Caterina’s Club
MISSION STATEMENT:
In 2005, owner and chef of Anaheim White House, Bruno Serato and his mother, Caterina, visited the Boys and Girls Club.b of Anaheim. Caterina noticed a six-year-old boy eating potato chips for dinner because his family couldn’t afford a proper meal. Caterina insisted that Bruno make some pasta for the child. They soon realized that there were many more of these hungry children so Bruno began making pasta for 72 children, five nights a week. Today, these meals have expanded to feeding nearly 300 children, seven nights a week with more than a quarter of a million meals served to date.
SERVICES/SUCCESSES:
The Anaheim White House holds luncheons every few months with 100% of proceeds contributed to Caterina’s Club. These generous donations have resulted in the Club donating a 12-passenger van to transport the children from where they live in local motels to the Boys & Girls Club. This transportation was also extended to their families for medical clinic visits and Caterina’s Club has contributed to a free dental clinic.
Caterina’s Club has provided the kids with one-on-one tutoring on a daily basis, upgraded computer software, as well as piano lessons and introduction to ballet via a partnership with Anaheim Ballet.
WHY CATERINA’S CLUB IS A BRIGHT *
Despite his own challenges with managing a restaurant in a slumped economy, Bruno never ceased to feed the Caterina’s Club kids. His tireless efforts remain undaunted as his restaurant is the only one we know of in the world that serves 300 free dinners to homeless motel kids every night. CNN placed Bruno on its Top 10 Heroes of the World list in 2011. We wholeheartedly agree!