Suzie’s Asks Customers to Pay It Forward

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Suzie’s Dogs & Drafts is hoping to pay tribute to the life lived by a former colleague by starting a pay-it-forward campaign with the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley.

Suzie’s customers can now donate a hot dog for the hungry and write a note of support with their donation being matched dog-for-dog by Suzie’s.

Then on the second Wednesday of every month this year, Suzie’s employees will provide a meal for the overnight residents and meal visitors at the Mission’s downtown Youngstown facility. “The goal is food for the body and encouragement for the spirit,” the release said.

The project is inspired by the untimely death last November of Colin Brown. Brown worked in the restaurant industry, managing newly opened restaurants and helping get them off the ground. He was a volunteer with the Common Wealth Kitchen Incubator in Youngstown.

“Colin always was willing to support someone when they were down. I hope that sharing his example will inspire others,” said Suzie’s CEO Christian Rinehart in a news release. He and Brown started their careers together as coworkers in the late 1990s.

In the last few years, charitable dining has been quietly building momentum around the world in the form of pay-what-you-want cafes and buy-one give-one models often launched by millennial entrepreneurs. The concept is simple: feed someone in need at the same time you feed yourself.

Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley, currently celebrating its 125th year in the Valley, can attest to the need to feed the hungry in the community. Daily, more than 300 meals are served to anyone in need, no questions asked, often through community projects like this one.

“The Mission has been supported by our neighbors since the doors were opened. Having Suzie’s join in this effort is a blessing,” said Lynn Wyant, vice president of development at the Mission.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.