A kind-hearted cafe owner has saved her tips all year so she can cook a festive feast for lonely and vulnerable people on Christmas Day. Mum-of-two Louise O’Leary will serve turkey and all the trimmings for 20 pensioners, single parents and homeless people at her cafe so they don’t have to be alone at Christmas. The 43-year-old from St Mellons said: “I just want Christmas to be happy for everyone.” “There are a lot of lonely people in our community and I didn’t want to think of them being by themselves on Christmas Day.” Louise will open the doors of Frolics Cafe on Crickhowell Road at 2.30pm tomorrow and will serve three courses to her guests. Today, her two daughters Megan, 11, and Zoe, 20, plus four of her friends and customers are helping her to prepare. “We will be having prawn cocktail for the starter,” she said. “Then we have two turkeys, a big piece of beef, pork and chicken for the main course, so I don’t think anyone will be going hungry.” Supermarkets and suppliers including Tesco, Iceland and Farmfoods have also donated food, including frozen deserts. “The cafe has become an important part of the community over the past year, providing a meeting place and a friendly face for local people,” she explained. The business opened in April 2013 after Louise converted the building from a travel agency into a cafe. “It was a great deal of hard work, installing a kitchen and dining area,” she recalled. “It has been a very difficult time, but surviving our first year in a tough economic climate was a big triumph.” Generous Louise first had the idea of cooking for vulnerable people last Christmas and was joined by 12 guests. “We had a great time and I’m expecting even more people this year,” she said. “I care about our customers and we are a bit of a lifeline for local people. “We have an 86-year-old lady who will be joining us on Christmas Day. She didn’t want to be on her own in the house, so I am going to pick her up.” Louise has lived in St Mellons for 12 years and since opening, has tried to create employment for local people. “We try to make a small improvement to the unemployment in the area by employing as many local people as our funds will allow,” she said. “We also try our best to use local butchers and bakers to supply our food where possible.”
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 13:56:53 +0000
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