Bucks People
by Susan Welsh
John Ordway is a pilot, a philanthropist, and a pizza guru. As owner and official Chief Tasting Officer of Jules Thin Crust pizza restaurants and his newest establishment, Lovebird, he’s a man deeply connected to Bucks County by his spirit of generosity, volunteerism, and conceptually thoughtful restaurants.
Paramount to Ordway’s community connection are his contributions to organizations like A Woman’s Place, which provides safe space for victims of domestic violence. Recently, Jules’ managers and staff helped renovate the shelter’s family kitchen. John and his wife Jan believe every child deserves the emotional and nutritional value of a family meal. We’re all about children. We want to help out kids and make an impact on their lives,” says Ordway. “Food is so important and so often overlooked, and the happiness it can bring. We want to help out kids and make a positive impact on their lives.”
When Ordway isn’t launching restaurants or renovating community spaces, he’s a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight East, Pennsylvania’s first and largest nonprofit organization that arranges free air transportation for children and adults with medical conditions requiring treatment far from home. Inspired by relief efforts during Hurricane Andrew, AFE was founded by Harry Morales in 1992. Ordway says, “It’s made up of some really interesting, dedicated people. They don’t just talk the talk, they actually do it.”
Ordway became involved with AFE after reading about the organization. “I’ve been flying for as many years as I can remember, and I’ve always felt that if you’re fortunate enough to have an airplane and the time and the resources, Angel Flight is the type of organization who are in dire need of pilots and planes and they do an amazing service.”
Based out of Wings Field in Bluebell, PA, Ordway is one of 400 men and women who volunteer their own plane, fuel, and resources to cover the cost of these medical flights, across 14 states from Virginia to Ohio to Maine, logging in some 700-800 flights a year. There is no limit to the number of flights a patient needs, and if someone needs a flight outside of AFE’s territory, they will connect patients to other pilot organizations that can facilitate the flight. Recently, they’ve established a new program called Rural and Rare Reach that broadens their geographical reach, providing services to those living in remote, less accessible areas. In addition to flights for patients with medical needs, AFE also provides compassion flights for people in non-medical situations such as visiting a loved one in treatment or disaster relief.
Ordway, himself, tries to volunteer a flight every three months and is perpetually amazed by the strength and courage he witnesses in his patient passengers and their families. “Some of these kids are in pretty beat-up shape and the parents have this optimism and it’s just really impressive to see. It’d be really easy to throw in the towel and just say this is all too difficult and there’s no hope. Somehow these parents are so remarkable, and they’ll do just anything for their children,” he says. “Being part of AFE is super gratifying; you’re doing something that’s truly helping and impacting someone’s life. It’s also a great way of keeping up your skill of flying. Flying’s one of those things you can’t just expect to jump into every few months and be on your game, as it were. It requires constant attention.” So, it benefits the pilot, and it benefits the patient,” he adds.
Ordway emphasizes the importance of “thinking outside of the box” and how critical it is to the success of these missions. About six months ago, during a flight from Pittsburgh, Ordway couldn’t get into Northeast Philadelphia because the weather was increasingly getting worse. “So, I detoured into Doylestown where I keep my plane, and I had to figure out how to get them to CHOP. I just got an UBER for them and we got them there right on time,” he explains. “There’s always these things like weather or maintenance, but nine times out of ten we get our mission accomplished,” he adds. Ordway also credits Air Traffic Control for their efficiency and assistance in facilitating missions. “They will go out of their way to expedite a weather or traffic situation,” he says.
What AFE pilots do for their patient passengers is invaluable. Not only do they make the flight and mission possible, but they also relieve some of the stress for those who are already dealing with the challenges of illness, getting treatment, financial worries, and the hassles of getting through security. Often these missions are not a one-time transit, so lightening the stress goes a long way.
AFE’s role in matching patients to pilots begins with requests made by social workers, physicians, and healthcare professionals. “Outside of the private rooms of CHOP and these other hospitals, you’ve probably not heard of it,” explains Ordway. Many patients have learned about AFE through social media and mom blogs, but there is still a dearth of awareness about this life-saving organization. “It’s a matter of getting the message out there so more people can use this service,” he says.
Although AFE works with patient navigators and the communications departments within the hospitals and facilities where their service is needed, sometimes these facilities are so large the information doesn’t get disseminated as it should, and there may be patients who decline treatment because they’re unaware of the services AFE can provide. It’s important to note that an individual can make a request online, and if they qualify, can work with a flight coordinator who will take them through the necessary steps. AFE also educates the community through their two yearly events, Wings and Wheels, held the first Saturday after Labor Day (this year, September 8) and Wine and Song held October 13th at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School.
In addition to his philanthropic contributions Ordway, who formerly worked in advertising, has also filled a niche for fresh, healthy and innovative food in Bucks County. “My advertising experience coupled with the enormous amount of travel required in that industry opened my eyes to so many amazing things,” Ordway says. “My advertising background solidified the importance of branding, hence Jules and Lovebird,” he explains. Both restaurants draw from locally sourced products seasonally and whenever possible. Right now, Jules is featuring a local peach and brie pizza on weekends and in the fall there will be butternut squash on the pizza menu, as well.
Somewhere between running his restaurants and volunteering, Ordway also finds time to fly his own family to places like Maine, Nantucket, and Florida. “Food and travel are important, says Ordway. My travel experiences have allowed me to experiment, query, and re-engineer tastes and offerings found elsewhere,” he says. In fact, Ordway’s newest venture, Lovebird, was conceptually inspired by his visits to London where, he says, “There were all these interesting things I saw going on there with chicken.” Lovebird is focused on fried chicken sourced from Gerber’s Amish Farm, a supplier dedicated to a healthy high-quality chicken that with an emphasis on nutrition, animal welfare and the living environment of the animal.
It seems Ordway soars on the wings of better nature, living his life in the spirit of giving and bringing happiness through thoughtful food and Angel Flight.