Local Business Owner Takes a Page Straight Out of the Bible to Fight Hunger - 'Someone's Gotta Do It'
Medium Rare restaurant’s co-owner and founder of Feed the Fridge Mark Bucher wants to do his part to reach out to those who are struggling this Thanksgiving.
Though Feed the Fridge started as a short-term response to the pandemic, there has been a realization that they can play a significant role in addressing the issues of hunger and “food insecurity” by creating “meal security” through their organization, according to their website.
At the same time, Bucher wants to do something special for the elderly and especially military families in the D.C. area this Thanksgiving.
“There’s one meal that’s impossible to make for one person economically, and it’s Thanksgiving,” Bucher told Fox News.
“So for seniors that are living independently in the D.C. area,” he continued, “we’re going to handle over 3,000 elderly meals as we’ve done in years past and this year. And this year the need is even more than in years past. We hear it all the time.”
While it perhaps seems odd that Medium Rare, a steak restaurant in Washington, D.C., would deep fry turkeys on Thanksgiving, Bucher jokes that, “Someone’s got to do it!”
He says they do it every year for a few reasons. While the organization enjoys being able to give back to the community in that way, it’s also quick. Deep frying allows them to cook a lot of turkeys in a short period of time.
But a more profound reason that motivates him and the organization is that there is an unintended consequence surrounding the intent of the food banks and charities that give out raw turkeys.
“The recipients are scared to cook them or they don’t know how to cook them or they don’t have pots and pans to cook them and they don’t want to get sick or go to urgent care because they’re got it on their hands.”
“So they bring them to me, I fry them for free and give them back to them. Hundreds upon thousands of people on Thanksgiving,” Bucher said.
He offered a few things to keep in mind for those who think they may want to deep fry a turkey at home this Thanksgiving.
“I mean, if you’re going to do it at home you gotta be careful. Have a fire extinguisher, do it outside, please!”
“Wear those gloves that smokers or barbecue guys wear to keep on their hands, it’s gonna splatter, it’s gonna kick up. And you know, the fire department are great guys, but you don’t want them at your Thanksgiving table or with fire extinguishers on your house on Thanksgiving,” he said.
Better yet, he made an offer that might be difficult for anyone in the D.C. area to refuse: “Bring it to me. I’ll do it for free.”
As for those in other parts of the country, he suggested that people, “just take your time, less oil, just wait for it, and don’t rush it. Be careful.”
In regard to the business model for Feed the Fridge, Bucher said, “So Feed the Fridge is built on the premise that ingredients and the food pantry model in this country needs to be fixed.
“It’s not working as intended. People are still hungry. We’re still talking about it and we’re spending more money and giving out more food and ingredients than we ever have before,” he said.
Bucher added that the organization’s approach is to use area restaurants and chefs who are willing to prepare the meals for free so those meals can be given away for free.
They have placed a series of refrigerators in various places around various communities to help keep the food as available and fresh as possible.
“And this Thanksgiving, we are announcing today that we’re going to feed 300 military families in the D.C. area Thanksgiving dinner,” he said.
More specifically, families who are staying at Walter Reed or Bethesda Naval Base.
Bucher said the families generally don’t expect it and their reaction is one of surprise.
“It’s unexpected. The military has been great to work with. The American Red Cross who controls a lot of the access in and out of the hospital has been great to work with. It’s surprised. They’re not used to others doing for them. They do for others. And this is one case when we as a restaurant community and Feed the Fridge can do well for these families when they’re in a hard spot,” he said.
Bucher’s desire to reach out to the community in this way is certainly admirable and even Biblical.
James 2:15-17 says, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
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