About Service!
We believe hospitality workers deserve the opportunity to thrive.
Hospitality workers are the heart of every neighborhood — welcoming guests, preparing meals, celebrating milestones, creating the experiences that bring people together. Yet too often, the people who care for everyone else are left without the support they need themselves. Service! exists to change that.
Our Mission
Strengthening the hospitality industry by investing in the people who make it possible.
We connect hospitality workers with the resources, training, and opportunities they need to build stable careers, while helping employers develop a stronger, more resilient workforce.
Our vision
A hospitality industry where everyone thrives.
Every worker has the opportunity to thrive, every employer has access to a skilled workforce, and every community benefits from a vibrant hospitality economy
Our Values
Rooted in hospitality.
Hospitality
Caring for people is both a profession and a responsibility.
Opportunity
Everyone deserves access to meaningful work, professional growth, and economic mobility.
Community
Lasting change happens when workers, businesses, and partners invest in one another.
Dignity
Every hospitality worker deserves respect, support, and the opportunity to build a better future.
Innovation
We create new pathways that strengthen workers, businesses, and the industry as a whole.
Resilience
We honor the strength it takes to build a career in an industry that doesn't always make it easy.
How We Create Change
A simple model.
We Meet Immediate Needs
Caring for people is both a profession and a responsibility.
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We Build Skills
Hands-on workforce development provides training, confidence, and professional experience.
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We Create Opportunity
Career pathways, employer partnerships, and entrepreneurial support help workers achieve long-term success.
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We Strengthen Communities
A stronger hospitality workforce benefits businesses, families, and local economies.
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Why We Exist
Our Story
Service! began with a simple belief: the people who dedicate their lives to serving others deserve someone who will serve them.
When the hospitality industry shut down almost overnight in 2020, workers who fed and cared for our communities were left with nothing — no safety net, no notice, no plan. Service! started as immediate relief. It quickly became clear that relief alone wasn't enough. Lasting change meant pairing emergency support with real workforce development — training, mentorship, and a path to a stable career.
That belief grew into Café Overlook, a working training program inside the Franklin County Courthouse, and The Line, a workforce training restaurant built to turn hospitality experience into long-term ownership and opportunity.
“This unique second-chance employer organization aims to stabilize individuals, families, and communities.”
Meet the People Behind the Mission
Service! was built by people who know hospitality from the inside.
Our leadership team has worked in professional kitchens, restaurants, workforce development, and community organizations. Those experiences shape how we serve today — not by assuming what hospitality workers need, but by listening, responding, and creating opportunities alongside them.
Three Perspectives. One Shared Purpose.
Founder & Executive Director
Sangeeta Lakhani
Chef. Entrepreneur. Community builder.
Sangeeta brings the vision of a chef and entrepreneur who has spent her career creating opportunities in hospitality — from Hounddog's Pizza to co-founding Bodega and The Table.
Co-Founder & Culinary Advisor
Matthew Heaggans
Chef. Restaurateur. Mentor.
Matt brings culinary excellence, mentorship, and a commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality professionals, shaped by his own experience owning Preston's: A Burger Joint and founding Offichef.
Co-Founder & CFO
Letha Pugh
Entrepreneur. Community builder. Caregiver at heart.
Letha brings expertise in operations and workforce development, helping individuals navigate barriers and connect to meaningful, lasting careers.
Together, they lead Service! with a shared belief: when hospitality workers have the support to thrive, entire communities benefit.
Our Circle of Leadership
Service! is powered by a wider network, not just a staff directory.
Leadership Team
Sangeeta Lakhani
Matthew Heaggans
Letha Pugh
Board of Directors
Amy Flowers
Amy Mesh
Cara Laviola
Leigh Ann Simms
Wendy Sherman Heckler
Juli Godwin
Malik Malone
Raquel Greco
Nicholas Dekker
Common Questions
What people ask about Service!.
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Yes. Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, FEIN 85-0554385.
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Service! is one of the only regional organizations integrating emergency relief, paid workforce training, credentialing, career placement, and entrepreneurship support for the full hospitality sector — rather than addressing just one piece of the journey.
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Founder & Executive Director Sangeeta Lakhani, alongside Co-Founder & Culinary Advisor Matthew Heaggans and Co-Founder & CFO Letha Pugh. See Leadership for full bios and the board of directors.
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March 2020, in direct response to the collapse of hospitality income during the pandemic — and it's grown into Café Overlook and The Line since, working alongside partners like ARCH, who provide case management support for returning citizens.
Looking Ahead
Building the future of hospitality — together.
Every worker who gains stability. Every employer who finds skilled talent. Every entrepreneur who opens a new business. Every partner who chooses to invest. Together, these moments create a stronger hospitality industry for everyone.