411 and Nightlife Charity Event

[Kristine]

Agreed Tere 100%. What should be the date?

Tomorrow when I make calls, if it's anything like putting a club event together... one of the first questions will be, "When are you going to be having this charity event?"

[Christina]

Agreed Tere 100%. What should be the date?

Tomorrow when I make calls, if it's anything like putting a club event together... one of the first questions will be, "When are you going to be having this charity event?"

Perhaps research some organizations that would be a good fit for volunteer work and ask them what type of help would be best and if there is any specific date. If they have events and need help with that, that could be good.

Also, if MB411ers are going to help benefit someone in terms of manhours, we should determine if we want this to be a short-term or long-term commitment, you know? Let me know if you want help on this, I think it would be cool to help organize something (with all my spare time... lol)

[Tere]

If we're talking about a day to volunteer together, I guess a Saturday where most everyone is free. Maybe in June?

If you mean for a party, I still say at least in June, but probably the club will mainly be willing to help us if we do it during the week. I don't deal with clubs, but I can't see this happening without them wanting some kind of fee for use of the space, or a cut of whatever we make. Which makes me think... we can all celebrate after volunteering at any casual restaurant and forgo having to give money to the club.

[sungal]

Tere,

We wouldn't be making money. We would partner with clubs in Miami willing to donate their profits for one night. So several club's profits=lots of money. The whole thing would get press and coverage, they'd be getting free advertising/promoting as well as a tax write off, and that warm fuzzy feeling. I'm going to run it by a friend and get his opinion on whether that's doable. Basically, we'd be organizing and promoting the event.

I understand a hands on experience might be enjoyable to some, but are we going to gather 100 people to serve up mashed potatoes in a dinner line? I don't think any homeless organization would know what to do with 100 people on one day.

I think the nightlife event would bring in more money. I love your new photo Kristine! Makes me want to get bangs!

[Rebecca Lucente]

.... I think the experience would be infinitely more rewarding than getting wasted for a "good cause".. ... Maria and I volunteered together at Fairchild Tropical Botanical garden and had quite the time getting our hands sticky in mangoes...

[Tere]

Tere,

We wouldn't be making money. We would partner with clubs in Miami willing to donate their profits for one night. So several club's profits=lots of money. The whole thing would get press and coverage, they'd be getting free advertising/promoting as well as a tax write off, and that warm fuzzy feeling. I'm going to run it by a friend and get his opinion on whether that's doable. Basically, we'd be organizing and promoting the event.

I understand a hands on experience might be enjoyable to some, but are we going to gather 100 people to serve up mashed potatoes in a dinner line? I don't think any homeless organization would know what to do with 100 people on one day.

I think the nightlife event would bring in more money. I love your new photo Kristine! Makes me want to get bangs!

Honestly, maybe in better days, but right now? No one's giving anything for free, no matter what the cause (unless, possibly, some huge name is tied to it). Also, an event like this would not be unique, and so would be of little interest to media (again, unless, maybe, some huge name is tied to it).

[Carlos Miller]

Now if we somehow get the homeless guys into the clubs and get them bottle service, that might generate some media interest.

[Rebecca Lucente]

"I understand a hands on experience might be enjoyable to some, but are we going to gather 100 people to serve up mashed potatoes in a dinner line? I don't think any homeless organization would know what to do with 100 people on one day."

That's quite the oversimplification... First of all, sadly, none of our events usually have anywhere near those numbers. Secondly, I agree w/ Tere re: the economy... Thirdly, we could do things in shifts and possibly go to a few different charities and there are many more jobs to do than serving potatoes....

[Tere]

Tutoring/mentoring, helping build homes or other community support work (like assisting with inner city garden plots), spending time with or running errands for the elderly, assisting with the mentally challenged....

There's plenty that can be done....

[Rebecca Lucente]

I wonder if habitat for humanity builds around here - Imagine if there was a whole house built by MB411! And it ties back in to the whole idea we started w/ which was helping homeless- what helps the homeless more than their very own house!

[Carlos Miller]

The real question is are we going to do this because we really want to make a difference or are we going to do it to feed our own egos.

If we really want to make a difference, we need to make a full commitment. A little more than spend a night partying in a club. We might even have to get our hands dirty.

I go back to the idea of getting restaurants to donate their discarded food because nobody seems to be doing that on the beach and there is so much wasted food.

Although it is much easier said than done, it is not impossible because that Colombian guy is doing it in Jackson Heights (Queens), which has twice the population of Miami Beach.

[sungal]

Rebecca,

YOU might think the experience of volunteering is rewarding, but tell me how that makes money for a worthy charity. Let's see, scooping out instant mashed potatoes for one evening, or handing four digit checks to worthy charities...

Wow, this is probably the meanest post I've ever written. I guess I disagree very strongly. Sorry.

[Rebecca Lucente]

[Miami Habitat Site


Back to my research...

[Rebecca Lucente]

Rebecca,

YOU might think the experience of volunteering is rewarding, but tell me how that makes money for a worthy charity. Let's see, scooping out instant mashed potatoes for one evening, or handing four digit checks to worthy charities...

Wow, this is probably the meanest post I've ever written. I guess I disagree very strongly. Sorry.

I'm not going to engage in that with you.

[Carlos Miller]

However, if we really want to get the press involved, and I'm talking national press, we fly that guy down to Miami to help kick this off and show us how it's done.

CNN would be all over it.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/03/19...noz/index.html


And maybe the NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/ny...pagewanted=all

[Rebecca Lucente]

The real question is are we going to do this because we really want to make a difference or are we going to do it to feed our own egos.

If we really want to make a difference, we need to make a full commitment. A little more than spend a night partying in a club. We might even have to get our hands dirty.

I go back to the idea of getting restaurants to donate their discarded food because nobody seems to be doing that on the beach and there is so much wasted food.

Although it is much easier said than done, it is not impossible because that Colombian guy is doing it in Jackson Heights (Queens), which has twice the population of Miami Beach.

ITA

[Carlos Miller]

Rebecca,

YOU might think the experience of volunteering is rewarding, but tell me how that makes money for a worthy charity. Let's see, scooping out instant mashed potatoes for one evening, or handing four digit checks to worthy charities...

Wow, this is probably the meanest post I've ever written. I guess I disagree very strongly. Sorry.

I say let the charities raise their own money. They pay good money for people with these skills.

All we're talking about is making sure the homeless people are being fed.

Sometimes the charities fail to do this.

[sungal]

If anyone would like to help plan the Nightlife Charity Event please PM me. I never imagined there would be such opposition. Most likely we'd have the help of a well known promoter. Please PM me if you'd like to help and we can all meet for lunch and plan this exciting event that will help out our city's homeless.

[Carlos Miller]

If anyone would like to help plan the Nightlife Charity Event please PM me. I never imagined there would be such opposition. Most likely we'd have the help of a well known promoter. Please PM me if you'd like to help and we can all meet for lunch and plan this exciting event that will help out our city's homeless.

You shouldn't take this as "opposition". We're just having a discussion. You can't honestly expect everybody to hop on an idea just because you threw it out there.

We all have the same goals but we have different opinions on how to reach those goals.

[Christina]

[quote author="sungal" date="1241512224"]Rebecca,

YOU might think the experience of volunteering is rewarding, but tell me how that makes money for a worthy charity. Let's see, scooping out instant mashed potatoes for one evening, or handing four digit checks to worthy charities...
quote]

clearly you have never worked with or volunteered for an organization that helps the underserved populations before.