Food Donation Question

[TexasGuppie]

Any of you fellars ever get meat donated for a charity cook? My wife wants me to cook at an American Cancer Society event (to which I quickly said, "SIGN ME UP!") thinking I could get a local grocery store to donate the meat in return for banner recognition.

Boy, was I wrong.

Sack-n-Save "graciously" offered a $25 gift card. When told I her needed "$200-$300" the "Customer Relations" gal just chuckled and said, "Good luck."

Any suggestions? I was thinkin' pulled pork and/or chopped/sliced beef brisket sammiches but I simply can't spring for the total cost of the meat (I'm already offerin' the bread, onions, peppers, sauces, wood for the cookin', labor, good-tastin' rubs, etc.)

Ken

[BrooklynQ]

Try to find multiple sponsors to cover pieces of it. Take the $25 from that store and head down the block to another grocery and accept thier $25.

Also, an underlooked industry that likes to give is....
FUNERAL HOMES. Don't laugh. I've found that the funeral home owners in Brooklyn are some of the most generous folks around.

[Jorge]

Have anything from the American Cancer Society, under their letterhead? That would probably help.

Originally Posted by TexasGuppie

Any of you fellars ever get meat donated for a charity cook? My wife wants me to cook at an American Cancer Society event (to which I quickly said, "SIGN ME UP!) thinking I could get a local grocery store to donate the meat in return for banner recognition.

Boy, was I wrong.

Sack-n-Save "graciously" offered a $25 gift card. When told I her needed "$200-$300" the "Customer Relations" gal just chuckled and said, "Good luck."

Any suggestions? I was thinkin' pulled pork and/or chopped/sliced beef brisket sammiches but I simply can't spring for the total cost of the meat (I'm already offerin' the bread, onions, peppers, sauces, wood for the cookin', labor, good-tastin' rubs, etc.)

Ken

[Jorge]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm guessing some folks might find that in bad taste considering the cause.

Originally Posted by BrooklynQ

Try to find multiple sponsors to cover pieces of it. Take the $25 from that store and head down the block to another grocery and accept thier $25.

Also, an underlooked industry that likes to give is....
FUNERAL HOMES. Don't laugh. I've found that the funeral home owners in Brooklyn are some of the most generous folks around.

[chad]

Originally Posted by Jorge

Maybe it's just me, but I'm guessing some folks might find that in bad taste considering the cause.

Not necessarily. Hospice does not pick funeral homes but Dobie's is one of the best and most respected in our area. Mr. Dobie, THE funeral director, goes out personally on the night calls from Hospice - he doesn't send his "on call" night guys. But then, it may depend on the area of the country. I'd have no problem going to Mr. Dobie if I was looking for a charitable sponsorship - especially one like the Cancer Society.

Don't forget car dealerships - they probably spend more than that every Saturday for the hotdogs and sodas on their lot.

Just my $.02.

[bbqjoe]

Just a shot in the dark, try calling a cold food storage facility. (Yellow pages)
Sometimes people pay to have food stored and then abandon it.

[kickassbbq]

If it is a benefit to raise money, have the Cancer society buy the meat themselves and deduct that cost from the profits from the sales.
You can donate your time, the wood, charcoal and smoker as your gift to the cause. That will be more than anyone else will donate.
If the Cancer Society can't do that, they don't really want a charity event, they want a total handout. There are a lot of reasons people just don't donate to these organizations like they used to.
So, if they buy the meat and pay for it with the sales, and YOU donate the rest, it is a TOTAL, COMPLETE BARGAIN for them.
I wish you luck and have some fun. The GOOD thing about doing this for you is (if you want) have your banner up as the only one along with the Cancer Society and see how many gigs you get from it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have done this and get so many offers for BBQ parties, I have to turn most of them down.
PARTY!!!!!!!
Smoke On!!!!!
ed

[midnight]

I can always call on the SD Pork Producers to donate up to 200 lbs of meat or Meat gift certificates that can be used at any grocery store. Check to see if you have a local Pork Producers in your state. Also, keep checking with other grocery stores, I found one in my area that will donate $100,s of dollars worth of meat, buns, condiments, etc.

Make sure you have a written/ typed request with the American Cancer Society letter head on it.

[jgh1204]

The local bakery outlet is usually pretty generous with donating bread. A local produce supplier is good with donating lettuce, onions, etc.

The $25 is not unusual. That is what the local HEB usually donates.

You might try one of the local commercial meat suppliers.

You also might do better going with hospital supply, home health care agencies, etc in exchange for hanging a banner. Although any advertising would have to be cleared through the ACS I am sure.

Sponsors get hit up for donations from everywhere and everyone of them is a good cause. You are going to get told no a lot.

In my training that I have taken for RioFest, I have learned that most "donations" come out of marketing budgets.

[stan]

Don't over look your local Wally World. They have some much each month that they donate to local and national charities. The wife in working with Dept of Family Services went to them and got a $1000 gift certificate because she was able to use one of the Foster Associations 501c3 Tax emptions. I would assume that you could get that from the American Cancer Soc. and that may get you further with companies. It did for her with Wally World. Just a thought!

[jgh1204]

Target has a similar program.