Community Activism, a capstone course designed to facilitate real-world learning for high school seniors, was created by the Social Studies Department at Woodford County High School. Initially taught by Kyle Fannin and later by Andy Smith, the course empowered students to engage directly with their community. Through this work, students launched early “Spark” pop-up festivals and coffee shops aimed at stimulating economic development in downtown Versailles.
In 2016, Tristan Ferrell led a group of students, Katie Beth Craig, Keegan Elvidge, Reagan Jobe, and Rachael Kral, through the process of creating a permanent community café. Alongside Fannin, Smith, Lori Garkovich, Maria Bohannan, and Ouita Michel, this collective effort resulted in the formation of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Together, more than $150,000 was raised to bring the vision to life.
That vision became reality on March 27, 2019, with the opening of Spark Community Café—a pay-what-you-can, pay-it-forward restaurant rooted in dignity, inclusion, and community connection.
Since opening, Spark Community Café has grown into a vibrant gathering place. In addition to daily service, Spark expanded to include onsite and offsite catering as a sustainable funding source, while the café itself has hosted community meetings, book clubs, special events, and even weddings.
At its heart, Spark Community Café exists to provide great food with dignity for all, within a welcoming community space that educates, entertains, and embraces everyone who walks through its doors.
In June 2025, Spark Community Café made the difficult decision to close its physical location and shift its full focus toward supporting the mission. Rising facility expenses and increasing food costs forced the Café to choose between maintaining a building and feeding families—and the choice was clear.
Since the closure of the Café in June 2025, Spark has continued its work without pause, as Spark of Hope. Our weekly deliveries continue, our dedicated volunteers remain steadfast in their support, and most importantly, we have experienced an influx of giving that now goes directly toward fighting food insecurity, rather than maintaining a physical facility.
This shift has allowed Spark of Hope to focus fully on what matters most: serving families, strengthening community partnerships, meeting real needs, and ensuring every dollar makes the greatest possible impact in our community.