HARMONY, N.C. — When Michael Thomas left behind his career in law enforcement to open a Southern-style breakfast spot, he thought he was trading sirens for syrup. But the instinct to serve others never left.
“The hours are tough,” Thomas admitted from behind the counter, where he starts his day before the sun comes up and finishes well after dinner.
That call to serve resurfaced earlier this year when Thomas joined Mission Mules, a nonprofit based in North Carolina that uses pack mules to deliver aid to disaster-stricken areas…