Emily Haan was working on an annual event for a nonprofit client back in November when it became clear that lower-than-expected attendance meant the group wouldn’t meet its food and beverage minimum. In the end, the client was about $1,000 short on its spend, says Haan, meeting and event manager for Detroit-based Special D Events.
“I noticed the catering menu had a boxed lunch option that had prepackaged food items in it like granola bars or chips—that kind of thing,” Haan says. The client operated a food pantry for senior citizens, so Haan asked the venue if the group could order $1,000 worth of those products to take back to the pantry and give to their clients.
“Just because you have to spend a certain amount doesn’t mean you have to have all this waste,” Haan says. “There are opportunities to give back to a pantry or a local community in creative ways.”
