By Diane Ciarloni
We’ve all seen it – on television, in movies, in person. It’s the famous “air kiss.” Most
frequently, it’s between two females but can also be exchanged between a male and a
female.
Truthfully, it should not be referred to as a kiss since it’s devoid of all traces of affection. It’s
simply a greeting.
There are no “simple greetings” in the world of C.J. and Melinda Wardlow. They walk, talk,
breathe, and live love. It’s a bit difficult to explain how these two people, along with their
dedicated staff of volunteers, are love. They “speak” prayer as easily and as naturally as
they speak ordinary English, and they do it with (what else?) love.
“We started Catering to Love 16-years ago,” C.J. explained. “It was born from another small,
technology business we have, which services mom/pop food-related companies such as
restaurants.
“We met a lot of people in the food business. Different paths opened for us. We gathered
recipes and learned to cook them. Things began happening and it was beautiful.
“We’re involved in a broad variety of events. Sometimes it’s something as simple as
providing sno-cones for a back-to-school function. Other times it’s a full-scale dinner. One
of our most memorable efforts was on behalf of a young lady who aged out of the foster
system with, tragically, stage 4 cancer. She’d never experienced a prom or other teenage
milestones.
“Our volunteers really stepped up for that one. We wore suits and bowties and made
everything as prom-like as possible. The volunteers adored it, and it was such a beautiful
example of what can happen when people come together in love.”
Catering to Love works only through a referral chain, with the people on the other end
making the initial contact. The only element Catering to Love lacks at this point is enough
volunteers to make all the requests happen.
“We turned down eight events last week,” said C.J. “We certainly didn’t want to but we just
didn’t have enough volunteers to make it happen. Just recently, we had five events in one
morning, and one of the functions had just one person working it.
“One of the things we’ve learned is how God puts odd people together and makes it work.
Actually, it’s sometimes comical to watch these relationships in progress.”
Money derived from Catering to Love’s functions finds its way back into the organization.
Being a part of a group such as Catering to Love tends to culture a different perspective in
people. A beautiful example is when C.J. says, “To me, waiters and waitresses are in one of
the noblest professions on earth because they serve people. If they perform that service in
love, they can change a person’s day or week or, believe it or not, entire life. To waste such
an opportunity is truly sad.
“Regardless of how humble, something done in love has a tremendous value. That’s one of
the reasons we say catering ‘to’ love – not catering ‘with’ or ‘from’ but ‘to.’ Something that is
catered to has a tendency to grow deeper and larger until it becomes unstoppable.
“Our unwavering belief is love is the answer to everything, for the giver and for the receiver.”
Catering to Love handles approximately 150 events per year. The primary guideline is for
each participant contributing to the function aspires to show up with his or her best in tow.
Nothing less.
The “chefs” have whittled the production of meals to a fine science. Each has a tried and
true recipe with a simple preparation formula. Each is delicious and each is served with a
professional presentation. Food for smaller functions is usually prepared in private
kitchens, while larger affairs often have kitchens at the venue sites.
There are plenty of salt and pepper shakers and other spices for seasoning at the Catering
to Love preparation tables but the largest shaker/grinder is labeled “Love” in big, bold
letters.
Info@cateringtolove.org
Catering to love.org
817.898.1308