Partner of the Month - GFS Marketplace

Submitted July 11, 2011 by Ben Shine | 1 comment

Bob Koch, one of the founding members of Second Helpings invited Bryan Siddens and me for a facility tour a few months ago. Learning about how Second Helpings was started, the amount of food that is rescued each day, the power of the volunteers that make things happen, the growing need for meals in the Indianapolis area, the need to raise funds to expand the facility, the Culinary Training Program and the sheer warm inviting fashion of the way the employees and volunteers of Second Helpings oozed pride in their passion quite honestly choked me up and brought tears to my eyes.

Since the three of us all work for a family owned company Gordon Food Service I knew there must be a way we could connect and help make a difference. Our distribution centers help out food banks in many areas across the United States and all of our GFS Marketplace stores donate their short dated product to various Non-Profit Organizations. However, I quickly learned that this was not a Food Bank this was something different, each day 3,000 meals are prepared and delivered to those in need and that need is growing. What Second Helpings needs is pure cash for expansion projects, new cookware for Chef Sam, gas for the vehicles, etc.

Bryan and I were moved to connect to this great organization and help make a difference. We sought approval from our General Manager to sign-up Second Helpings as a Fun Funds customer. Fun Funds turns shopping into continual monetary fundraising for Second Helpings. This program allows an individual shopper to sign-up for a free card that will be scanned during checkout to help earn up to 10% back quarterly.

Our 5 Indianapolis stores and their key sales associates came back to the facility for a tour and brain-storming session on how best to get the Fun Funds program off the ground and earning money. I am proud to say that our stores are working hard to drive awareness and understanding for the need at hand, in one and a half weeks they have signed up over 1700 members by interacting with their customers in the store. We are holding a contest to see which store can sign-up the most new members by the end of July, currently the Greenwood and Indy-Shadeland stores are neck and neck and having a good time competing. In addition, the Top 2 employees per store that enroll the largest number of new members will be treated to a FREE Lunch at Second Helpings in August.

All 5 of our local stores – Avon, Fishers, Greenwood, Indy-Lafayette Road and Indy Shadeland are wearing Second Helpings / GFS Marketplace T-Shirts Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to heighten the awareness of Second Helpings and inform the public how they can help. Once enrolled in the program members will receive monthly “member only” coupons and special offers.

Purchases made with a Fun Funds card can be paid for by

Cash, Check, Credit Card or EBT. Purchases may not be combined with other GFS or GFS Marketplace programs.
You may enroll in the store or online at http://gfs.com/funfunds/home.page?OrgNumber=2461877

If you sign-up online, you will receive two immediate coupon offers. The first offer entitles you to save $10 on your first $50 purchase. The second offer is near and dear to our heart, when you spend $50 GFS Marketplace will donate $10 of that purchase directly to Second Helpings.

On July 15th from 11am to 2pm all 5 of our local stores will be holding a Fun Funds Membership Drive at their stores. Please stop by on the 15th and have FREE lunch on us at GFS Marketplace.

 

-Sandy Wright
 

Comments

Karen Amos
July 12th, 2011 3:35pm
I am proud to help with this awesome event for such a wonderful cause. Come and see me at the 9th Fishers store!

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