Not All About The Money
Panera Bread opened its third pay what you can store this past Monday up in Oregon. The company has a non-profit division in charge of the three stores. They call it the community café, and the concept is simple. It is not a soup kitchen or give away program but is a helping hand for those who may need a little. Customers pay what they can for the food. If someone cannot pay, the company recommends they volunteer time to support the cause. According to the company, 60% pay the suggested price, 20% pay more, and 20% pay less. If there are excess revenues at the end of the year, the company puts it back into the community. There are plans to open another store in Hollywood soon.
The success with any program like this one depends being self-sustaining. If people only take from the program, the program dies as it runs out of resources and money. When people give back to the program when they can, they are supporting the program and positioning it to help someone else - giving back, paying it forward, or a hand up rather than hand out. It is that time you see someone counting their pennies, literally, in an attempt to get a bite to eat or a cup of coffee. It is that time you help someone change a flat tire. Eventually we all need help. When someone invests in us, we can then invest in someone or something else to keep the goodness and positivity self-sustaining. Is there someone you can invest in today to help sustain the goodness?
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