KLA team with T-shirts. Seated from left are Vicky Owens, Shari Benyousky and Nicole Fifer. Standing is Mary Lepird.

Text and Photos
By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

Column Note: This is the 50th column in the Diners and Dives series in which a small group of Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club members and their guests road trip to explore the restaurants of Kosciusko and the surrounding area.

WARSAW — The Palette, located inside Wyndham Gardens at 2521 E. Center, is one of my favorite places in Warsaw to get some simple, comfort food like clam chowder or tatar tots. The owner Marino also told me the Palette opens at 7 a.m. for breakfast, and after 5 p.m., the Recovery Room bar opens. Both bar and restaurant have homey, comfortable seating and the music is low enough to have a great conversation. The outside of the restaurant is decorated like an artist’s palette with splotches of color. The tables are cheerful swirls of color.

Our waitress Jasmin grinned watching us decorate. Paul and Jeff were attempting to inflate gold numbers 5 and 0 with a straw. I was peeling off gold bows and handing them out to guests who were trying to find ways to decorate their hair or clothes. REMAX Jeff tried to wear his like shoulder pads. Banker Paul stuck his on his hat. “We’re celebrating a landmark, the 50th article!” I told them.

Creating A Mosaic Of Safe Spaces

Jasmin handled our table of eight easily by herself despite our antics, taking our orders, and handing out drinks. Our guests introduced themselves.

Building off last week’s Kosciusko Leadership Academy group at La Troje, Leader Vicky Owens described this group’s KLA project. “We want to help reunify families that have been separated by court orders by providing safe spaces around Kosciusko where they sit in the public without being scrutinized by everyone who walks by and sees a person with a clipboard.”

Vicky meant the caseworkers, who accompany the parents and children and provide coaching. Most often the reunification meetings happen in an institutional room at Bowen Center or out in the community at a library or McDonalds. These places aren’t conducive to parenting or comfortable for kids or parents. This KLA group also includes Nicole Fifer of KREMC, Mary Lepird of Lake City Bank, and myself.

We also invited Kearstin Criswell, Mission Coordinator at Mission Point Church and a foster parent herself. “It’s Kearstin with an ear in the sound,” Kearstin pulled her earlobe. Kearstin appreciated the Palette offered a gluten-free bun option for her mushroom Swiss burger.

Vicky took an enormous pork tenderloin sandwich from Jasmin. “Learning how to parent should be in a calm environment where someone can build skills, play games, or make cookies, perhaps.” Vicky works for Cardinal Center in the Health Families program. She is one of those front-line people with a huge heart. “Libraries are great for reunification meetings,” she smiled.

“But what about when a parent is supposed to provide a warm bottle for their baby in a library? There aren’t microwaves so the baby gets a cold bottle sometimes.”

“So, what has your group done to help?” REMAX Jeff Owens (also Vicky’s husband) gestured with his grilled chicken sandwich.

“And is your plan sustainable?”

The Broad Brushstrokes

Waitress Jasmin takes Mary’s and Vicky’s orders.

Vicky, Nicole, and Mary described our trip to Noblesville to see The Cooper House. The Cooper House motto is: “Seen, Heard, Chosen, Loved.” It is a lovely older home with lots of comfortable spaces including a kitchen and a playground in the backyard.

It exists to provide a safe place for those families in crisis to keep children safe and families together. Caseworkers book two or four-hour slots or even an emergency bunkbed overnight. The place oozes calmness. Several families happily interacted with each other during our visit.

“So really your goal is to create a Cooper House here in Warsaw?” asked Banker Finley. Eventually, that would be the end goal.

In the meantime, the KLA Safe Spaces Group has partnered with multiple community spaces around Warsaw to provide better spaces for families. Several local churches have offered spaces as has Eric Lane of Fellowship Missions once their new downtown space is renovated. The spaces are intended to provide different opportunities and be located all around the county.

One has a basketball court indoors, another a kitchen, another toys, and games for little kids, and a fourth a comfortable space for teenagers with some puzzles and board games. Nicole created a matrix with all the information to provide to caseworkers so they can book the right spot for their families.

Titus Funeral Planner Brittany made a funny face. “I didn’t really know what a Monte Cristo sandwich was.” She stared at the impressive item on her plate. Monte Cristo is a batter-dipped ham and cheese sandwich that is fried, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served with raspberry preserves. It’s not for the faint of heart.

Framing In The Project

Palette exterior painting decorations with Paul Finley and Nicole Fifer.

KLA is nearing the end of the year where groups present their findings to the entire group with a presentation and a white paper.

We have spent the last eight months learning about the community so that we can pinpoint a need and propose a solution.

“KLA has revitalized me. That’s totally how I feel,” Paul said with feeling. “Everyone should do it sometime.”

Vicky agreed. “I am nearing the end of my career, and I didn’t know what else I had to offer here in Warsaw, but now I see things that I can do. I can give back to the children and grandchildren of the community.”

“Vicky is campaigning for sainthood,” REMAX Jeff grinned affectionately at his wife across the table.

In response, Vicky grinned at Mary, “I’m trying to pretend that I don’t know him today. It was just our 45th anniversary. We’ll see if we make it to 46.”

Hues Of Healing

Kearstin brought the conversation back to her passion. “Our kids have a long list of needs, but it really all some down to making relationships. With kids. With Parents. With Schools. Doing what I do, I see that many families don’t have the support systems that we take for granted.”

Mary Lepird nodded over the last of her club sandwiches. “I wanted to know what tangible things someone like me can to do help. That’s why I joined this KLA group.”

Kearstin pointed out that her job as a foster parent is also to help the parents of her foster children succeed. “I want their parents to be their heroes!” She popped a tatar tot in her mouth. “These are a fun option.”

The Palette is a fun option, so if you want to give your palate something new to chew on, try out them for a little art on your plate and in your mouth. They always have great specials, a rotating list of daily soups to choose from, and, of course, amazing staff.

Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives, Whirlwind Wanderlust Travels, or Profiles Behind the Scenes? Send SB Communications LLC Shari Benyousky an email at [email protected].