Get inspired by these unsung heroes who are changing lives
-No Child Should go to bed Hungry

It was late afternoon in the spring of 2005 when restaurateur Bruno Serato, 54, showed Caterina, his beloved mama, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim. She was visiting from Italy, and her son wanted her to see where he’d established a program in her honor. “This is where Caterina’s Club does self-esteem programs for girls,� he said in Italian. “Yes, yes,� she replied, but her attention was on a young boy eating a bag of potato chips. She didn’t want him to spoil his dinner. “This probably is his dinner,� said Michael Baker, executive director of the Clubs. He explained that the boy was part of the “motel kids� program. Anaheim has more than 2,000 school-age kids whose families live in low-end motels since they can’t afford other housing, and many don’t have enough to eat. (Photo courtesy of Bruno Serato.)

The next thing Baker remembers is Caterina grabbing Bruno’s arm and speaking excitedly in Italian. “Mama and I will be making pasta for the motel kids tonight,� Bruno finally said. And, as it turns out, he’s done that every weeknight ever since. What had Caterina said to her son? “Don’t let the kids go hungry.�
Raised in poverty in Verona, Italy, Bruno understood the threat of hunger. His mother and father had done whatever jobs they could to put food on the table for their seven children. He also understood about helping others. He’d come to America in 1980 to learn English and had gotten a job as a restaurant dishwasher. Working his way up to manager, he eventually bought the Anaheim White House Restaurant.

The motel kids program touched something deep in Bruno’s heart. From the day his mother issued her command to today,he’s served more than 243,000 dinners. And the food is never mere leftovers. “He serves only fresh pasta and sauce made exclusively for the kids each day,� says Baker, who adds that a van, donated by Bruno, picks up food at the restaurant and delivers it to two different club locations, where it is served by staff or volunteers.

Though Bruno can’t serve every night, he shows up periodically, keeping an eye out for the shyer kids. One very thin girl was still hungry after her plate of pasta but was too timid to ask for seconds. Bruno quietly offered her another plate. “My eyes teared up as she gobbled it down,� he says. “No kid should leave the pasta meal still hungry,� he says.

To Juan Santana, 19, Bruno is an angel disguised as a superhero. “I went to the Boys & Girls Clubs for almost 10 years,� he says, “and ate Bruno’s pasta for the last five because my family didn’t always have enough food money.� Accepted to California State- Fullerton, this outstanding young man received a partial first-year scholarship, but was worried about paying for the next three years. When Bruno heard this, he told Juan that he would pick up the rest of the tuition. “I was overjoyed,� says Juan. “All I could think was that someday I’ll help someone. That’s how I can repay Bruno.�

“What Bruno has done for Anaheim is amazing,� says Baker. And though Caterina Serato has not been back to the U.S. since that last visit, she glories in her son’s generosity. “Mama always tells me I’m a good boy,� Bruno says. The motel kids would agree.

Help out Anaheim’s Motel Kids Program at TheBoysandGirlsClub.org. Click on “Donate now� and choose Motel Kids Outreach Program in the “donate to� drop-down menu.

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