I’m so proud to have been a part of LIFT-Boston in its nascent stages. The name, logo, volunteers, and offices may have changed, but the work ethic, commitment, and community have only strengthened over time. Watch to learn more about this anti-poverty nonprofit’s model and impact.
Panera Cares, nonprofit outpost of chain, to open soon
“It is a community cafe of shared responsibility. One of the goals of this charitable program is to help ensure that everyone who needs a meal gets one and to raise the level of awareness about food insecurity in the country.” -Kate Antonacci, project manager of Panera Cares
To show me how a Cheesecake Factory works, he took me into the kitchen of his busiest restaurant, at Prudential Center, a shopping and convention hub. The kitchen design is the same in every restaurant, he explained. It’s laid out like a manufacturing facility, in which raw materials in the back of the plant come together as a finished product that rolls out the front. Along the back wall are the walk-in refrigerators and prep stations, where half a dozen people stood chopping and stirring and mixing. The next zone is where the cooking gets done—two parallel lines of countertop, forty-some feet long and just three shoe-lengths apart, with fifteen people pivoting in place between the stovetops and grills on the hot side and the neatly laid-out bins of fixings (sauces, garnishes, seasonings, and the like) on the cold side. The prep staff stock the pullout drawers beneath the counters with slabs of marinated meat and fish, serving-size baggies of pasta and crabmeat, steaming bowls of brown rice and mashed potatoes. Basically, the prep crew handles the parts, and the cooks do the assembly.
Atul Gawande, in an article exploring franchising the health care system. As with all of his books and articles, it is brilliantly written and presents viable arguments and examples. Well worth a read and hopefully conversation or blog comment after.
One more offshoot thought: The franchised food chains mentioned in the article aren’t exactly the most healthful. Connection to hospitals in the current state: not the healthiest food, but more franchised procurement-wise than the health care itself. With active franchising of health care, would we be able to follow in suit with spreading healthful food in hospitals, too?
The Stanley Cup is great and all, but this is greater. I love Make Way For Ducklings and how it’s memorialized.
Living Philanthropic: Day 293: Pine Street Inn
Today’s give is in honor of Carl D, this guy is a prime example of paying it forward. Carl washes dishes part time at a restaurant in Billerica, MA to earn extra money to donate to charity as part of his spiritual path for lessons in humility and sacrifice. He is a true everyday hero and…
Fantastic choice again today! Hope some folks who read my blog are inspired to #giveeveryday too!
C'mon government...we can't cut essential agencies
Community Action Agencies are without a doubt some of the most effective, tuned-in entities that exist in growing communities. One of my favorites, CAAS, based in Somerville, MA is in danger of losing funding and therefore letting go of irreplaceable services rendered. The costs are minuscule compared to other things that tax dollars fund. Not cool, government. A lot of people who are vital members of our communities will be left hanging. Let’s re-prioritize, shall we?
Posts to keep you entertained, thinking, sharing, and discussing. I blog across subject areas because there's a lot of interesting stuff out there; why limit our conversation?
