Plate It Forward Southington Charitable Fund
What is “Plate it Forward Southington”?
Plate it Forward Southington is a food sharing project developed and initially wholly & charitably funded here in town by the “Friday Morning Breakfast Club” (FMBC).
FMBC is a business networking group founded by Realtor Gary Brummett in early 2022 where members meet bi-monthly for breakfast and business discussions. Breakfasts include guest speakers, sharing best practices, and a “think tank” for solutions to members’ business challenges. The group meets at various restaurants around town, and pay into a kitty each quarter to cover the cost for breakfast. Each quarter there is a balance of funds that the group distributes to non-profits in town.
Plate it Forward Southington is based upon the pay it forward model of giving. When you buy a meal for yourself in a participating restaurant, you may also make a second purchase for someone else. The project has support from The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, Bread for Life, and the Southington Community Services.
The paid but “yet-to-be-prepared” meal’s receipt is posted on the Plate it Forward Southington board inside the restaurant where food insecure folks that live among us as neighbors can come to the restaurant and get that pre-paid meal served to them.
Bread for Life and Southington Community Services staff encourage and help their clients feel secure to visit the participating restaurants to receive a pre-paid meal. A “one per person per day” rule is gently encouraged. Clients may have the meal inside the restaurant or ask for it “to go”. The client visits the board, and picks a receipt. Then gives that to restaurant staff and receives the meal.
We believe the benefits to the food-insecure folks will go far beyond the plate. Clients stand to benefit from knowing that they live among some caring, generous, and loving neighbors. They can enjoy a greater sense of belonging in the community. And our hope is that someday in the future, some of them will be able to Plate it Forward for another neighbor.
