In 1977, Lynn and her daughter (nicknamed Bean) moved to Alaska. Two years later in 1979, Lynn leased an empty warehouse to serve as a day shelter for people who were hungry and homeless. A team of volunteers - including individuals experiencing homelessness - stepped in to help paint and remodel the facility. The empty warehouse was transformed into a center where people without homes could come to eat, rest, read, watch TV, make phone calls, and just relax. The center was dubbed Bean’s Cafe.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented needs for both food and shelter. Bean’s Cafe responded to requests to help meet these needs. We operated a temporary shelter where we provided 24-hour support for up to 400 people per day. We also launched our Children’s Lunchbox program in 2020. Through this program, we provide boxed meals for entire families.

Bean’s Cafe has served the Anchorage community continuously and has grown significantly during the last 45 years. We moved to better-equipped facilities within the community to enable us to expand the range of services we provide. Bean’s Cafe will continue to fight hunger for all ages, one meal at a time, while also providing dignified pathways to self-sufficiency.