Chili Cookoff Fundraisers + Great Corporate Citizens + Grassroots Charitable Group = Food for the Hungry and Homeless The Table Online Friday, April 4, 2008 It's the end of a chili cookoff fundraiser.  Everyone's had fun and raised money for a great cause.  The chili's been judged and prizes awarded.  Now, what to do with the leftover chili?  Susan Wasley, Director of Programs and Events, BE&K, had a great idea-and it worked!  Susan called Chris Retan, Director of Aletheia House and a founder of The Table, to see if he could make use of the surplus chili.  The Table is a grass roots movement in Birmingham, Alabama, where volunteers provide food — and hope — to the homeless and hungry every Saturday and Sunday afternoon.  Chris enthusiastically accepted the offer.  Next, Susan called Margaret Marston, Business Communications Specialist, NorthStar Communications Group, and long time volunteer at The Table.  Margaret also enthusiastically agreed to help with this exciting and important project. The way a chili cookoff works is this:  Corporations, professional firms, and community organizations make chili, decorate a booth, wear costumes, and compete for prizes in a range of categories.  cookoff organizers offer other family activities — live music, moonwalk, face painting, balloon sculpture.  Folks pay a fee (usually about $10.00 a person) to enter the cookoff and enjoy tasting all kinds of chili, with all kinds of add-ons, as well as visiting with friends.  The competitors often have a funny or enthusiastic spiel or giveaways to attract the tasters.  Judges taste and judge. In the past, when the cookoff was over, the chili cookers and servers usually ended up throwing the chili away — gallons of chili can be hard for anyone to store! The Exceptional Foundation's 4th Annual Chili cookoff was scheduled for March 8, 2008.  Because BE&K was participating in the event, Susan Wasley knew about it and got in touch with Kat Drennen, the Foundation's Director of Development, to offer to collect the surplus chili for The Table.  Kat was willing and appreciative.  Susan produced a flyer; Chris and Margaret got containers and worked at the event to collect the chili and take it to the Old Firehouse Shelter for dinner for the homeless and hungry.  According to Margaret, "One unexpected bonus was the look of grateful wonder on the faces of many cookoff participants."  These men and women expressed such gladness that their efforts and surplus of good food would not be wasted, but would provide nourishment for those in need.  At the end of the day, The Table folks collected about 35 gallons of chili as well as lots of crackers, cheese, and other perishable foods.  There were many happy faces and full stomachs when this food was served to 125 homeless men and women later that afternoon. Again, prior to the April 4th Inaugural Chili cookoff of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Alabama Chapter, Jenny Wilson, Director of Marketing and Communications, appreciated the offer for surplus chili to be collected for The Table.  Again, The Table folks got in gear and collected about 35 gallons of chili.  The crowd at The Table that chilly, blustery Saturday, April 5, was grateful for the gift of food and love. Two chili cookoffs, 35 gallons of surplus chili each, 350 servings of chili each!  A wonderful circle of community-connectedness: non-profit organizations hold fundraisers, corporate and professional firms donate ingredients and labor to prepare and serve the food, and a grassroots group collects the surplus to provide food — and hope — to Birmingham's homeless and hungry.  The offer is out, too, to any organizations that are having similar food-related events to donate the surplus for those in our community who most need the nourishment of food and kindness. Since December 2005, The Table has served over 20,000 meals.  With community generosity like this, we can keep on serving and serving and serving … For more information on The Table, including sign-up information, check out the website at www.TheTableOnline.org. © 2008 The Table