One of the most rewarding parts of welcoming new businesses into the Stroll Pinnacle family is discovering the heart behind the company. Cockpit Catering Company is one of our newest business partners, and while it is known for memorable dining experiences, private chef services and luxury aviation catering, its work reaches far beyond special events.

For years, Cockpit Catering has also provided meals, snacks and support to children and families served by Roo’s World. The connection is especially fitting for our September Back-to-School issue, where Roo’s World is featured as our nonprofit spotlight. While Roo’s World creates a place where children feel safe, supported and valued, Cockpit Catering helps ensure they are nourished and cared for as well.

Cockpit Catering began in 2014 by preparing daily lunches for several hundred children enrolled in Head Start programs. In 2018, the company expanded into private chef and jet catering services while continuing its commitment to child nutrition. Today, it helps provide quality meals to approximately 4,000 children throughout Arkansas.

Serving private aviation clients and preparing meals for children participating in free school nutrition programs may seem like very different responsibilities, but Cockpit Catering approaches both with the same philosophy.

“Everyone deserves amazing food and exceptional service,” the company shared. “To us, hospitality isn’t about who you’re serving, it’s about how you serve them.”

That belief guides everything from an intimate dinner or wedding celebration to a meal prepared for a child who may be depending on it.

Cockpit Catering’s relationship with Roo’s World began in the spring of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and disrupted access to dependable meals for many Rogers School District families.

Roo Winchester and Michelle reached out to Cockpit Catering founder Justin to ask whether the company could help. As its regular school nutrition operations slowed during the shutdown, Cockpit Catering had the capacity to step forward.

Local organizations came together to establish a meal distribution site at First Christian Church in Rogers. Volunteers collected meals and either distributed them at the church or delivered them directly to families unable to leave their homes. What began as a pickup site quickly grew into daily distribution and neighborhood delivery routes.

By the end of that spring and early summer, the effort had provided more than 60,000 meals to local children.

“That shared commitment to serving others is how our friendship began,” Roo said.

The effort also played a role in the eventual creation of Roo’s World as a nonprofit. When Roo later asked Justin to serve as president of its Board of Directors, he accepted without hesitation.

“He consistently supports our mission by donating food and snacks, volunteering at fundraising events, offering guidance, and leading with integrity, humility and compassion,” Roo shared.

Cockpit Catering’s support has continued to evolve based on what families need most. Each Christmas, the company donates meals for families participating in Roo’s World’s annual Christmas Gift Extravaganza. When the organization unexpectedly lost state funding, Cockpit Catering stepped in and purchased snacks for the remainder of the year by adding them to its own food orders.

For Justin, the philosophy is simple: “See a need, fill a need.”

“I may not be able to change the world, but if I can make sure one child doesn’t go to bed hungry, then I’ve changed that child’s world,” he said.

The partnership is about more than food. A meal meets an immediate need, but consistent care can also provide stability, confidence and hope.

“A meal may last for a day, but the confidence, stability and hope that come from knowing someone cares can last a lifetime,” Justin said.

Cockpit Catering hopes to become the company Pinnacle families trust to help celebrate life’s most meaningful moments. We are equally excited to welcome a business that understands the importance of using its talents and resources to serve others.

This is exactly what we value in our Stroll Pinnacle business partners. They are more than businesses advertising within this community. They are people who work, give and invest here.

Through their partnership, Cockpit Catering and Roo’s World show what can happen when compassion meets action. Together, they are serving far more than meals. They are strengthening families and helping children feel cared for, supported and ready to thrive.