Jersey Mike’s Subs owners presented proceeds from its grand opening fundraiser to LOVE’s Kitchen Wednesday to help the nonprofit in supporting its mission.
The sandwich shop, which opened in June, distributed coupons ahead of its grand opening allowing customers to receive a free sandwich in exchange for a donation of $3 or more to LOVE’s Kitchen. In total, the store raised $2,367.20.
“We passed out over 5,000 give back cards. The cards had a $3 dollar value; you come in and donate three bucks, and you get any regular sub on the menu, and all the $3 donations we received are what we gave to LOVE’s Kitchen today,” said Jamie Humphrey, a co-owner and store manager at Jersey Mikes.
Humphrey said being involved in the community and helping support local organizations will continue to be a focus at Jersey Mike’s going forward. The store, he said, wants to do its part in supporting everything from local schools to nonprofit organizations.
Giving back is also personally important, Humphrey said, and being able to partner with LOVE’s Kitchen during the store’s grand opening was a great opportunity.
“Giving back is one of the things I personally thrive on, so just being able to do something like this for LOVE’s Kitchen is just a joy and brings me a lot of good sleep at night.”
Fannie Johnson, executive director at LOVE’s Kitchen, also known as Lauderdale Outreach and Volunteer Effort Inc., said the donated funds will go into the organization’s operational budget where it will be used to help cover the kitchen’s expenses.
“We’ll be able to make sure we can pay our electric, water bill. We have insurance. We have to buy some food to add into the donations to make sure we have a balanced meal,” she said. “So it will be part of our budget for the year, and we’ll be able to tap into that money.”
LOVE’s Kitchen’s building is coming up on 20 years old, Johnson said, and the anniversary has been marked by some big expenses. Work has been needed on the building’s roof, foundation work and repairs to the air conditioning system, she said, and the donated funds will help ensure the nonprofit is able to continue services as work on the building is underway.
While LOVE’s Kitchen serves meals to Meridian’s homeless population, Johnson said its main clientele are the working poor. They are single mothers and single fathers, she said, and residents struggling to make ends meet.
“We get to prevent some people from ending up on those homeless roads because they were able to take care of themselves because they were able to take the need for food off their list,” she said.
Social security and food stamps go quickly, and some residents get toward the end of the month facing tough choices between paying bills and buying food to eat, Johnson said. The problem is made even more evident by rising food prices, which can hurt even the most financially sound families, but at the end of the day, she said, LOVE’s Kitchen is there to help those who need it, whether they need a meal every day or just once or twice a month.
“At the end of the day, we are there for that working poor, and the economy just seems to be getting worse,” she said. “Everything is going up but our paychecks.”
For more information about LOVE’s Kitchen, how to donate or opportunities to volunteer, call Johnson at 601-693-1409.