After hard times, restaurant owner warms hearts in Richmond with love

Menbere Aklilu, owner of the Richmond restaurant Salute E Vita, sits for a photograph at her desk. (Photo by Brittany Kirstin)

Menbere Aklilu has come a long way. From a struggling single mother, she is now a restaurant owner in Richmond, after moving from her native Ethiopia and a time in Italy.

Aklilu hosts an annual Thanksgiving dinner at her restaurant, Salute E Vita, where she just served a sit-down dinner for more than a thousand Bay Area homeless people. She has also begun holding a four-course Mother’s Day brunch for young single mothers. She helps Richmond and Oakland students pay school tuition.

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Rich-Con Cooks 2012

Two years ago we began sharing the secret ingredients to the dishes that have made our lives yummy. This year we bring you our best. From drinks to dessert, we present a modest menu that will compliment any table. Happy Holidays, Richmond!

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The table is set: Free holiday meals

For those without a place to stay or food to eat, Thanksgiving may conjure mixed emotions. Several Richmond churches and non-profits are fostering togetherness and nourishment by offering free meals for the community this Thursday. The following locations are linked above. Greater Richmond Inter-Faith Program GRIP will serve Thanksgiving Brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45…

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A Richmond legacy of giving continues

Every day nearly two hundred of Richmond’s hungry are served free meals by the Greater Richmond Interfaith Project volunteers. This Thanksgiving, GRIP seeks to feed hundreds more. “We just want to help somebody,” volunteer Barbara Scott said. “We have all been blessed and this is our way to give back.” Scott is one of 8-10…

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