To the editor:

On March 18, our local group home was told we would be undergoing repairs early the following day. Residents and staff would not be allowed in the home while these repairs were being done. As a result, we did not have access to our kitchen. Because we were notified late in the day, the counselors could not quickly allocate funds so our residents could eat out.

I called Pizzeria Paradiso at 124 King St. and spoke with the manager, Sara Gunter. I explained our situation to her and asked if the restaurant would be willing to treat our group home to lunch as a gesture of goodwill March 19. She was very gracious and enthusiastically replied: “We’d love to treat you to lunch.”

Upon our arrival the next day, we were escorted to our reserved table. We enjoyed a delightful lunch amid the lovely ambiance of Old Town. Experiences like this are rare during these tough economic times, and we were grateful for the generosity bestowed upon us by this wonderful restaurant. I had called several other restaurants before calling Paradiso, and they simply could not do this because of the tough economic times.
I believe Paradiso needs more than a thank you note. It’s a happy story, and we believe this restaurant deserves accolades for what they did.

 – Kathy McDonald
Alexandria