DC Street Food, Inc. and TaKorean are proud to sponsor the Potomac Riverkeeper for the month of December. I’ve had a chance to learn a lot about the Potomac Riverkeeper in my past career in outdoor retail. We will donate 1% of gross sales for the month of December to Potomac Riverkeeper.
To put it straight: Potomac Riverkeeper stops polluters. What could be more important to the DC community than to protect its waterways? There are nearly 5 million people living in the Potomac River watershed, and most of them depend on the Potomac River for drinking water. Additionally, the Potomac River provides scenic trails for hikers, bountiful fish for anglers, and exhilarating rapids for paddlers.
Potomac Riverkeeper, Inc. was established in 2000 by principals from other environmental organizations, including: the Potomac Conservancy, Piedmont Environmental Council, Audubon Naturalist Society, and Sierra Club. The goal was to create a strong advocate, the Potomac Riverkeeper, and enforce existing federal and state laws governing the Potomac watershed and protecting it from exploitation.
Thanks,
Mike Lenard
TaKorean (DC Street Food, Inc.) is excited to start our Community Giving program by donating 1% of our total sales for the month of September to Trips for Kids Metro DC (TFK). When I decided to donate 1% of gross sales to local charities, I specifically wanted to contribute to environmental issues and at-risk youth. TFK combines these philosophies perfectly by introducing inner-city at-risk children to the wonders of the outdoors through mountain biking primarily. This experience gives opportunity to well-needed physical exercise, a better understanding of their surrounding environment, a greater appreciation of the nature parks in their own communities and a chance to push their own barriers and overcome obstacles. At the end of an event, they are tired and stand prouder for their accomplishments.
TFK is an award winning organization that focuses on children’s health, environmental responsibility and confidence building. They provide opportunities for children to get outside, be active and enjoy nature while receiving important education and mentoring. Over the past eight years they have created a holistic approach to encouraging youth to be active outdoors by starting a mountain bike race series, becoming involved with the Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) program and providing classes, camps, festivals, and leading family-friendly bike rides.
Supporting the children in our communities sets the stage for a great quality of life. Whether they are on the trail to school, dirt trail or trail of life TFK provides the opportunity for our children to be healthier and more confident in their abilities. DC Street Food, Inc. is thrilled to support TFK’s program for the month of September 2010 and I encourage our customers to get involved as well at www.trailsforyouth.org/.
Regards,
Mike Lenard
Owner/Operator
Having worked in outdoor specialty retail for over seven years, I was always inspired by Patagonia’s pledge to donate 1% of all sales to environmental causes around the globe. Patagonia started giving 1% for the planet in 1985, and since then businesses around the world have become involved. It was an easy decision for me to incorporate that same philosophy into DC Street Food, Inc. and TaKorean locally. Washington, DC is where I was born and raised, and along with delivering mouthwatering Korean BBQ tacos throughout the city, I’d like to do my part to better the community that has given so much to me throughout my life.
Each month we will blog about our chosen monthly charity in which we are donating at least 1% of our sales. Over the course of the year we will be able to give back to several different types of charitable organizations, fulfilling our goal of truly giving back to the local community. We at TaKorean believe that businesses have a responsibility to give back to the communities that give us the opportunity to serve them, and we are more than happy to do our part. Delicious food and a positive impact on our neighborhoods, our youth, our forests, our waterways, and our people is responsible business.
Regards,
Mike Lenard
I was thrilled last month when a good friend sent me an email suggesting DC Youth Power Network (YPN) for October’s 1% donation. The organization is based around youth power and targets the at-risk population, which is perfectly in line with what our program is trying to promote. YPN, founded in February 2009, is a citywide, broad-based, nonpartisan youth-led power organization. YPN trains and develops young leaders between the ages of 14-24 in Washington, DC to identify community issues and take bold public action to effectively address them. YPN’s purpose is to train young leaders in the craft of organizing for results-oriented long-term power.