When we give Narcan (also known as Naloxone) to another person, it is an extension of our love. With our aid, we extend a physical gesture that communicates, “You are worth being alive, and I want to see you again.”

In loving memory of one of us lost too soon. By Founder Sarah Webster.

May of 2022 was a big month for STS! Asked to speak at the NRA trade show regarding the topic of mental health and workplace wellness, five members of the board of directors traveled to Chicago to share our work in the industry.

When we live our best lives and enjoy the freedom our industry grants us, we get to have hobbies and friends and a seat on our own couch. On our days off, the customer is not our damn problem. FOMO is a temporary state of being, but our happiness is not.

I learned a lot of lessons on the trails and the river. Coat myself in sunscreen and bug spray, wear appropriate shoes, and don’t touch anything with three shiny green leaves. HEARD. Don’t eat berries, even if they look delicious. Same goes for mushrooms. Watch my feet, tree roots will grab and snap my ankle like a twig. Don’t swim too far into the river, the undert

When you approached us about providing a service to help the mental health and well-being for our crew, you had my attention. The hospitality business has a lot of stress and we felt that we needed to do more to help and support our crews, but prior to meeting you we didn’t know how to address the issues at hand.

Q: AS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS OF BLACK SHEEP PIZZA, YOU’VE GOT YOUR PULSE ON THE EXTREME STRESS THE SERVICE INDUSTRY IS CURRENTLY FACING. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS RIGHT NOW AS A COMPANY?

I’ll never forget hearing this quote in an AA meeting when I was 12 years old, “If you’ve got one leg in the past, and one leg in tomorrow, you’re just pissing all over today.” I choose to stay in the present moment, just for today.

Partial or temporary sobriety are being embraced as popular forms of harm reduction, used for mental clarity, physical health renewal, weight loss or financial gain. Often, couples, coworkers or friends band together to support each other during a sober month, seeking non-alcoholic options as a team.

To anyone out there that’s going through a hard time, never let your brain convince you that you are not worthy of happiness. Know that you are not alone. Keep fighting. Serving Those Serving will be there to fight alongside you.

We are all swimming upstream right now and sometimes we feel like we are drowning, but there will come a day when the storm will pass, the waters will calm, and we will be able to float with the current again. I look forward to that day, and will be here with you all until then.

We want to be here to provide the flavors and fellowship that will celebrate the end of these long months of pain and madness, Minnesota… but without your help, we won’t be. We’ll just be dusty dining rooms, papered windows, locked doors and memories. Please. The time to act is now.

The industry is reaching a new tipping point (as if there haven’t been enough already), and it is up to the industry to react accordingly. What that looks like is unknown, but it’ll be very different than it was before. And Serving Those Serving will be there for the journey.

Being a trailblazer is both exciting and terrifying. There are so many unanswered questions! I don’t know where the sinkholes are, but I wouldn’t be who I am if I didn’t keep charging through on full blast.