Eatery and Cafe in Black Diamond
By Marin Sadler
As I’ve mentioned before, Casey and I were inexplicably drawn to this building. Whether you’re a believer or not, we felt called to pursue a vision for a community-centered space—a place where everyone feels welcome and where we can do a lot of good. Our vision includes incorporating the MVP meal program and continuing the work we’ve already started in the community through our baseball business, offering lessons on a sliding scale and full sponsorships along with so many other dreams to serve others.— with Ginger Passarelli.
Casey grew up in a very tiny town—Ripley, Oklahoma—and his dad was a first responder. They didn’t have much, and many times, Casey could only be part of baseball teams thanks to the support of his community. That sense of giving back is what drives us.
For myself, I grew up in a somewhat small-town-North Shore, Oahu. My love for serving others began when I was very young, volunteering for my churches soup line bi-weekly.
Recently, I connected with Mama Ginger, and she sent me a video of what this special place once was. I was floored. She said, “It wasn’t like a normal restaurant; it was a place where people just gathered, and there was a lot of love here.”
We couldn’t believe what we were watching and had never felt so assured that this dream of ours—our vision of a community “third space”—was meant to continue the wonderful legacy this space already holds in this town.
Mama went on to say, “some people just don’t take no for an answer,” which is a sentiment I’ve always lived by. If there’s a will, there’s a way, and that’s why we decided to seek crowdfunding—for those who want to and can afford to support us in that way.
The financial aspect has been the most nerve-wracking part of this journey. This calling of ours has the potential to completely upend everything Casey and I have worked so hard to build. However, when I heard Mama say, “people give, but do people invest?” encouraging others “not to be afraid of investing,” I was overcome with emotion. I know the road ahead will be challenging, and this is a massive commitment to take on, but right now, I’m just a puddle of tears, in awe of the validation Mama gave us without even knowing it!
