Feed the Front Grand Rapids is a newly formed website that allows healthcare workers and their supporters to send and request meals from local restaurants during COVID-19, an effort that supports both frontline workers and local businesses. Founder Tim Todish talks inspiration and logistics in this special Q&A.
Why did you initially start Feed the Front GR?
This may sound a little crazy to some people but I was actually praying one morning, asking God, "Things are crazy right now and I feel like I should be doing something. What can I do?" That's when the idea came to me. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pull it off, but all of the pieces just sort of came together.
What is your personal or professional connection to the cause?
I felt like I couldn't be the only person out there who wanted to help but didn't know how to do it. There are tons of restaurants in the area that had their operations shut down and/or shift dramatically, overnight. There are also a large number of frontline healthcare workers who are putting their lives on the line to care for the sick and they deserved to be blessed in a special way, and who doesn't love great food? Feed the Front GR offers an easy solution to all three of those things.
Who is involved in your operation (ie., is it entirely volunteer-run)?
My wife and I pretty much handle all of the day-to-day operations. I handle the website, social media, and working with the restaurants. She's much better with communication than I am so she helps coordinate the meals with the healthcare workers. We've also got some great business sponsors (
https://feedthefrontgr.org/sponsors/) who have helped either financially or with in-kind donations.
How did you determine your initial list of restaurant partners?
The plan all along was to allow restaurant owners to sign up to participate via the website, however, we needed a couple of partners to get started. The first person I contacted was Chef Jenna from Amore Trattoria Italiana. She does so much in the community, I knew that she'd be a great place to start. From there, a co-worker connected me with Licari's. They were our first two restaurant partners. Since then, the rest have signed up through the website. So far we've partnered with a dozen local restaurants (
https://feedthefrontgr.org/restaurants/).
Who are your healthcare partners, and how do you determine who receives a meal, and at which location?
Healthcare workers can sign up at the website to receive meals for themselves and their co-workers. Friends and family can also sign up on behalf of a healthcare worker. When requesting a meal you specify your location, the number of people in your group, and select your preferred restaurant. Upon sign up, you're entered into a queue. Once enough funds come in to fully fund your meal request, we reach out to coordinate meal pick up or delivery with the workers and with the restaurants.
What is the average cost of a meal, and how did you make this determination?
The average cost per meal is currently about $11 per person. When the restaurants sign up to partner with us, they set a meal cost per person. We use this number and the number of people in the party to determine when a meal request is fully funded.
From there, the restaurants are free to put together whatever menu they like at the price point they provided. So far we've collected over $5,600, which is enough to provide at least 375 meals. From what we've seen so far, our restaurant partners are incredibly excited to help out our healthcare workers and have gone above and beyond in what they provide. It's been awesome to witness the joy that it brings to both the givers and the receivers!
How can someone get involved?
The best way to get involved is to visit our website,
https://feedthefrontgr.org. Once there, you can sign up to request a meal, become a restaurant partner, or make a donation. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and feature posts on our restaurant partners.
Do you hope to continue operating as businesses reopen?
I suspect this has an end at some point, but I'm not sure when exactly that is yet. I started this project because I believe God asked me to. Really, it's His project. I think He'll also let me know when it's time to stop.
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About Tim Todish:
I'm a husband and father of three. I was born and raised here in Grand Rapids. I currently work at a local marketing agency where I head up the UX department.
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