Fort Smith restaurateur recognized for work with homeless

Tom Caldarera (right), who received a National Restaurant Association humanitarian award, enjoys the sunshine outside Esther Home March 24 with associate director Linda Gabriel.
Tom Caldarera (right), who received a National Restaurant Association humanitarian award, enjoys the sunshine outside Esther Home March 24 with associate director Linda Gabriel.

FORT SMITH — Whether Tom Caldarera is serving chicken parmesan to his customers at Taliano’s Italian Restaurant or ladling steaming homemade soup into bowls for the homeless clients of Next Step Day Room, he treats everyone he serves as an honored guest.
Caldarera, who received a 2009 Humanitarian Award from the National Restaurant Association to honor his work with Fort Smith’s homeless residents, has served on the board of directors of Next Step Day Room since it opened its doors in May 2002.
During Caldarera’s eight-year tenure, including two as board president, Next Step Day Room, a day center offering services to the homeless, expanded by opening Gabriel House, a temporary residence for men, three years ago; and Esther Home, a temporary residence for women and children, on Sept. 20, 2009.
When the Department of Housing and Urban Development decided to offer one of its houses to a non-profit organization for $1, Next Step Day Room associate director Linda Gabriel ran three blocks to their office and handed them $2.
“I offered them double if they’d sell it to us,” she said.
Gabriel, who had received $220,000 in renovation grants to open a home for women and children, had been searching for the right place for months — a home near where the homeless lived, in a quiet neighborhood, with backyard space for children to play in and enough bedrooms to house eight women and their children. The 100-year-old home had sunken floors and many structural problems to overcome before it could be transformed into a comfortable seven-bedroom home for a house manager and clients.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol,” Gabriel said. “All of the women are required to work. We take 80 percent of their salaries and put them in money orders in their names. When they are ready to move out, we give them their savings so that they can be self-supporting.”
Most families stay in Esther House for six months or more. The Day Room services, which include hot meals, job and psychological counseling, life skills training, budgeting and anger management classes, mail boxes, phone availability and house hunting assistance, are also available to clients.
Caldarera, who is now semi-retired from Taliano’s, the award-winning Italian restaurant he began with partner Jim Cadelli in 1970, spends two afternoons a week providing soup for Next Step Day Room.
“Tom brings a huge vat of homemade soup to the Day Room every Tuesday and Thursday. He doesn’t only pass out soup and sandwiches. He passes out genuine concern to the people he serves,” Gabriel said. “He cares about everyone and looks at people as children of God and treats them that way.”
His stewardship extends to his parish, Immaculate Conception Church, where he served as president of the Finance Committee for 49 years and makes soup for RCIA groups, Grandparents’ Days and other events. He also serves on the development board of St. Scholastica Monastery, along with his wife, Dorothy, who is an alumna of St. Scholastica Academy.
When he is off duty, the Caldareras enjoy visiting their retirement home in New Blaine and spending time with their seven children, their spouses and 20 grandchildren. Some of the children and grandchildren can be seen working at the family restaurants ’s, and Emmy’s, a German restaurant owned by Caldarera’s son, Joe.
Fort Smith was a good place for four generations of Caldareras to live and raise their families. Through his work at Next Step Day Room, Caldarera hopes to lead client families to build productive lives in Fort Smith as well.

Maryanne Meyerriecks

Maryanne Meyerriecks joined Arkansas Catholic in 2006 as the River Valley correspondent. She is a member of Christ the King Church in Fort Smith, a Benedictine oblate and volunteer at St. Scholastica Monastery.

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