Green Bean Challenge

Years Later

2011-11-13T02:03:00.002-05:00

I inspired one person. Maureen Johnakin continues to have an annual food drive at University Pizza. This makes me very, very happy!

Final Thoughts

2009-12-26T01:47:00.004-05:00

The food drive has ended and I have many mixed emotions. Before I try to explain those thoughts, I should thank many of the people who helped so much.

First there was Ann Walters. Back in July she took me out to lunch and showed me how to use Blogger. PATIENTLY, she taught me some basic maneuvers. As time went by, Ann made herself available day and night to answer the dumbest questions. She also gave me some good advice.

Cindy Spurr was also an amazing help. While I found the idea of listing "blogspot.com" too awkward for my taste, Cindy's company Creative Ace was able to give me what I really wanted: a web address that ended dot com. I knew I had to buy the website name, but I didn't know I had to pay to have the site "hosted". Cindy offered to help me design my site and she also offered to host the site complimentary, an incredible savings. It was a testimony to my own stubbornness that I refused the design Cindy gave to me for the website. I felt my own "blog" was all that was needed. I chose to toss all of Cindy's hard work for the option of having a direct link to my blog. I am so appreciative of her understanding.

And finally, I would like to thank Jack Armistead for the great price for the ads in The Downtowner. Not only did Jack give me a great price, but when I described what I wanted in the ads, he was able to create that design exactly.

A huge Thank You to these three individuals!

As for the rest of this post, I will confess that in previous years I have run a very relaxed food drive. I have distributed the invitations (or green beans) and just sat back and waited for something to happen. I had a very laissez faire attitude! In the final week, I would call anyone who expressed a desire to help, schedule a pick-up and then go get whatever donation was available, which occasionally was nothing.

This year I became a little obsessed. I wanted so much to have a huge impact; I really wanted more than 50 restaurants to participate and at least 4-6 tons of food. With the addition of this blog/website and the ads in the Downtowner, I never thought this would not be accomplished. My dreams had no barrier, and I truly anticipated a huge response.

One last note. In 2008, after I had turned in all my paperwork, I was introduced to a woman at the Foodbank. I was under the impression she was a director or another person in upper-management. She said something then that I realize now was just a flippant remark. She said, "If you do this again, we are going to put you on TV on one of the afternoon newscasts." I took her at her word, and tried numerous times to contact her after November 1st. Realizing she might be very busy, I then tried contacting others at the Foodbank, including their own blog writer. Finally I wrote the Virginia-Pilot asking for a small human interest story. Since I was physically unable to invite every singe restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia Beach or Chesapeake, I thought a brief story might open the drive to anyone and everyone.

In the end, there was not one new contact created by the website or the Downtowner ads. Sure, many of my friends and family tuned in regularly to see the new posts, but not a single restaurant contributed as a result.

As this realization hit me, and as I realized I might have a lower total of participants than in previous years, I began to panic. In the last days of the food drive, I experienced the greatest amount of attrition than ever before. "We forgot" was the excuse given to me by more than 10 restaurants, despite my weekly outreach to all the participants!

In the end I never heard a word from the Pilot or the Foodbank. However, we were able to collect 700 pounds more than last year, plus the large outpouring of cash. And for this I am truly thankful. Those few restaurants who participated gave so much more than last year. Huge donations came in from Tanners Creek, University Pizza, and the Boar's Nest. The Freemason Abbey, Doumars, Hells Kitchen and Baxters also increased their donations.

But it may be months before I can let go of the "coulda, shoulda, woulda" syndrome. I am having a hard time forgiving the excuses of so many bartenders and waiters, employees who are still walking out the door with more than $100 or $200 a night. I only asked for 50 cents out of every hundred dollars, and only once a week...! What could I have done to promote this better... Why did so many "forget"? And on and on and on it goes!

I am not sure I learned any lessons this year. I don't know what I could have done different. But in the end, there is no learning curve, because this was the "blow-out" year. I will be unable to do this again next year. And despite my disappointment, I believe I am smart enough to realize what an incredible journey this has been. In the last four years, Kirk Springer (me!), has almost single handed been able to convince others to donate more than 5 tons of food to the foodbank, and more than $2,500!

And so the Green Bean Challenge comes to a close. Hunger will continue in our region and elsewhere. Please do not stop giving, especially in the summer months when donations plummet. Thank you for reading my blog!

Totals and Winners

2009-12-20T15:49:00.003-05:00

2,819 POUNDS OF FOOD

$1,070 in CASH DONATIONS

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED

The winners of the prizes and some of the food donations are listed below:

Tanners Creek (685 lbs) won the night stay at the Sheraton Waterside
University Pizza (539 lbs and $352) won the night stay at the Marriott Waterside
Boars Nest (339 lbs) won 2 tickets for the American Rover

Joe's Crab Shack - 2 AMC movie tickets
Green Onion - 2 Regal movie tickets and the Entertainment booklet
Freemason Abbey- 7 tickets to the Little Theater of Norfolk'
456 Fish - 2 tickets to the Little Theater of Virginia Beach
Big Easy - tickets to the Nauticus museum
Doumar's - gift basket from the NCVB
Baxter's - tickets to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
Dog-n-Burger - tickets to the Virginia Zoo
Shula's 347 - tickets to the Generic Theater
Hells Kitchen - one night of entertainment from Klass Act Productions

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED, AND WATCH FOR ONE LAST SUMMARY TO BE POSTED LATER TODAY!

The Celebration!

2009-12-17T18:43:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to join us tomorrow night, December 18th at Tanners Creek on Colley Avenue at 5:30! We will be announcing all the totals, which are very surprising! And we will also announce the prize winners! See you there!

The Last Push

2009-12-14T13:52:00.006-05:00

The donations have started to pour in and I am very excited to see and hear the stories of each restaurant's own drive. There sure seems to be alot of love coupled with generosity out there! Of course every food drive has its mix of disappointments and surprises, and this year is no different!. Today I lost another participant, if not two, but then I received some very exciting news from a good friend.

My friend Ann will match your monetary donations up to $500! And that is simply amazing! You can find out more about how to help by checking out her website:

www.amwrandomthoughts.blogspot.com

Please think about it and pass it on...now is your chance to double your gift!

THANK YOU ANN!

Update: Only moments after posting this I received a call from The Green Onion, a restaurant that dropped out weeks ago, which informed me the staff had gathered a collection despite the management's decision. So again, I have lost one and gained one within the last hour! Whew! Thank you staff of Green Onion!

Life. Celebrated Daily.

2009-12-04T15:24:00.005-05:00

Life. Celebrated Daily. This is the motto for beautiful Norfolk, Virginia. There are rumors City Council wants to change the motto to something more current, but I do not agree. As I made my rounds today, encouraging the employees and restaurants, I saw the celebration of life. Such a diverse group of people working toward a common goal: easing hunger in our region. And it is a celebration --we recognize and value the lives of those around us who are less fortunate. Above, the staff of Dog-n-Burger takes a break from the bustling lunch crowd to give me some smiles!

Reed and Glenn are loyal friends to Charlie's Cafe, and they both have given generously to the food drive. Thanks guys!

Doumars is the home of the original waffle cone. It is also the home of some amazing people! This small diner on Monticello Avenue was the largest donor last year. Go, Doumars! Go! Let's see you win it again!

Don Shula is probably proud of his 347 wins in major league football, but he should be proud of these amazing ladies who have worked so hard for the Foodbank!

At Snappers on Granby, you can pick from a wonderful selection of fine wines. While sipping that aged Cabernet, you might notice the staff putting some canned goods into an empty wine box.

Over at Tabbs in Riverview, these girls serve up a double-whammy! Beautiful on the outside, but so much more inner beauty, too. Thank you!

Becca and the Christmas tree both represent the spirit of giving found at Tanners Creek.

Johnny, General Manager of Trilogy Bistro, awaits the theater crowd who will jam the place in just an hour or so. Quick Johnny! Put on your tie and coat! And thank you to your staff who have donated so much!

Keep it Going!

2009-12-03T15:23:00.002-05:00

A chance encounter led to a great discussion with an old friend, and I am now glad to welcome the staff of Colley Cantina to the food drive! Please stop by in the afternoon and say Hi to the day bartender, Jenn - she's not only beautiful, but one of the sweetest girls you will meet. Welcome, Colley Cantina!

Maybe a little less exuberant, but still willing to join the fun, 37th and Zen has agreed to at least give it a try. Even if they can only come up with the 10 can minimum, that is 10 more cans! This venue has some amazing live music, as well as karaoke, an open mic night and a comedy night. Try to stop by and encourage the staff while you are there!

No Rest for the Weary!

2009-12-01T20:41:00.003-05:00

Did you really believe I would take a two-week break away from the food drive? That is just CRAZY talk, especially with all the excitement beginning to percolate! Today I would like to welcome the staff of Jillians to the food drive. With only two weeks to go, I am sure they will work hard for the foodbank, and they still have a chance to win those prizes.

Prizes? Yes, there are prizes! Click on the link to the left of this blog, and you can read all about the many prizes involved with this year's drive. JUST ADDED: Two tickets to the Little Theater of Virginia Beach! The winner of these tickets will be able to choose from three amazing plays in the last half of this season. "An Act of the Imagination", "All My Sons" and "Mornings at Seven" will be performed in an intimate and comfortable setting. (To be honest, I wouldn't mind winning those tickets myself!)

Break Time

2009-11-30T14:00:00.004-05:00

We are going to take a break for a week or so. Now is the time where we have to wait until the dates roll around to pick-up the donations. As of today, we have 25 participating restaurants. I will stop by each of them to see how their individual drives are going, but I don't think there will be much to post here.

In case you are wondering, here is what has happened in the last few days. Last Wednesday night, University Pizza had a fundraiser and they did a really good job (read below). On Friday, it came to my attention that my contact for two other restaurants had quit his job, and without his support, I lost those participants. About an hour later, I discovered that Charlie's Cafe had joined our cause -- so I lost two and gained one.

Friday night, Tanners Creek had a massive party with a live band , but those patrons were not as generous as we had hoped. However, Tanners Creek is continuing with their drive, and I believe the staff is going to raise a lot of donations for the foodbank!

On Saturday I received a phone message from a guy who said the following, "I own two bars, and one of them is already participating, so I don't think its necessary for the other bar to do anything for you." ???? I guess the staff at one location likes to help and at the other location, they do not. It was just an odd phone call, unexpected and curiously angry.

And so you see, that is how it will go for the next two weeks. If anything exciting happens, I'll be sure to post. But please, stay tuned because the end of the drive is the most fun part!

Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks

2009-11-27T13:46:00.008-05:00

If you go back to the beginning of this blog, or just click on the link How to Help, you will notice that the very first requirement to help in my food drive is that your contribution be both fun and voluntary. I can tell you this requirement was met tenfold at the special event at University Pizza on the night before Thanksgiving.

First let me give you some background. Maureen (pictured above, left), a bar manager for University Pizza, really took this food drive to heart. She thought long and hard about the best way to increase donations, and finally settled on a brilliant idea. She asked Michael "Nuzzie" Nusbaum (pictured above, right) to come in for an evening of "guest bartending".

Nuzzie graduated from Norfolk Academy several years ago and has been attending college at Hampden-Sydney ever since. But before he moved, Nuzzie had established himself as one of the most popular students in Norfolk, and he has A LOT OF FRIENDS! Maureen and Nuzzie concocted this idea of having him step in as a guest bartender and making a night of it with recent alumni of both Norfolk Academy and Norfolk Collegiate. Add in a few students from Maury High School, and the night was ready to explode.

Maureen created a site on Facebook, and sure enough, students returning for Thanksgiving break heard about the event and started hitting the Will Attend button like crazy! And it sure was a crazy night as University Pizza was at max capacity for several hours.

To add to the fun, Nuzzie's father donated a box of special-order beer koozies, which were sold as a souvenir of the night. All in all, between the door donations and the koozie sales, University Pizza was able to raise more than $300 for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. Oh, plus all the food shown in the picture at top!

Thank you Nuzzie for volunteering to work SO HARD during your Thanksgiving break! Thank you Nusbaum family for the koozies! And Thank you Maureen for your tireless labor in putting this together!

More fun to come!

2009-11-24T13:43:00.004-05:00

JUST ADDED: Tanners Creek at 5100 Colley Avenue has just announced an after-Thanksgiving party on Friday, November 27th. Once you are done eating turkey and just plain done with the family, wouldn't it be great to get out of the house and listen to some great music? House on Fire, one of Norfolk's terrific rock bands will be performing.

Bring your non-perishable food items and relax for awhile -- let someone else do the dishes!

All sorts of specials will be offered all night long to entice your generosity, so make sure you load up the car with a really big box!

I would also like to welcome the staff of Azar's Market and Cafe!

Boar's Nest

2009-11-23T23:09:00.003-05:00

The first donations are in after the Boar's Nest rocking party last Saturday night. What a haul they have brought in for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia! And they are not done yet, with promises of still more contributions in the days to come.

University Pizza's event is day after tomorrow, and I just know they are going to work hard to topple the Boar's Nest. Stay tuned for this event and for more information. Restaurants are still calling to join the fun, and there may be other events to list soon.

More Friends!

2009-11-18T15:45:00.003-05:00

Today I received confirmation of four more participants. I'd like to welcome into the group the staff members of Hell's Kitchen, Baxter's Sports Lounge and Tabb's at Riverview!

And a very warm welcome to the re-opened Painted Lady, one of my favorite restaurants. With the original owners taking the reins once more, it is my sincere hope to see this unique restaurant shine once again!

I have also heard whispers of other possibilties, so stay tuned!

The Momentum is Building!

2009-11-16T18:01:00.004-05:00

To borrow a catch-phrase from all the construction in downtown Norfolk: The Momentum is Building! With only 65 of the invitational cans delivered, we have over 20 participants, and that number is surely to grow as we move past Thanksgiving into the holiday season. Just today, the staff members of California Pizza Kitchen, Kincaids and Joe's Crab Shack have pledged their support.

And we also received a family 4-pack of tickets to the Virginia Zoo to use as an incentive prize. The challenge is getting more exciting every day. Join us and help your community!

Events!

2009-11-09T15:54:00.009-05:00

With only 20 cans/invitations delivered, we already have two events dedicated to increasing the donations to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia!

November 21st: Join the party at the Boar's Nest located at 4502 Monarch Way. That is in the new ODU student village. Admission is... what else? Non-perishable food items! (757) 961-5465

November 25th: University Pizza will have a surprise bartender from Hampden-Sydney to liven the fun. Cover charge is covered with your canned food donation! 5008 Colley Avenue (757) 423-0300 Check out their Facebook Event: Nuzzy and Maureen "Can" Hunger

http://www.facebook.com/share.php?appid=2344061033&src=box&tid=195036461263&u=greenbeanchallenge.com#/event.php?eid=195036461263&ref=mf

HELLO AND WELCOME!

2009-10-23T14:32:00.006-04:00

Hello and Welcome to the 2009 Green Bean Challenge, a benefit for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. Today is October 23, 2009 and it is time to get this challenge started. Chances are, if this is your first visit to this website, you have probably recieved a letter or e-mail asking for a donation to be used as a prize. Or possibly a strange and wayward can of green beans has found its way onto your desk. This is the site that explains it all!

Please notice the links to the left side of the blog. These links are there to help you navigate the many posts. I especially like the ones labeled Frequently Asked Questions and How to Help, although Explaining the Challenge really comes in handy, too. Foodbanks across the country are suffering this year, as the number of unemployed people and the outcry for help continues to rise. This is the year to make your effort count! Hopefully together we can double the amount from last year to two tons (or even more?) of food for our local neighbors who are struggling so much during this recession.

I truly, absolutely, hope to hear from you soon!

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-09-22T19:29:00.008-04:00

1) Who is this for?

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia

2) Are you only collecting green beans?

No, any non-perishable food item is accepted, and a wide variety is appreciated. Please check out the Top 10 list provided.

3) Should the restaurant give from its own pantry?

Each restaurant must make its own decisions; however, this challenge is generally geared toward the staff. Employees are encouraged to donate food from their own home pantries or to purchase canned food from their own tips.

4) Should the restaurant ask its patrons for donations, such as putting a box by the front door?

Again, each restaurant can make its own choices; however, this has proven to be one of the least effective ways of collecting donations. Some restaurants also complain the box detracts from their aesthetic.

5) We don't have anywhere to store the donations. Where should we put the food?

I will come to your establishment as often as you need for me to collect the donations. Also, I have known at least two restaurants that saved space by collecting in the trunk of a server's car.

6) Can I donate money?

Yes. The Foodbank can actually make a complete meal for one person for 29 cents.

7) What is your goal this year?

I would be overjoyed if together we can collect 3 tons of food. This is the dream for 2009. This is the reason for the print ads in the Downtowner and this blog - an effort to provide some publicity for a unique way to collect for the Foodbank. This effort can only be achieved by doubling the participating restaurants to more than 50. If Norfolk establishments are unable to meet this goal, I will take on considerable more pressure by inviting select eateries in the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake areas.

8) Who are you and why should I give to your challenge?

My name is Kirk Springer. I work as Concierge for the Waterside Marriott in downtown Norfolk, a position I have had for 6 years. Before this, I waited tables in a variety of restaurants throughout Hampton Roads, everything from an Irish bar called Batterson's, to more elite names such as the Trellis and Kingsmill Resort. I have twice been selected to serve the acting President of the United States. The participating restaurants and prize donors attest to my standing within the community. I would also mention that the person who selected last year's winners was Tony DiFilippo, the Director of the Norfolk Convention and Visitor's Bureau. He would not have donated his time if he did not believe in this food drive.

9) What do you get out of this?

I do not recieve any tangible compensation for this food drive. In fact, in previous years, I have spent hundreds of dollars of my own money in an effort to double, triple or quadruple the donations. I am often at odds on whether I shouldn't just write a check to the Foodbank and be done with it. Every single penny of cash donated has been turned over to the Foodbank; I do not keep anything to cover my own costs. But there are reasons for me to do this, the most important is that I am blessed with wonderful family and friends, I have a job and I eat alot. In fact, two years ago, when I handed out the invitations to the ninety restaurants, I realized I had eaten or drank at every single one of them. I MUST give back to my community.

Please, no glass containers!

2009-09-09T21:23:00.003-04:00

NO GLASS CONTAINERS

Here's Another Fine-Dining Mess You've Gotten Me Into, Ollie

2009-09-09T20:48:00.004-04:00

I have never quite figured out why the fine-dining restaurants give so little to this food drive. I know many of you throw charitable parties throughout the year, benefiting all sorts of great organizations. And yet these parties are often hosted by the owners of the restaurants, with the proceeds coming directly out of his or her pocket. Again, this particular food drive is aimed at the staff members and is not designed to dig into the restaurant's profits.

So in an effort to boast the donations from the staff of some of the best restaurants in Norfolk, I have an idea for a challenge within the challenge.

As I have stated before in this blog, there will be five weeks between the day the challenge begins and the final collection. This gives everyone five Fridays, five Saturdays, five Sundays and so on.

Pick ONE of those days, lets say a Friday for example. On Friday, every time you break $100 in tips, you have to buy a can of food (about 40 cents). So if you make $200, you have to buy 2 cans (80 cents), and if you make $300 on that Friday night, you commit to buying 3 cans of food.

If five or six servers would commit to this plan, which equals 4/1000 of their tip money- and if these servers committed to doing this all five Fridays, those employees would give far more than any fine-dining restaurant has given in any previous year.

Of course ideally, the servers would commit to this seven days a week, but I do not want to pressure anyone into giving away their holiday tips. I know very well what happens in the industry during the painfully slow months of January and February.

Just a couple of thoughts about this: a) this plan would only work if it were brought up often during shift "line-up" and b) this plan would probably only be successful if the servers who donated the 40 cents or more could see the money being put to use. In other words, designate someone to make a run to the Market at the end of the shift to purchase the cans. This way after a hard night, everyone can see where their quarters were spent.

Another Shade of Why

2009-09-01T12:59:00.004-04:00

I thought I would list some of the other reasons for the Green Bean Challenge:

More than 330,000 of our neighbors are food insecure.

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia is committed to assisting over 500 community agencies and programs.

32% of those served are children.

42% of those served are the working poor.

24% of those served are the elderly.

It only takes 29 cents to provide an entire meal for a hungry person.

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia has received 4 stars from Charity Navigator, a watchdog for non-profit organizations. 96.4 cents out of every dollar goes into their programs and services.

Do you know anyone who has been laid off from work? Do you know how much his or her unemployment check covers? Does it cover the mortgage and food?

Are you sure the elderly widow down the street has enough income to cover prescription drugs and a healthy meal?

And what about the child at school who hasn't eaten since yesterday's free lunch?

2009-08-28T02:44:00.004-04:00

Foodbank Top Ten Wanted Lists:

Most Wanted
Peanut Butter
Chunky Soups
Canned Meats
Canned Tuna
Canned Vegetables
Juice
Cereal
Macaroni and Cheese
Pasta
Pasta Sauces

Senior Citizens
Pudding cups/ Fruit Cups/ Jell-O cups
Crackers
Sugar free snacks
Small packets of dried milk
Small cans of vegetables
Small jars of peanut butter and jelly
Reduced sodium canned soups
High fiber cereal
Canned tuna and chicken
Dried fruit

Emergency Needs
Water
Canned Juice
Snack Foods
Boxed, Canned Powdered Milk
Canned Vegetables
Canned Fruits
Canned Meats
Canned Soups
Spreads (peanut butter, jelly)
Cereal

Kids Cafe Fruit (#10 Cans)
Applesauce
Peaches
Tropical Fruit
Fruit Cocktail
Pineapple
Kids Cafe - Veggie (#10 Cans)
Green Beans
Sweet Peas
Whole New Potatoes
Corn
Baked Beans

Timeline

2009-08-17T17:49:00.010-04:00

This is a tentative timeline, as much for my benefit as for any reader who might be curious.

October 1st - Print ad in the Downtowner
October 5th - Send out letters asking for prize donations
October 25 - Follow-up on prize donations

November 1st - Second print ad in the Downtowner
Week of November 11-13th - Deliver the invitations and the cans

December 18th - End of the food drive

The drawing for the prizes will be at 5:30 on December 18sth at Tanner's Creek on Colley Avenue. (You are more than welcome to join me!) All donations must be in my possession no later than noon on that day. There can be NO EXTENSIONS past this time. I am concerned about turning in the food to the Foodbank. Believe it or not, the warehouse closes so that the employees can have a holiday break. If I am still picking up donations on Monday or Tuesday, I may have to sit on those donations until after the New Year, pushing the prize drawing back as well. This is not going to happen.

I am still unsure who will be in charge of drawing the prize winners, but I will announce this as soon as I know!

The NCVB, a Party and More Credibility

2009-08-14T16:01:00.003-04:00

I am always in search of ways to give the food drive more credibility, especially to those people who have never heard of me. And to that end, I have no problem dropping a name or two, or associating myself with major players in the Norfolk arena.

So when I decided to add prizes as an incentive, I knew I had to find someone completely non-biased to determine the prize winners. Someone in power. Someone with a name so recognizable there could be no doubt of the authenticity of this food drive. To my absolute delight, Anthony DiFilippo, Director of the Norfolk Conventions and Visitors Bureau, stepped in to take that role. I cannot thank him enough for allowing me to attach his name with the challenge invitations, which may also have attributed to a higher participation rate.

I decided to have a prize drawing at Hell's Kitchen on a Friday night just a few days before Christmas. Tony agreed to come over and pull the names from a hat. I don't know what I really expected; I guess I wanted one or two people from each of the participating restaurants to show up for a little Christmas cheer. As it was, only Tony and I showed up. He pulled the names, we drank a beer and the food drive was over.

Now here's the funny thing about that: having a high profile name is only one part of the credibility issue. When dealing with "rules" and "prizes", you have to be very careful to keep everything transparent and honest. That being said, as Tony announced the winning restaurant names, my heart sank lower and lower. All of the major prizes went to places that had donated the least amount of food, barely even giving the minimum of 10 pounds or $5. My major contributors, places like Doumar's, Tanner's Creek and the Freemason Abbey did not win anything at all.

Lesson learned again.

This year I am raising the minimum donation, as yet TBD. I am also splitting the prizes into tiers, with only the top donors being eligible for the largest prizes. I don't know, is that fair? There is still so much to think about, and I'm running out of time. The first print ad will happen in either September or October, which means I need to have the rules spelled out before this blog actually gets readers!

PRESS-ed for Credibility

2009-08-12T16:18:00.005-04:00

I like to believe everyone in the city knows the name Kirk Springer, or at least everyone downtown... or at least everyone who owns a restaurant in downtown. Sadly I am incorrect.

While many, many people recognize my ability to put warm bodies into empty seats, there are just as many who turn their backs on me, whether for the food drive or just daily business. To make matters even worse, the further you travel from downtown, the less the name Kirk Springer means. And the truth is there is no reason for those eateries to know me. Most of my guests do not have cars, and I have to balance the cost of the cab ride versus the price and quality of the meal. On a side note, I really want to know as much as I can about what's out there, so I have eaten at almost every restaurant between downtown and Ocean View --over a fifteen year period, mind you.

So when I walk into a restaurant in Ghent, announce myself as Kirk Springer, Concierge of the Marriott, and hand them a can of green beans, I imagine that can lasts about 25 seconds before it hits the trash! And with the realization that I am not the beginning and end of the Norfolk dining experience, I really needed to find a way to get my name out to the masses.

For the longest time I considered marching into the offices of Portfolio Weekly and asking a staff writer to do a story about my challenge. After all, it is very unique, right? But I just couldn't get up the gumption, and before I knew it, Portfolio was history.

So I became scrappy, writing my own blurbs and sending them to the Virginia-Pilot in the guise of a Letter to the Editor. Hey, it worked, and now I can write "as seen in the Virginia-Pilot"! Twice that newspaper ran a letter that I wrote solely for the promotion of my food drive. (Sorry VP, the letters were actually valid, one in your Pay It Forward feature, and one in the after-Christmas glow of thanks.)

I also had an opportunity to befriend Jack Armistead, owner and publisher of The Downtowner. Last year I just drove him crazy until he agreed to add the Green Bean Challenge to his November Top 10 list. Thanks, Jack! Because of you, I believe several Ghent restaurants decided to join.

And now of course, there is this blog. How many people will read it and decide that my food drive is legitimate? Only time will tell... The other possibility is a TV spot during a local news broadcast, arranged by the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. It's not as far-fetched as it might seem, as the idea was actually brought up by one of the managers at the Foodbank last year. I really, really, REALLY don't want to be on TV, so I might have to find a volunteer to take my place if this actually happens.

Bill Rice, the Zobys and the $1,000 Check

2009-08-05T18:11:00.006-04:00

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia can feed a person for 29 cents. They are able to do this by using food brokers and by purchasing surpluses. To be honest, money comes in a lot more handy at the Foodbank than the cans of food we strive to collect and deliver.

However, coming between a server and his hard-earned cash can be a difficult task! I believe this is partially due to the large number of scams the nation has endured in recent years. Who doesn't remember the large salaries given to CEOs of charitable organizations? Who hasn't been forced into donating to the United Way during the "fair share" program in which an employer could reap prizes if 100% of the employees participated, causing the employer to threaten the employees?

And during the Christmas season there seems to be someone at every corner crying out for a donation for this charity or that one. I think many people become inured to the call for help and instead become protective of their wallets. So a can of food is a more tangible gift, and seems less like a ploy and more like a solution.

However, the foodbank can feed someone for 29 cents! While I strive to collect as many pounds of non-perishable goods as possible, I can't help but mention this fact in each year's invitation. The money fluctuates from year to year; I don't count on it to make the drive a success. And I certainly never expected the AMAZING gift of $1,000 contributed by the Zoby family, owners of 456 Fish, Byrd and Baldwin Brothers Steakhouse, Bodega and The Big Easy.

General manager Bill Rice was just as excited as I was that first year, and he wholeheartedly campaigned to have this donation given to the food drive. I am forever in his debt for that help. But I have never really publicized the donation. Not because it was secret, but because I was afraid of scaring away other participants, whether for cans or cash. I figured if Todd Jurich's Bistro or Trilogy began to think of it as a competition, they might not give at all.

My "thank you" letters for that year metioned the total amount collected, but I never mentioned that the Zoby family had contributed almost all of it. Just a general "Wow, we collected $1,100!" After all these years, I've always feared Bill Rice and the Zobys felt as if I had "taken them for a ride", even though the check was made out to and cashed by the foodbank.

So my apologies to the Zoby family, as I never really intended to keep the donation secret, I just didn't know how to announce it!

JUST FOR FUN: Many children go hungry during the summer months because they are not provided the free breakfast or lunch at public schools. For parents, the warm months can be a financial nightmare. Imagine a local church that provides summer camp or summer classes for a group of impoverished children. The $1,000 would be enough to provide 3,448 meals or about 70 days worth of food for 50 kids at a shelter such as this. Enough to help those kids eat throughout the summer.

Proven Methods for CAN-do Results!

2009-08-05T18:05:00.013-04:00

First of all, if this challenge is not both fun and voluntary, then you are doing it wrong! I am truly not trying to add any extra stress to your holiday season, I'll take that upon myself!
To keep the drive fun, I want to remind you that this challenge is not geared to take away from your corporate profits and I certainly do not expect for you to give food from your restaurant pantry. And I most certainly do not expect for your restaurant guests to bring food to contribute.

THIS FOOD DRIVE IS GEARED TOWARD SERVERS, BARTENDERS, CHEFS and OTHER EMPLOYEES. I would like these individuals to donate food from their own kitchen pantries, or to purchase food items from their own tips and salaries.

There are some proven ways to generate food donations from your staff. The best way to do this is to remove yourself from the equation if you are an owner or manager! Ask a server with alot of personality, one whom almost everyone likes, to take control of the challenge. Let that person bring up the challenge during the daily line-up; let that person motivate the other employees.

This year's challenge will consist of five Fridays. Those days can be "Canned-Food Friday". Ask the staff members to bring their cans in to work on that day. Allow the server with the most cans to dictate her own station or sidework. If she wants to go home early for a hot date, she will bring the most cans. If she needs the money to buy Mom a special something, she might donate everything in her pantry.

Sometimes a restaurant has no place to store the donation. A solution: one restaurant collected in the trunk of a car. Or if this is not a feasible solution, I am available to pick-up the donation as many times as you need.

Another proven method is to require employees to bring a food donation to the employee Christmas party. You might offer a prize to the employee who brings the most, maybe a free bar tab for that night, or gift certificate for the restaurant. Or if your place wins one of the larger prizes, that employee would automatically be the recipient.

Most of the fine-dining restaurants in Norfolk have a hard time providing more than the minimum donation. These employees make "bank", but seem unable to help with this food drive, possibly because of ties with other charities. So for these individuals I ask this: every time you break $100 in tips, please put aside a quarter. If you make $300 during one shift, you put aside a meager 75 cents. Since alot of you make this kind of money daily, I only ask for you to do it on a Friday or Saturday night. Assign one person in your restaurant to purchase the non-perishable goods, say spaghetti, and soon you will have enough weight to be entered for the prize drawings!

Of course, you can always put a box by the front door and ask your "regulars" to donate. However, many restaurants feel odd about asking their paying guests to bring food, or they feel the box clashes with the decor of the restaurant. I understand these feelings. Again, the drive is not focused on your diners, it is your staff I would like to see contribute.

Finally, and this is just and idea, you might ask for a donation as a cover charge for a popular night at your bar/restaurant. Or your BAND or KARAOKE emcee might mention the collection during a performance.

This should be fun and voluntary. During the drive I will be available by phone as often as possible ( I have a job!), but will return all messages. I can come by to pick up your donation on a regular basis if you need to get it out of the way. I can provide you with boxes and posters if necessary.

I am always surprised by the creativity of the participants!

Pay It Forward

2009-07-27T13:14:00.003-04:00

Here is another exciting story that also appeared in the Virginia -Pilot under their Pay It Forward snippets. It was more abbreviated then, so here is the full story:

That first year I only invited restaurants in the downtown area to participate. Once the field of participants had been narrowed down to 14, I made an attempt to pick up all the donations on the same day, basically scheduling a stop every fifteen minutes. One of my first stops was at Outback Steakhouse.

That year Outback had a fairly large box, all the donations in the same box. There was no way I was going to be able to carry it by myself out to the truck or to lift it into the bed, so the dishwasher offered to help. Now I have no idea the circumstances that led this gentleman down the road to this particular job at his age. And I have no idea why someone of his age would have to ask permission from the very young kitchen manager to leave the area for only a few moments to load a box into my truck. We have our different paths to walk, and often in F & B, those paths seem altered by hard lives and strange choices.

We carried the box and loaded it in the back of the truck, and then the man asked if I could wait a few minutes. He said he had not contributed anything yet and wanted to run into the nearby Dollar Store to buy a few things for the drive. So I waited... and waited... and waited... and waited. The day had just started and I was already behind schedule! The stress was about to give me a stroke! I started to think maybe he had gone out another door.

So I went inside to look for him. There he was, standing at the register with bags and bags of food. $50.oo worth of food! I asked him what he was doing; why so much food? And he told me his family had been on welfare most of the past year, that they had depended on their local food pantry to feed the kids, and now that he had a steady paycheck, it was time to give back.

Now I don't know how this man got into this position, but I do know for that Christmas season, he was my angel. He was the one who made it worthwhile, and he was the one who I thought about the next year when deciding whether to try it all again.

The Stash is in the Trunk!

2009-07-25T15:54:00.003-04:00

This story was so touching, I sent it in to the Virginia-Pilot and it was published in January of this year under the title Secret Santas.

As stated before, there are many reasons a restaurant might not want to participate in this charity. Hooters for instance, already participates in four different drives, including Toys For Tots. Those girls have some big hearts under their big, um...well, hooters.

One restaurant in the Ghent area had been adamant about not participating, but some of the employees still wanted to donate. So they collected the cans in the parking lot, before and after their shifts! In the trunk of a car! Sneaky, secret Santas indeed!

New Directions

2009-07-21T02:04:00.002-04:00

While I hope many, many people might read this blog as I near the kick-off date, I am fairly sure there is currently only one or two people reading right now, and for that I am thankful.
I wanted my blog to contain all the ups and downs of this experience. But I don't need it to be a balance sheet of negative responses borrowed from previous years.

Recently, I ranted against a few places who refused to give me incentive prizes. And then in a fit of total stupidity, I recanted my anger while spewing a new anger all over again. I do believe my anger was justified, but naming names and pointing fingers was probably not the way to get more businesses to participate in the future. I have deleted those posts.

I bet each reader would rather hear of brave tales of assistance rather than a listing of places who reneged on their promises.

I am going to change the direction of this blog to a more positive state. In the next few weeks, I want to tell you about those people who surprised me, those businesses who changed the shape of the food drive, and the LARGE cash donation of Byrd and Baldwin Brothers Steakhouse, and why it made me so happy (and why it has been secret until now).

Where Art Thou, My Can?

2009-07-16T02:41:00.003-04:00

So where did they go?

I am asking, of course, about the 45 cans of green beans that I gave out to restaurants and then never heard anything at all. What did these places do with their cans? Did the green beans become some sort of garnish for foie gras? Were they mixed into the center of a crazy quesadilla?

I guess in my heart I hope somebody took the can home, heated the beans over the stove and then ate them. Maybe the can sat in the front of his car as he ran into the supermarket to buy a couple of steaks and a few potatoes for baking. He may not have noticed the lettering on the surrounding tag that screamed GREEN BEAN CHALLENGE 2008. Maybe the can rushed onto the floorboard when he stopped at a redlight, the nice steaks in their plastic bag jumping off the seat to cover his rolling shame.

Whatever may have happened to those cans, it truly pains me to know the truth: each one was thrown away into the trash can. It is highly unlikely that anyone would have taken their solitary "seed" can and donated it at a local collection center. And that whole truth is painful. Yes, they were not a meal, only a side item. Yes, the cans represent an ideal, not a commitment. And yes, the restaurants that responded brought so much more than the ones who threw the cans away. But DAG-NAB-IT!, those cans were food. Food. FOOD. F-O-O-D! I bet somebody could have made those beans into a casserole that was more than a side item, who could have made those beans into a heartfelt meal of appreciation and thanks, who could have made those beans into a realization that the world is cold and hard -- and also sometimes warm to those less fortunate.

It's impossible, but I might go back and ask for my beans this year...

Why green beans?

2009-07-11T00:17:00.004-04:00

Some people ask me why I chose green beans as my challenge name. It's simple, the pea challenge already had its own double-entendre! And who would donate to the Creamed Corn Challenge?

Seriously, I asked a friend if he would donate to my food drive. He said he would rummage through his cabinets to find a can of beets he bought on a whim and then realized he would never eat beets. I was a little irritated and I told him, "People in economic trouble don't want to eat beets, either. They want to eat good food just like you and me. Go home and bring me something edible, like a can of green beans!"

And that is how it happened...

(Now just in case you are the Director of the American Beet Growers Association, I want you to be completely honest with yourself. While there are many, many people who love a delicious beet, in the hierarchy of canned vegetable popularity, beets are far lower than green beans.)

What's up with the Green Beans?

2009-07-09T16:36:00.015-04:00

In mid-November of this year, 70-90 restaurants in the Norfolk area will receive a can of green beans with a tag encouraging them to return the can along with other non-perishable food items. Those who return a minimum amount (TBD) will be eligible to receive prizes including free hotel room stays, tickets to sporting and theater events, and admission to museums.

And it all started like this:
In late 2006, I had a small bag of 6-7 cans sitting by my front door, waiting to be taken to the Marriott and placed in a box by the time clock. (The Care Committee for the hotel was having a food drive.) For some reason I had an episode of Oprah on the TiVo -- I can only assume I thought I had taped the "Favorite Things" special, an exciting event on Oprah. Not that I don't like Oprah, I just don't normally have her show on the TiVo, and so it stands out in my memory that I did on that day. However, the episode was one in which she gave viewers $1,000 and told them to give it away to other people in creative ways. And WOW! The stories they told were incredible and uplifting. All the different ways they came up with to make the thousand dollars grow to even more money were just amazing.

I looked again at my little bag of food. Only an hour before I had complimented myself on what a LARGE bag it was, but now it just looked ordinary. My mind started to think of some way to make my donation larger. How could I possibly do that? I'm not as smart as those people on Oprah and I have no connections. Hmm, maybe I should ask my neighbors to donate. Yes, that should do it.

That night the Marriott was very boring. I found myself staring out the window of my office on the 24th floor, looking out over the city. My mind was wandering, trying to grasp how I could make my little donation turn into a BIG donation. And to be honest, the thought went through my mind, "All you have ever done is wait tables. You have no talent to offer, nothing to bring to the table, nothing except water with lemon and a fresh towelette."

Somewhere in that murky self-depreciation, the idea hit me: I have fed people all my life, why can't I use that talent to feed the less fortunate? After all, in my new position, I know dozens of people in the F&B industry; in fact, I know more of those people than I know the neighbors on my street. And thus a food drive was born!

That first year I contacted 40 restaurants in the downtown area. The drive was called the "Downtown Restaurant Food and Beverage Employee Canned Food Drive". Try saying that ten times fast... At the end of it all, 14 eateries participated, and we raised about 400 lbs. of food.

In 2007 I decided to do it again, but since there was only a 30% participation rate the previous year, I went further out and delivered more than 90 invitations all over the great city of Norfolk. After all , I figured 90 restaurants would equal at least 30 participating if the ratios held true. This year the snappy name became "Norfolk Restaurant Food and Beverage Employee Canned Food Drive." Really, the new name was so uninspired!

And for all that work, and all those invitations I had 14 participating restaurants again. On the bright side, we doubled the donation for that year.

There was even more to learn in 2007 as I decided to supplement my food and cash totals by hosting a party in my backyard, early enough in the season so the temperatures would be warm. In early October I invited around 50 people to a pre-drive collection party, complete with lots of music and alcohol. My friend Reed suggested that I implement a cover charge of cash or specific amount of canned food, but I completely rebuked that idea.

Now I happen to have the best friends in the world, so it still stings that this party was such a failure. Of the 50 people who came, only 8 offered cash ranging from $5 to $50. And as for the food donations, well those were pathetic. Some things I heard were, "Here are four cans, one for each of my friends who came with me." I guess it was the distance from the actual start of the food drive, maybe it was the warm autumn temperatures, maybe it was just human nature. But I did learn the words "minimum donation" and I keep those words close to my heart.

So why such an attrition rate? Why out of 90 invitations, did only 14 decide to help? There was a lot to think of as I moved into 2008.

If you have ever dealt with a restaurant manager, you know his word is only good until the moment he walks out the door. Then its the next manager's decision. Contracts, promises, phone calls, station charts and all sorts of other information are lost at every switch-over, and my invitations were definitely getting lost in the shuffle. I needed something that would stand out. Something bigger than an envelope. Something like a can of food!

A can of beans sitting on a desk is hard to lose in the paperwork. One manager asks another, employees ask the manager, and people's short term memories are refreshed with this silly reminder. The can becomes the seed, it represents the dollar in the tip-jar before the shift begins. And of course, I added prizes. Dog-gone it, if these people won't give freely of themselves, I'll bribe them!

In 2008, cans of green beans were delivered to 70 eateries along with the challenge to return the can along with other non-perishable food items. I believe I started with almost 45 "bites", although in the end, the number dropped to 25 places that actually participated. Maybe because the minimum donation requirement for the prize drawings, but the best part was the amount of food donated, especially in a recession year: 2,100 pounds- over a ton! Whoo-hoo, the newly named and more approachable "Green Bean Challenge" was a success!

And so here we are, mid-way through 2009 and this year I am moving full steam ahead by adding this blog and a few print ads. What numbers will this year bring? Stay tuned!

The Green Bean Challenge Starts Here!

2009-07-09T14:32:00.005-04:00

This blog starts, as it should, with a can of green beans. The date today is July 9th, 2009 and it is 2:33 on a beautiful summer day, temperatures hanging in the mid-80s. I've just had lunch with my good friend Ann, and in the spirit of irony, I powerwalked afterward, trying to burn a few of the calories I had just consumed. It's beautiful to be able to eat in the USA. We can get fat and complain about being fat, and exercise at one end while we shovel it in the other, and hunger is...well, someone else's problem -- certainly not mine.

It will be interesting to see how this blog develops. There are alot of additions to be spliced and hacked onto this page. Links and hints and thoughtful musings paired against rants and disappointments.

But one thing I hope, pray, desire, lust and yes, hunger for, is that the one can above will multiply into hundreds of other non-perishable food items, pounds and pounds of food, hopefully even more than a ton of food, which can be delivered to the Foodbank sometime near Christmas of this year. For a while now, other people's hunger will be my problem.