First - a little bit of background. For those of you who don't know what I do professionally I coordinate community outreach efforts for restaurant teams. Anything community based that raises over $10,000 or has more than 50 volunteers, I usually have some sort of hand in with any and all of our 200some restaurants across the country. This includes holiday events, which means that every Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm somewhere in the country helping a restaurant team feed hundreds, if not thousands, of low income and homeless within our four walls.
This year, I will be in Manhattan, KS for their second annual Thanksgiving Gathering. Manhattan, KS - small town of 55,000. Even in small towns, there is a need. Last year we were able to feed close to 600 people - this year we will hopefully feed as many, if not more. Last year we didn't feel like we got the word out to those who were in need quite like we should have. This year, we've identified additional ways to increase our outreach and inform the community about the event. As part of this effort, I was asked by our nonprofit partner, the Flint Hills Breadbasket, to write a soapbox for the local paper.
For those of you who don't know what a soapbox is, it comes from WAY back in the day when politicians raised themselves -literally- with soapboxes above the crowd to give their speeches. This has become a term in the nonprofit world where supporters are enlisted to speak on the cause's behalf in the public eye thru traditional and social media.
After mulling around in my head for an angle for a few days, I was lost. I had nothing. I knew why we were partnering with Flint Hills Breadbasket, I knew why we were hosting the event, I knew why we were wanting to encourage the community to support the event. But I had writers block, and was a little bit confused as to how to put my feelings and knowledge of the subject of hunger on paper. In a way that would motivate people.
Of course, me being me - I turned to the quote book. That's all it took, to find one relevant quote that motivated me and enabled me to expand on a concept that I believe deep down in my heart after seeing this first hand, across the country - that without a meal, you can not live.
So, here's my soapbox for the holiday season (that hopefully the editor of the Manhattan Mercury will be publishing):
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has
not dined well.” -Virginia Woolf
Amazing, isn’t it, how much of our lives revolve around
food? As the holidays approach, we’re
reminded of the integral role that food plays, not only in our daily
nourishment, but as the cornerstone of our social gatherings. Aside from love, food is the crucial
ingredient for successfully celebrating any holiday.
As a restaurant company, we at Old Chicago borderline obsess
about food- it’s our business. Lesser
known is that our corporation encourages our local restaurants to feed the
hungry – guests who can afford to pay for a meal and those who cannot. As Virginia Woolf stated so well, a person
cannot live well if they are not enriching their body with nourishment. This is why our Manhattan Old Chicago has
chosen to partner with Flint Hills Breadbasket, Manhattan’s main support
organization for those who are currently living without the ability to plan and
secure their daily meals.
The Flint Hills Breadbasket’s impact on the Manhattan
community can be measured in numbers that will shock many. Over
twenty five thousand meals were served between August 2012 and August
2013 - an increase of three thousand over the prior year, and over double the
amount of meals served during the same time frame in 2010-2011. This number doesn’t include the approximate
170 backpack meals received each week to the local schools to help feed
children on the free and reduce lunch program, or the 625 holiday baskets given
annually. They receive no federal, state, county or city funding and their programs
are self-supported through grants, foundation and private financial gifts, as
well as in-kind donations from community partners, churches, local
organizations, and restaurants. As government
funding for SNAP (food stamps) program continues to decrease, the only
remaining answer for many is Flint Hills Breadbasket and its services.
It’s an honor for our Manhattan Old Chicago team to partner
and support Flint Hills Breadbasket by donating good but unused food supplies
and pizzas, totaling 742 pounds of food between September and December of
2012. Our team has continued this effort
in 2013. Additionally, we’re opening our
doors on Thanksgiving Day for clients of Flint Hills Breadbasket, giving our
kitchen staff the opportunity to create and serve a made-from-scratch holiday
menu of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, gravy, and
pumpkin pie.
One of Old Chicago’s company brand pillars is “Gather Round”. We hope that you and your family will gather
round and celebrate this holiday, give thanks for the food that has blessed
your table, and open the discussion about hunger in the Manhattan community. We encourage you to include the Flint Hills
Breadbasket and its programs as an important piece of this conversation,
because they are part of the solution to hunger in the Manhattan community. The other part is community support and understanding of hunger
as an issue in the Manhattan community.
We also personally invite anyone who may not have a place or
means to create their own Thanksgiving dinner to gather round at our
Thanksgiving Gathering to nourish and celebrate how food creates a community. For those looking for a place to celebrate on
Thanksgiving Day, join us on Thursday, November 28th between 11 a.m.
and 2 p.m. at Old Chicago, at the corner of 3rd Street and Poyntz
Avenue. Volunteer spots for this event
have been filled; however, please contact Flint Hills Breadbasket directly at
537-0730 if you or your family would like to receive more information about
supporting their mission this holiday season.
(End soapbox and re-enter blog mode)
Now I'm not including this to give my company a fist bump for the good works we do, or to encourage you to run out and send a donation to Flint Hills Breadbasket (unless you live near Manhattan, KS and then yes, you should consider making a donation if you are looking for a nonprofit for your end of year giving). My soapbox in this blog is a call to action - please take some time this holiday season to learn about the nonprofits in your community who are helping those that are struggling to find, prepare, or provide their next meal for themselves and their family. Don't be naive and assume it doesn't exist in your community. I'm telling you, it does. These nonprofits wouldn't exist if they didn't have people coming thru their doors. Yet the greatest issue for many of these nonprofits is community awareness - getting the word out to the people who need the services that may not know and getting the word out to potential supporters who may be able to help provide any of the three most valuable resources (time, talent, and treasure).
Each community has a local meals on wheel program - but there are neighbors, grandparents, and friends who are not aware of the services or don't think they qualify. Many communities have backpack programs, but not all. It doesn't mean that there aren't still children who's only meal is at school, leaving them hungry at night, on weekends, and during the summer. Many have food banks and food pantries, but unless volunteers are available to have the doors open and donate items that keep the shelves stocked, the food banks and food pantries are limited in their help.
Take the time to educate yourself, and to have a discussion. Don't turn your back on the problem, let's confront it with a conversation. We can gather together, raise a glass and say my favorite
"Cheers,"
Together.
