Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Robert St. John: Extra Table 2021

For the past 22 years I have written this weekly column, 1000 words a week, 52 weeks a year, never missing a week. Those 1,100,000+ words are typically written about food. Though I call an audible on occasion when it comes to travel, family, or some type of culinary oddity.

Having been in the restaurant business for over four decades, I’ve spent my adult life feeding people. Though today I won’t focus on restaurant customers but feeding Mississippians who are in need through the non-profit, Extra Table.

First, a little backstory. In 2009 I received a call from the Edwards Street Fellowship Center, a local mission pantry. At the time they were feeding 800 families each month. They had completely run out of food. They were panicking and asked if there was any way I could help them stock their shelves. “Sure,” I replied. I figured the easiest, best, route to help them get the food they need would be to call my food service distributor, place an order, and have them dropship the groceries the next day. It worked, and they were able to serve their clientele.

Out of that one phone call, Extra Table was born. I began to think that there must be an easier way help feed those in need. I went on a fact-finding mission across the state to delve deeper into the hunger issue. To be honest, I was skeptical that there was even a hunger problem in Mississippi. This is America, I thought. I had no problem understanding hunger issues in a third-world Central American country, but certainly not here. It didn't take long to learn there is a huge problem in Mississippi. Seriously, huge. Mississippi is number one in food insecurity.

Additionally, I learned that Mississippi is also the number one state in the nation for obesity. My skepticism heightened again, as I naively assumed that we can’t be the least fed and most obese. Then I learned that in America, obesity and hunger almost always go together. People who don’t have enough money to lead a proper diet exist on the cheapest foods available, and usually live out of convenience stores drinking the cheapest sugar-laden drinks and eating snack foods. The problem is real. My eyes were opened. I set out to do something about it.  

Extra Table is based on the premise of what if every home and business had an extra table where they could feed those in need. If so, what would that look like?

During that eye-opening discovery period I learned that most food pantries survive on food drives, but food drives are one of the most ineffective ways to stock the shelves of a feeding agency. Many times, up to 60% of food collected in food drives has to be thrown away. Unfortunately, too many people use it as an opportunity to clean out their home pantry. As I was touring those agencies, I saw items such as cans of blueberry pie filling, out-of-date foods, and shelves full of nothing but green beans, which are certainly good, but they are also the cheapest food to purchase at a grocery store and the number one item donated for food drives. Agencies don’t need more green beans, they need healthy proteins.

Mississippi has over 560,000 citizens who are food insecure. Over 162,000 Mississippi children suffer from food insecurity, many of whom eat a school breakfast, school lunch, and then don't eat again until the next day. Over 15% of the state’s senior citizens are— at this moment— trying to figure out if they can pay the electricity bill or go to the grocery store. Senior citizens living on fixed incomes, and kids who are out of school and won’t eat again until the next morning have no use for blueberry pie filling.

I founded Extra Table on two key principles that we still adhere to today. 1.) 100% of the money we raise for food will always go to purchase food. 2.) the food will always be healthy food.

We’ve all read the news stories of nonprofits and charities who spend 50%, 60%, even more than 85% on administrative fees and salaries. If I was going to form a nonprofit, we would never spend people’s hard-earned donations in that manner. We have— from day one— always used 100% of the money we raise for food to purchase food. We formed an entirely separate 501c3, with its own board of directors, that raises money for the minimal administrative fees and salaries.

I believe Extra Table is the most efficient and effective nonprofit in the state. We operate a statewide charity, sending food to agencies from state line to state line, with only two employees. Those two employees— Martha Allen, our amazing and dedicated executive director who is a true force-of-nature, and Rhonda Hayden our devoted and enthusiastic program director— work out of a borrowed corner of my office. Extra Table pays no office expenses. Also, through then generosity of our partnership with Chow Purchasing we now purchase food by the tractor trailer load at below wholesale prices. Thanks to Chow, we don't pay for a warehouse, we don't pay for a truck, and we don't pay for transportation costs. Most importantly— thanks to the generosity of our donors— our agencies don’t pay for food.

That is one of the things I love most about Extra Table. When we approach an agency in the state, we let them know that we are from Extra Table, and we would like to start sending them food on a monthly basis. They are almost always suspicious from the start. “How much is it going to cost us?” they often ask.

“Nothing, we just want to ship food to your agency.”

“Do you want our donor list?”

“No, we just want to give you food.” Many times, they remain skeptical until the first shipment arrives. Then they become raving fans.

From that small order to Edwards Street Fellowship Center in 2009, we have grown to the point that we shipped 5.9 million pounds of food to agency partners across the state in 2020. As was stated earlier, we were founded on the question: What if every home and business had an extra table where they could feed those in need, and if so, what would that look like? I believe it would look like exactly what Extra Table has become. To learn more about what you can do to feed your neighbors in need go to extratable.org

 Onward.

 


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great article, good dude. Waiting on some miserable person to criticize him. Trolls are still asleep I guess.

Anonymous said...

I agree, 9:23 a.m. This article motivates me to visit his website to see if I can help, too.


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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

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This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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