Employee’s story spurs record-breaking drive
Sendik’s delivers 50 tons of food, $18,000 to Second Harvest
Posted: Nov. 25, 2008
The largest one-time retail donation in the 26-year history of America’s Second Harvest of Wisconsin food bank was made last week by the Balistreri-owned Sendik’s Food Markets, headquartered in Whitefish Bay.
More than 100,000 pounds of food, which nearly filled three semitrailers, and an $18,0000 donation were delivered Nov. 21 to Second Harvest headquarters at 1700 W. Fond du Lac Ave., Milwaukee.
The record-breaking donation was the result of a three-month drive supported by Sendik’s, its employees, its customers and its suppliers.
Those in need not anonymous
Margaret Harris and her three brothers, all owners of the eight Balistreri Sendik’s stores, had decided to give the proceeds from sales of the Sendik’s Real Food Magazine to Second Harvest, but then the idea of a bigger drive caught on.
“I was talking to one of the floor managers and she said, ‘I don’t think you realize how great this could be,’” Harris said.
The 24-year-old manager told Harris of growing up without enough food, even though her father worked and her mother had two jobs. They did not want to, but the family went to a local food pantry and were able to survive.
That story touched her heart, Harris said. Suddenly, families in need were not anonymous anymore. They could be anybody.
“I was dropping off my children and thought, what if it’s the person dropping her kids off at school,” Harris said.
Her brother, Nick Balistreri, agreed.
“When you hear about all the people having trouble in the news, lots of times, you don’t associate it with people you know,” he said. “You don’t realize people who need help could be your neighbor or people you see every day. So many things cause people to need help.”
Patron donations, purchases
The story was spread to the 1,500 Sendik’s employees, who, too, were inspired, Harris said. Many of them took up collections to buy food.
Their enthusiasm spread to Sendik’s patrons, she said.
They rounded up their receipt totals to the nearest dollar for Second Harvest. Occasionally a shopper rounded up $10, Balistreri said.
Patrons purchased $10, $20 or $100 bags of groceries, and they bought boxes of macaroni and cheese, with each box matched by Sendik’s and donated to Second Harvest.
Then Sendik’s owners gave their shopping list of items the food pantry needed most and money collected to their warehouse, Certco Inc., in Madison, with instructions to stretch the money as far as possible.
Also, the semitrailers used to transport the food were donated by Golden Guernsey Dairy.
Harris had an epiphany that something big and wonderful can happen if everyone does a little.
“For me, it was tons and tons of little things that added up to one giant difference,” she said.
Filling the shelves
“We are just delighted,” said Gina Styer, Second Harvest communications director. “We are at a 10-year low for food donations.
“Sendik’s (stores) and their customers can be very proud knowing they are giving the gift of food to hungry people,” she said.
Second Harvest Food Bank distributes nearly 11 million pounds of food annually to 1,100 food pantries, meal programs and shelters throughout eastern Wisconsin.
Balistreri-owned Sendik’s Food Markets are in Whitefish Bay, Mequon, Grafton, Wauwatosa, Germantown, Elm Grove, Greenfield and Franklin.
~~~~~~~~~~
If you answered yes to the "Would you like to round up for Second Harvest?" question that was periodically asked when you checked out of the Germantown Sendik's, this story helps you to understand the combined impact.
This is part of that "Attitude of Gratitude" thing that helps us to help others less fortunate than we...and there are always people who are less fortunate no matter what we find ourselves confronting.
