Bentley's owner Schneider opens her door and her heart

Schneider was nominated by her friend and customer Kate Gilbert, who wrote of her: "Joanne touches so many people's lives and is a true giver and believer in community.

"For the last 10 years she has hosted a night-before-Thanksgiving dinner at her business, Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea."

This was Gilbert's first time to attend one of Schneider's holiday dinners.

"She just opens her door and her heart to friends, strangers, people bring other people. She provides food and the atmosphere. Friends and family help serve everybody," Gilbert said. "It's a very neat community-building thing that she takes charge of and does."

The annual pre-Thanksgiving feast is just one of many things Schneider does for the Tucson community.

"Jo doesn't just think of the community during the holidays," Gilbert wrote. "She thinks of it all year long with her constant giving and support."

Schneider, a mother of two, has been involved with the PTA since 1991. She supports local artists with monthly shows in her restaurant and organizes art fairs on her patio several times a year. Her pet causes include the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Wingspan, the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation's AIDSWALK, and breast cancer awareness.

Still, it's the spirit of community come holiday time that Schneider avidly cultivates.

"I love holidays. I hope that I can help others have a nice holiday," said Schneider, who catered to 115 guests at her East Speedway restaurant for this year's pre-Thanksgiving meal. "There's a lot of hardship in the world. If, for a moment in time, I can change that for someone, that's my personal mission."

This year Schneider served 80 pounds of turkey, 60 pounds of mashed potatoes, 20 pounds of cranberry sauce and huge salads. Some guests brought dishes to share and others showed up empty-handed, but that was just fine with Schneider.

"My grandmother was the kind of woman, if somebody didn't have a place to go she made a place at the table for them, and so she's probably my greatest influence in that way," she said. "I learned at an early age that you open your door to community because that's what it's all about."

Contact reporter Kimberly Matas at kmatas@azstarnet.com or at 573-4191.