Andy Keetle

At Table Grace we offer people the opportunity to volunteer in exchange for a meal every single day. Sometimes we see people one time as they are passing through town. Other times we will see people for a season of time while they are living in a homeless shelter or down by the river. They will come in, volunteer, eat every day or several times a week and then we may not see them again once they have moved into a stable place of living. Sometimes we have the opportunity to engage with a person over time, and learn the impact Table Grace has had on them. This is how it happened with Andy Keetle.  

When Table Grace opened in 2011, Andy would come in and assist in whatever way that Matt needed him. He would volunteer at Table Grace on the weekends when he had another job, and during the week when he was out of work. He offered his time to reorganize the basement or help out in the kitchen when he could. Over the years Andy would come in for lunch and bring with him food donations that he would donate for use at the cafe.

Andy was born in the Yukon Territory (a place named White Horse). He was a part of the First Nation, a tribe called Wolf Tribe (Big Water People). At the age of 4 his mom put him and his sister up for adoption and they were adopted by a family that brought them to a family farm close to Omaha, NE. Andy didn’t go to college, and he served in the Marine Corps for a while. He has worked as a truck driver, as well as on the farm and enjoyed wandering from town to town and finding work when he needed to. At some points he found himself homeless, but seemed to have ways of making it through. Having come through that time in his life, he finds great joy in continuing to provide generosity to the people who are struggling today. One day I came into the cafe and we were offering take out only to patrons at the door because of the rise in COVID-19 numbers in our community. I witnessed Andy meeting and greeting a couple that looked like they had all of their belongings on their back. They had large backpacks and many layers of clothing. After greeting the couple Andy asked them to wait a minute and ran downstairs to retrieve a tent he had brought for them to use because he had talked to them the day before and found out they did not have one. That is the type of thing that Andy is doing all of the time. He collects clothing, boots, sleeping bags, and other items that people might be in need of, and when someone comes along that has a need, he gives it to them if he has it.

During the summer/fall of 2020/ Covid-19 Pandemic, when Mobile Grace was being booked left and right for various in need food truck outreach events in the community, we found that we needed to hire another good hard worker to keep up with the Cafe and Food Truck Operations. Matt invited Andy to consider the position. Andy was hired later in the summer of 2020 and has proven to be an asset to the Organization in many ways. He is a hard worker, able to run the grill on the truck, take orders, prep food, or whatever is needed on the day. He is connected to the homeless community and is able to resonate with the struggle. Andy says, “being on staff with Table Grace fills a void for me and gives me a place to work and earn a little money while serving the community, but I would do it for free too. I love it here! I really respect Matt.” We at Table Grace are grateful to be a part of Andy’s story.