Dairy Farmers of America’s Post

Setting community goals is not enough Achieve them with systems Here’s how... The inspiration and support I received at Union Square Hospitality Group created endless possibilities and empowered me to reach my full potential. When I was General Manager of Union Square Cafe (USC), I had the idea to create a family meal program for patients and families at the Beth Israel hospice in our neighborhood. The hope was to deliver food from USC once a week to the hospice’s lounge, a place where families spent their last days together. I floated the idea with Danny Meyer, and he was immediately supportive. In fact, he encouraged me to get all our restaurants involved. For months, I met with chefs and GMs to explain the idea and encourage buy-in. They universally loved the idea but were concerned about execution. Their questions made the program more resilient and convinced me to create processes to ensure success. After a year of planning, we launched. The first night was incredibly moving. The nurses and administrators with whom we had collaborated all showed up to serve. I have never received so many hugs. The full-scale program involved five restaurants delivering food, setting up the family room, and providing service and hospitality twice each week. A Blue Smoke manager made sure food would be ready and volunteers showed up. Many employees become regular volunteers. After more than a decade, the program ended when the hospital changed hands and the hospice moved. In that time, we touched thousands of lives. But the spirit lives on. The program got the attention of the media, and CBS Sunday Morning included it in a segment on Danny. Bill Finn who ran a hospice in Buffalo came to check it out in person. Bill then went on to create an incredible program called "Dinner to Remember" with chefs in the Buffalo area, which ran for several years. He then started “Meal to Remember” at Hospice of the Western Reserve which is still going strong. He was kind enough to invite me to see their program in Buffalo, which was even more ambitious than ours. My takeaways? 1 - Create and foster a supportive and encouraging culture to generate innovation 2 - Be open to feedback to make ideas stronger 3 - Create processes to execute. Winging it does not work 4 - And finally, always remember that you can make an impact far beyond your four walls #communityservice #community #business #hospitality, #hospitalityindustry #leadership #management #restaurants #restaurantbusiness Maynard Consulting

🌟 Exciting news from the heart of Detroit! 🌟 After 14 long years of meticulous planning and community effort by Malik Yakini and team, the Detroit People's Food Co-op has officially opened its doors in the North End neighborhood! This isn't just another grocery store; it's a beacon of hope and a revolutionary step towards combating food insecurity in the area. For those unfamiliar, the cooperative model of this store means it's owned and operated by community members themselves—giving power back to the people! This allows for critical community-led decisions on pricing and sourcing, ensuring the goods are affordable and cater to the local needs 🌱. 👨🌾👩🌾 The co-op's primary focus? Providing fresh, healthy, and affordable food options especially in areas known as food deserts. These are areas where access to such resources has been traditionally scarce, affecting many residents' daily lives. Having worked closely with community development projects, I've seen firsthand how powerful these initiatives can be. They do more than just sell food—they build community, empower residents, and foster a sense of ownership and pride among members. 📣 What are your thoughts on the role such cooperatives play in promoting food justice and community empowerment? Have you been involved in or benefited from similar models in your area? Let's discuss how we can support and replicate such impactful models in other communities. Your stories and insights are valuable! #FoodJustice #CommunityDevelopment #Cooperative #Detroit #FoodSecurity #Empowerment #InnovationInFood

Have you ever studied bees? 🐝 Did you know that they have one goal amongst the hive, and they will prioritize that over all other responsibilities? It's to keep the Queen laying eggs. Every function will focus on that task. The workers all have responsibilities that contribute to her ability to lay eggs. It's not about the Queen herself but on the task she needs to complete for the hive to thrive. Mike Michalowicz and Adrienne Dorison in Run Like Clockwork help companies identify their QBR: Queen Bee Role, which supports their Brand Promise. AND NOW, SO DO WE!!!!👏 At Safe Food En Route, LLC, our Queen Bee Role is "fueling efficient practices". In every decision and process, we ensure it aligns with this core role. If it's not fueling efficient practices, we adjust to enhance efficiency. This action sets us apart from our competition and helps us achieve food safety confidence with our clients. 🍴🚚 #Efficiency #FoodSafety #BusinessStrategy #FoodSafetyCulture

Rising and Shining: Demystifying the Art of Baking Bread Kora is thrilled to highlight the inspiring journey of Kitty Tait who has turned her passion for baking into a mission to share the joy and simplicity of making bread with the world. Featured in Positive News, Kitty’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and community impact. 🌱 The Journey: Kitty Tait, along with her father Alex, started the Orange Bakery in Watlington, Oxfordshire. Baking helped Kitty overcome a period of severe depression, giving her a sense of purpose and joy. What began as a therapeutic hobby quickly evolved into a successful business, capturing the hearts of many through their delicious creations and engaging social media presence. 🍞 Breaducating Britain: Through her project, Breaducating Britain, Kitty aims to demystify the process of baking bread, making it accessible to everyone. The initiative has distributed around 40,000 free bread kits to schools, prisons, food hubs, and individuals, promoting the mental and physical health benefits of baking. 🌍 Community Impact: The Orange Bakery’s success has not only been a personal triumph for Kitty but also a beacon of hope and empowerment for the community. The bakery has become a hub for learning and sharing, fostering a sense of connection and well-being. Learn more about Kitty Tait’s mission to bring the art of bread-making to everyone: https://lnkd.in/e_Rr4YUg #Inspiration #MentalHealth #Community #Baking #Sustainability #KoraForSDGs #PositiveChange

Getting back into hospitality and restaurants was an easier transition than I could have imagined after a 2.5 year hiatus. I was lucky enough to have my first project back be with my best friend Noam Grossman thinking about how to make a winter concept for a space that sold a summer, seasonal product- soft-serve. Soupside was born and we were lucky enough to have the support of talented chefs like andy baraghani, Eitan Bernath, Wilson Tang and more believe in the vision of community, charity, and innovation. We have 1.5 months to go but some early learnings: 1. Working with friends is hard but rewarding: Noam and I had some early bumps but we set our expectations, always communicated openly, and from there it was smooth sailing. 2. Product and brand will win: Though on the busiest corner of Mulberry and Spring, new concepts take time- we didn't have that. We had 6 months (3 of which are funky in New York) to launch, gain traction, and operate a concept. I did we get people to come? Exceptional product and an amazing brand with personal values. 3. It won't be perfect: We have had mishaps on cups, sold out of soup, had some spills, literally but each has been a learning for the next time we bring a concept to life. Great things take time but the only way to get better is to try. #restaurants #hospitality #seasonal #soupseason #chefs #community #learning

Cannot stop thinking about the Detroit People's Food Co-op since I first learned about it. An except from the Facebook post that enlightened me: "What is a food coop? A food co-op is a grocery store that’s owned by its member/owners as opposed to a grocery store such as Kroger or Meijer which has corporate ownership or an independent grocery store owned by a family or individual. In a food co-op members have a role in shaping the store culture, operations, and product standards. Detroit People’s Food Co-op is democratically controlled by its member/owners. Each member/owner can only purchase one ownership share and has one vote. Although food co-ops, like all businesses, must have revenues that exceed operating costs if they are to be sustainable, food co-ops prioritize community well-being over making profits for member/owners." https://lnkd.in/e3epEDRi

Fantastic campaign by Burger King in collaboration with Les Papillions! Disturbingly, 1 in 10 children in France falls victim to bullying, a staggering statistic that demands our collective attention to comprehend the severity of the situation. And it is not only France obviously! Burger King France has taken a stance, leveraging its brand, restaurants, and social platforms to launch an impactful awareness campaign: - The final letter of "Burger King" is now in grayscale. - Every tenth table in the restaurants has been accented in grey. - Each tenth Burger is now wrapped in grey paper. - Every tenth bag of chips is now packed in a grey bag. - Every tenth ordering machine proudly bears the grey branding. - A grey hue adorns every tenth paper cup. - Even the take-away bags, every tenth of them, are now grey. This clever visual cue prompts customers to notice the difference, encouraging them to reflect on the prevalence of bullying affecting every tenth child. This initiative adds to Burger King's track record of impactful awareness campaigns. In a previous endeavour, they ran an effective SMS campaign, sending offensive text messages to simulate the experience of a bullied child (screenshot in a comment). Kudos to Burger King for not resting; we must persist in raising awareness, fostering dialogue, and, most importantly, taking meaningful action! #stopbullying https://lnkd.in/gAP6MJag

We’re excited to share that the City of Chicago is extending our Vivery Idea Lab in-home food delivery pilot program that has been focused on supporting 100 homebound, food-insecure neighbors with disabilities in the Austin community. Since launching this pilot program in February, we, in collaboration with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), the City’s Community Safety Coordination Center, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Dion's Chicago Dream, Forty Acres Fresh Market, Delivery First and local pantries, have: - Provided 2 monthly deliveries of fresh produce, perishables, and shelf-stable foods. 🚚 🥦 - Distributed 27,000 pounds of food - Completed 1,059 deliveries - Delivered ~50 pounds of food to each resident per month. - Helped neighbors access additional resources, such as SNAP sign-up pages - Created 38 new community jobs Vivery Idea Lab was formed to remove barriers to food access by partnering with local communities to provide consistent access to nutritious food for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Our goal is to learn locally and develop repeatable solutions that can be implemented in communities throughout the rest of the U.S. So what’s next? Read the full Block Club Chicago NFP article here to learn more about the expansion that has been sponsored by Greater Chicago Food Depository, thoughts from our incredible teammate Ashley Friend, who has been heading this initiative, and why local leaders are looking for funding to bring the service to 1,000 more neighbors throughout Chicago. Our commitment to improving food access and addressing food insecurity is stronger than ever. Let's continue making a positive impact on the lives of our neighbors in Austin - and beyond! 🌍❤️ #techforgood #foodsecurity #foodaccess #innovation #Vivery #FoodDelivery #CommunityImpact #FoodAccess #ChicagoCares 🍏🤗 https://lnkd.in/gnbAEFmQ

'Eating a healthy meal shouldn’t be a privilege but a human right!' 🤝 Scaramouche and The Stop have a longstanding relationship that centers around bringing people together through food. We both know that community is the secret sauce. Learn more about our partnership in our new blog: https://lnkd.in/e28seDg7

McDonald’s has introduced a tiny restaurant designed specifically for bees, aiming to provide a safe haven for these important creatures. This fully functional beehive was carefully created by a skilled woodworker and offers enough room to accommodate thousands of bees. The miniature eatery features recognizable McDonald’s branding, including a small “drive-thru” entrance and a cozy patio area with seating. It even includes window advertisements, resembling a traditional McDonald’s restaurant. This unique initiative was inspired by McDonald’s branches in Sweden, which have beehives installed on their rooftops. Moreover, various McDonald’s franchisees have joined in efforts to protect bees, as their population has been declining significantly in recent years. By creating the world’s tiniest restaurant for bees, McDonald’s aims to raise awareness about the importance of these pollinators and the challenges they face. This initiative not only pays tribute to their Swedish branches but also encourages other businesses and individuals to take action in protecting and supporting bee populations. #bees #McDonald #Sweden #businesses #challenges