Generous Man Rewarded After Tragedy

 Steve Hartman, a CBS reporter, is often assigned stories like the ones we like to cover on Uplift Media. Good news that is heartwarming, wholesome, and hits the audience in the feels. As such he covered Bruno Serato back in 2010 highlighting this restaurant owner and chef for his philanthropy and penchant for feeding poor kids at the local Boys and Girls Clubs in the city of Anaheim, CA. His restaurant, The White House, was where he entertained the higher society individuals and made his money, AKA his day job. However, his passion and love for feeding these kids often required that he make large financial sacrifices. He refinanced the restaurant and his home in order to continue operating his charity. As Hartman puts it, "he was giving away more meals than he was selling." But Serato never complained and he never wanted to stop.

Serato doing what he loves

Then tragedy struck. An electrical fire burned his prized restaurant to the ground and along with it his ability to have any finances for his charity or the means to keep cooking for the kids since all of his equipment and kitchen space went down in flames with his business. As Bruno walks through what remains of the building, he tearfully points to a now empty frame on the wall stating, "that was the picture, my mom was on it." Sitting down with Hartman after the sad tour having observed the destruction Serato went on to say, "This fire destroyed everything I worked for in the last 30 years. We need to find a kitchen somewhere so we can do the pasta for the children."

Soon word got out that this incredible man was in need and those same well-to-do customers of his restaurant began to rally around him and host an event in his honor. Offers of fund raising, personal gestures to help him out, and even local chefs (who you might consider his local competition) freely gave their kitchens for him to use and continue the community outreach for the kids. Because of these responses Bruno was not only able to keep his charity going (not having missed one day of serving) but funds are now being gathered to help him rebuild his restaurant.

Bruno ends the interview with Hartman with a statement that is worth ending this article as its the entire point or moral of the story, "You know when they say when you give you get one every time back. I disagree. You get one million times back." Despite his broken English, his point was made and hits home.