“Finish your
food, there are starving kids,” my parents would scold. As a child I
insensitively retorted, “Well, then send them this.” As I’ve grown, the notion of people starving
continues to haunt me. So, when Mealshare was announced, their concept of
eat-a-meal to share-a-meal seemed ingenious. The model is simple: order
a specially marked dish at a participating restaurant, and they’ll donate $1 to
fund a meal for the needy.
Andrew Hall, co-founder of Mealshare, recounts that his
parents also instilled in him the value of appreciating food. After graduating
from university with business degrees and working in the corporate world, he
and his cousin, Jeremy Bryant, realized their lives had to be more than the
day-to-day grind. How could they use their entrepreneurial spirit and do something
impactful? Inspired by Tom’s Shoes’ concept of buy-a-pair, give-a-pair, they
decided to help through food.
Mealshare was started in February
2013. Andrew says that finding the first partners was the hardest. It took various
methods and attempts before they could reach someone. Being new to the
industry, they also contacted chefs at inconvenient times further exasperating
the situation.
Eventually, four like-minded
restaurants in Calgary and Edmonton signed up, and Mealshare launched in July
2013. Their reach quickly expanded, and there are now programs in Cowichan
Valley, Vancouver, Victoria, Halifax, Lethbridge and Toronto.
Toronto’s launch happened
organically: Café Belong, Hawthorne, Khao San Road and Nana reached out directly
to implement it at their restaurants. Seeing interest, Mealshare established a
dedicated group, expanding its Toronto outlets to 18 establishments (Pizzeria Libretto, Richmond Station, Terroni, etc.) and officially launching on May 2015. Nicole Tupechka, Toronto’s Community Leader, is excited
about the supporters. It was curated through suggestions and recruiting to
ensure a well-rounded selection.
Mealshare donates locally and globally. International
supports goes to Save the Children, which provides meals to schools in Mali,
Africa, allowing students to attend school (forgoing their need to work) and ensures
concentration by not being hungry.
Each city also supports a local not-for-profit based on
need and their mandates. Andrew Hall notes that, if an organization is already
well-funded, it’s not a candidate for Mealshare. And they need to do more than
just donate food: there should be a support element such as offering education.
Toronto meals are donated to The Parkdale Activity
and Recreation Centre (PARC)’s drop-in centre. It’s a place they don’t require
diners to provide a lot of information so as to note scare them off. Some
diners start to help out in kitchen, gaining experience to help secure
permanent jobs.
 |
| Representatives from Save the Children and PARC |
Nicole Tupechka recalls her first visit to PARC with restaurant
representatives as a great way to see firsthand what their donations meant. She
volunteers there two days a week, cooking based on available ingredients. The only stipulations are that meals must
have minimum calories, ensuring
individuals receive enough energy from the two daily meals, and there’s a
vegetarian option.
She loves volunteering and thinks serving
diners is a great idea. “It’s
just a dignified experience for them rather than having to line up for meals.”
Andrew Hall recounts his proudest
moment when he helped serve the first 1,000 meals Mealshare funded. Additionally,
being able to use his business expertise to help others makes him happy. Project
management and presentation skills translate from corporate boardrooms to
kitchens.
It’s that wistful dream we all
have: do something we love and help others. With more articles promoting corporate
marketers turned ice cream scoopers, it almost makes me want to give notice.
Hall doesn’t regret the time spent in consulting. “I definitely advocate
starting a business while you’re young. But, taking a couple of years to work
at a good company is important too.”
It’s more than restaurateurs
advocating Mealshare, popular Toronto blogger Abbey Sharp became their Toronto
ambassador. “I love getting involved with local food not-for-profits.” Sharp
explains, “So, I jumped at the chance to share what I knew about Toronto
restaurants and [provide] contacts.” Having eaten at a number of the
participants, her favourites include Pizzeria Libretto, Richmond Station and
Glory Hole Doughnuts.
 |
| Mealshare's Toronto ambassador: Abbey Sharp |
I’ve had Libretto’s Mealshare
dish: duck confit pizza. The salty oiliness of the duck mixed with softened
sweet pear on their signature chewy blistered crust is heavenly. How is helping
so delicious?
Mealshare’s website transparently posts statistics on donated meals in total, by city, and by partner. With over
250,000 meals shared, Andrew wants to continue expanding the program. “We have
big dreams!” he proudly proclaims and hopes to go global. A volunteer kit is
also being developed to help individuals within smaller cities approach establishments
and increase Mealshare’s presence past metropolitan areas.
“Anytime you buy something, you’re
voting with your dollar.” Hall says. In this capitalistic world, diners can
certainly influence the industry’s involvement with programs like Mealshare.
“If we can turn capitalism into a more socially conscious vehicle,” he says,
“we can create positive change.”
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As a second product, The Three Farmers branched into chickpeas
given their prominence as an agricultural product in Saskatchewan. Being high
in protein and fibre, the roasted chickpeas were surprisingly filling, so I
only needed a small handful to curb cravings.
