The Free to Be Podcast

Today, Lauren and Byrnese are sitting down with Dawn Fenner, the Executive Director of Essentials Cafe in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Essentials Cafe is A pay-what-you-can community cafe whose mission is to reduce food insecurity in the Lehigh Valley and to provide a place where friendships and where friendships and understanding can flourish across all socio-economic groups. They strive to create a place of equality where everyone, with different gifts, abilities, and resources, has the opportunity to eat, find welcome, and contribute as volunteers. Patrons at the Café donate what they can to eat food together in a warm and hospitable environment. Volunteers work together to grow, cook, and serve food in warm and welcoming ways. As you'll hear in our episode today, in 2025 Essentials served more than 13,000 guests, and more than 8,000 of then paid less than the suggested price - so we think they're absolutely living into their mission! If you want to learn more about Essentials, connect, volunteer, or stop by for a meal, they are located at 418 3rd Ave in Bethlehem, PA. You can also find them online at ⁠https://www.essentialscafe.org/ ⁠ and on ⁠Facebook.⁠ Thanks again to Dawn for joining us!Thoughts? Questions? Things you'd like to hear us cover in future episodes? Send us an email and let us know!Free to Be is led by Pastor Lauren Applegate - a woman in recovery, mom, wife, and pastor. She loves going to the beach, brewing coffee, riding roller coasters, and reading books. She is on a journey of honoring the freedom she has found in relationships where God’s love is made real, and is showing up to welcome and encourage others into the same kinds of relationships. Join Lauren and cohost Byrnese Craig as they engage listener questions and explore what it means to live Free. Follow along on socials!IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@free_to_be_community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FB: Free to Be⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG: (Byrnese) ⁠⁠⁠@pastorbyrnese⁠⁠⁠Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠godslove.org/freetobe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mannabethlehem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact us:Lauren: [email protected]: [email protected]

This week on the podcast, we're talking freedom from perfectionism, the joy (and work!) of life with a puppy, and what's going on in your brain when you practice that difficult work of growth. Thoughts? Questions? Things you'd like to hear us cover in future episodes? Send us an email and let us know!Free to Be is led by Pastor Lauren Applegate - a woman in recovery, mom, wife, and pastor. She loves going to the beach, brewing coffee, riding roller coasters, and reading books. She is on a journey of honoring the freedom she has found in relationships where God’s love is made real, and is showing up to welcome and encourage others into the same kinds of relationships. Join Lauren and cohost Byrnese Craig as they engage listener questions and explore what it means to live Free. Follow along on socials!IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@free_to_be_community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FB: Free to Be⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG: (Byrnese) ⁠⁠@pastorbyrnese⁠⁠Online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠godslove.org/freetobe ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mannabethlehem.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact us:Lauren: [email protected]: [email protected]