Facebook group brings relief to struggling restaurant workers

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- As Kentucky restaurants face the second shutdown since the pandemic, servers are struggling to make ends meet now that they are out of a job or have taken pay cuts. 

A Kentucky woman, Sarci Eldridge, saw this and took matters into her own hands. She wanted to help her favorite server, and never believed her idea would take off the way it would. 

“I posted it on my personal page of Facebook and a couple people said ‘whoa, that’s a really good idea.’ And a couple suggested that I post it in a larger group we’re in. And it really kind of got some traction from there. I really thought it would inspire a couple of friends to go give some extra help to their favorite server, and it has turned into what it has today,” said Eldridge. 

Eldridge decided to create the Facebook page ‘Adopt a Server’ to connect servers with families who could donate money or other things they need. It started with 30 people last week, now there are over 3,000 members. 

Anyone who joins the group can find a service industry professional and adopt them. They then message each other and decide what they feel most comfortable about giving, from gift cards to Amazon items to money. 

“The really, really beautiful thing is watching people get adopted, get a few things off their wish list, and help them during this hard time,” said Eldridge. 

Smokey Bones Grill server Chelsea Noe was adopted, and said this means more to her than anything that another lady adopted her. 

“They just knew we needed help, and wanted to help. She’s an angel, really. She did more than she even knows. I’ve told her thank you and thank you and thank you. I’m gonna be saying it forever. Thank you’s not enough. She did more than she could ever imagine,” said Noe. 

It’s something they will always remember. 

“The love I didn’t know was still there has just blown up. And to my dying day I will always remember that it’s just the biggest gift I’ve received from this entire process of just watching love and unity just explode,” said Eldrige.