Foot Notes
Volume 4, Issue 5 813 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS OF SERVICE October 2011
Welcome Aboard
“FOOD IS THE HUMAN CONNECTION” to Our Newest
$98 Club Members!
something, FOF is important because it
has a lasting, sustainable effect on the
participants.‖ Erik is thankful that his
AUGUST
restaurant is able to help people get back Lynda Fadel
into the workforce and mainstream Aaron Fell
society; most importantly, becoming tax
payers and not tax burdens. David Frishberg
Tender Greens is one of many Erin Hollis
employers that hire our graduates for full- Rachel Murphree
time, minimum wage jobs. The restaurant
Erik Oberholtzer, owner Tender Greens
is provided with full-time, loyal, and
hardworking employees that are ready to
SEPTEMBER
What can an East Coast boy bring to work. WFF, in return, has a place to send Jay & Marilyn Lipsky
such an eclectic city as Los Angeles? those graduates that are ready for Alejandro Martinez
Erik Oberholtzer, the owner of Tender employment into a steady, full-time job.
Greens Restaurant, felt like there was Both partners have one goal in mind: to Thank you for your
something missing in the world of food. In
such a culturally diverse city like LA, Erik
provide structure and self-sufficiency
to the graduates.
generous support!
wanted to find a way to give back to the All three graduates have acquired the
community and he found his way through life skills and work ethics that are helping
Tender Greens. them succeed at Tender Greens through
Originally from Pennsylvania, Erik our 10-week program that reinforces and
graduated from the Johnson and Wales teaches employment skills and job readi-
Culinary School where he learned the ness. So what sets FOF apart from other
language of food. In 2001, he moved to organizations? Erik believes that FOF
Los Angeles and worked as an Executive provides the tough love and discipline
Chef at Shutters on the Beach in Santa
Monica. It was there that Erik met his
necessary for the graduates. FOF also
provides tangible goals and teaches the
THANKSGIVING
future business partners and Tender
Greens was born. Today, Tender Greens
participants how to reach those goals
while maintaining a stable lifestyle.
SERVING
has seven locations: Pasadena, Santa ―Everyone at FOF has a story,‖ Erik says. Please join us as volunteers
Monica, Hollywood, Culver City, West ―And I am able to experience that for our big Thanksgiving Day
Hollywood, San Diego and Walnut Creek. firsthand. For example, Rebel S. has
gone through such a positive transfor-
event from 2:00-5:00pm on
Since June of 2010, Erik has been
supporting Food on Foot (FOF) by hiring mation — his confidence and happiness Thursday, November 24.
three graduates of our Work For Food have definitely increased. FOF is a We will be providing food,
(WFF) program. The participants, Rebel no-nonsense, results-driven organization sleeping bags, and bus tokens
S. and Margarito D., are working at the that brings structure, hope, and opportuni- to hundreds of homeless and
Hollywood location, and Lee D. is working ty to those in need. I am happy to be a poor adults and children.
at the Santa Monica location. Erik says part of it.‖ Erik enjoys working with FOF
because it benefits the body, mind and
Volunteer spaces are very
he is inspired by changing people‘s lives
and assisting in the struggle to break the soul. There is no better feeling than the limited and will fill quickly
cycle of homelessness. The WFF program feeling of helping another through their so early registration
provides hardworking and responsible healing process. is recommended.
workers for his restaurant, and he could Thank you, Erik Oberholtzer, for your
inspiration and passion for the human To volunteer, please go to:
not be happier with their performance. ―In
a world where people feel entitled to connection. # # # WWW.FOODONFOOT.ORG
9663 Santa Monica Blvd., #743 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 442-0088 www.foodonfoot.org Tax ID # 31-1581053
Volume 4, Issue 5 Foot Notes Page 2
Pond‘ does not always lie with more govern- what you are prepared to do for others that
ment intervention. should define our worth as human beings.
Indeed, British Prime Minister David These simple acts challenge people clinging
Cameron summed up the fears and frustra- to the lowest rung of society to validate their
tions of many when he asked; "Do we have self-worth and to realize that victimhood isn‘t
the determination to confront the a coat that protects you from the elements
slow-motion moral collapse that has taken but a straitjacket that locks you in to a cycle
Could L.A.'s place in parts of our country these past few
generations? Irresponsibility. Selfishness.
of misery. To date, Food-on-Foot boasts an
89% success rate; roughly the reverse
Jay Goldinger Behaving as if your choices have no
consequences... Reward without effort.‖ So
percentage of success enjoyed by govern-
ment-funded programs. Oh, and did I
Hold the Key how do we begin to fix what‘s broken?
Jay Goldinger might have the answer.
mention that from Day 1 Jay has refused
any and all government funding?
to Defeating For the last 805 Sundays, he and a small
cadre of volunteers have stood on the
For a few hours on Jay Goldinger‘s
804th Sunday, I was a foot soldier in Food
Homelessness? frontline of Los Angeles‘ forgotten jobless
and homeless population and delivered
on Foot‘s three-hour outreach in a parking
lot near Sunset and Vine in Hollywood. A
By $98 Club Member Rabbi Abraham Cooper change we can truly believe in. Goldinger‘s few hundred homeless and handicapped
Published August 20, 2011 / FoxNews.com initiative called "Food on Foot" does not people were helped with clothing and food,
merely give out food and clothing to the while people who want a way out are
Amidst the din surrounding the global down and out but has helped turn many of rewarded for a week‘s worth of ―a job well
economic meltdown, Americans might be them into productive taxpayers. done‖. Two have graduated to ―gray shirt‖
excused if we haven‘t paid too much atten- His tough-love approach is one that status as they inch closer to rejoining the
tion to the youthful rioters roiling London and works to motivate people to take general population—with no help from Uncle
other British cities. Still only a fool would responsibility for their actions. Participants Sam. Jay told us that when a new group of
shrug their shoulders at the images of a new start by sweeping the streets. A completed workers sign up, he provides each with a
blitz brought on not by high-flying bombers week then brings cards redeemable for mirror and offers this admonition: "Take a
but text-messaging thugs making a mockery food. Ten consecutive weeks brings greater good in the mirror. You are looking at the
of British Police. The pundits and talking incentives and rewards. For those who don‘t enemy; the only person holding you back
heads from the U.K. I've heard recently miss a week, they can, during the course of from a bright future.‖
offering explanations for the riots generally a year, get help with medical and dental In a time of growing economic uncer-
fall into two camps: the unrest is either problems and even see a $3,000 bank ac- tainty and growing incivility in the political
―mindless violence‖ or ―social injustice.‖ count opened in their name while being commons and social unrest, maybe Jay
There are the inevitable calls for: A) A get- provided with safe housing and help getting Goldinger is on to something. Maybe it is
tough memo to the police to get back control a real job. time for all of us -- including those of us in
of the streets and restore England‘s sud- What‘s the catch? Accountability. Back- the political and social elite -- to visit the
denly–tarnished image ahead of next year‘s sliding is never rewarded. And there is Internet and shop for some mirrors for
Olympic Games or… B) More social another key component. Jay demands of ourselves. Maybe the reflection in the mirror
programs and employment opportunities for everyone —random acts of kindness— like will stir us to remember the real reasons we
the underclass. All these measures actually sharing some food, guiding a blind person were all put here in the first place.
make a lot of sense, yet there is an underly- across the street, helping an elderly person To learn more about our programs:
ing feeling that at the end of the day the key with their shopping… Simple acts that
to society‘s challenges on both sides of ‗the remind us it isn‘t how much you amass but www.foodonfoot.org
A very special thank you
to Kat Burgers for
Sponsor a Sunday!
initiating and creating the We invite you to gather your business partners, co-workers,
friends, and family to celebrate the season of giving
Groupon Campaign for by sponsoring a Sunday serving for a tax-deductible
Food on Foot. We ran as donation of $2000. Your donation will provide
their “Featured Cause” from chicken dinners and healthy snacks to at least 200 homeless
and poor adults and children, as well as purchase food gift cards
Aug. 30 - Sept. 1, raising for the participants in our Work for Food program.
$2420 for Work for Food. To select a date or for more information, please call us at:
Thank you, Kat, for being
fearless for Food on Foot!
(310) 860-0022
9663 Santa Monica Blvd. #743, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 442-0088 www.foodonfoot.org Tax ID # 31-1581053