff’s words, the feedback from the team members who participated was, “They loved it!” She said it not only allowed the team to care for others in a setting outside the hospital, but also helped them connect outside of work.

Serving the Community

The UPC Naff leads is dedicated to giving; they adopt families for Christmas, provide care packages to deployed military service members, operate a clothing donation drive for staff members, and more. In fact, Naff’s unit collected the most supplies across Kettering Health Greene Memorial and Soin Medical Center for the 2022 school supply drive.

As for One Bistro, Naff says the Kettering Health Greene Memorial team already has plans to return; this time to serve a meal to community members in need.

Community is engrained in Naff, just like her compassionate approach to care. She believes that to be able to fully heal others, you must serve in the community and learn how to help the best way you can.

“When you know more about the community that you serve, I believe you are truly able to help them prepare for what is to come next. Learning about resources, church groups, etc., allows me to pass that knowledge to someone in need,” she shared. “We are in the business of people; what better way to learn about them than by serving the community where they live and work.”

The original version of this story was posted on the Kettering Health news site.