Inspired by Grassroots Reciprocity

Earlier this month I tuned in to Edible Startup Summit, a valuable training program for food business start-ups and entrepreneurs. The resounding theme throughout the conference was that of social responsibility, as in what can we do to help other people during these COVID times?

Here are some inspiring examples:

• When COVID suddenly caused an order cancellation of Slide Gourmet Potato Chips, owner Christine Ameigh did home deliveries to move her product. She then piloted a food ordering system at her Christine’s Kitchens to help upwards of 40 businesses sell their products.
• Like most food entrepreneurs, Donale Richards has been doing the pandemic pivot to keep his Madtown Food Services in business. Since July, he’s also been busy preparing meals for Cook It Forward, a collaboration between local restaurants and non-profits to diminish food insecurity in Madison.
• When COVID restrictions required Namgyal Posnar to rely solely on take-out business for her Little Tibet Restaurant, it became hard to maintain her lease. Her landlord generously gave her a month of free rent and then reduced the following months by 50 percent until next year. Namgyal says this is what’s allowed her to stay in business and continue paying her staff.

We, not me…Paying it forward…Making a difference.

This is grassroots reciprocity at its best—the caring for others that just might keep an entrepreneur in business or simply offer a sense of hope.

Grassroots Reciprocity

Author Robin Wall Kimmerer defines reciprocity as a means of giving back in thanksgiving for what’s been given to us. (Her book Braiding Sweetgrass is a great read, by the way.)

“The idea of reciprocity, of recognizing that we humans do have gifts that we can give in return for all that has been given to us is, I think, a really generative and creative way to be a human in the world,” says Kimmerer.

My Own Reciprocity in 2021

Does your organization need marketing support in the coming year? Next Tuesday, December 1, is Giving Tuesday. It’s also the day I open my mailbox for pro-bono applications. Each year Adunate accepts two pro bono projects for greatly reduced or no cost. These are projects I strongly support and believe will positively impact God’s creation, his people, or his ministry.

In 2021, I’d especially like to work with organizations that are in some way reaching out to others during the COVID pandemic.

My interests include, but aren’t limited to:

• Agriculture & Animals
• Architecture
• Arts
• Children
• Environment
• Faith
• History
• Humanity
• Food & Drink
• Sustainability

If we sound like a good fit, click here for an application. Then, to guarantee your project’s success, be sure to click here.

My deadline for submissions is December 31, 2020. I will let applicants know of my decision sometime in January.