Every year as we head to the holiday season, well intentioned Minnesotans tell themselves this is going to be the year they slow down, try to remember the real meaning of the season, and give something back to the community.
Then reality hits in the form of shopping, travel, friends, relatives, and general holiday chaos. Finding time to “give back” can get lost as we try to simply “get through.”
But there is an easy way to socialize, to celebrate, and to give back to the community at the same time. This November and December local social entrepreneur, Jacquie Berglund, is asking you to raise a glass of Finnegans Irish Amber and “Drink Like You Care.”
Finnegans is a true local success story, and an inspiration for social entrepreneurs around the country. Jacquie founded Finnegans nearly ten years ago, selling her beer at a handful of local pubs. Today Finnegans is sold in hundreds of restaurants, bars and liquor stores across Minnesota. Jacquie’s goal was to create a fun way to raise awareness and money to help the working poor. From the very beginning she has donated one hundred percent of the profits from the beer to programs that help break the cycle of poverty in our communities.
Beginning November 1, her mission gets an extra boost with the launch of Drink Like You Care. For two months, Finnegans distributors will also be contributing money to charity for every beer sold. That means every time you toss back a pint, you can feel doubly good (or as Jacquie would say “Dublin-y good”) for helping out people in need.
You can find out more about Finnegans, the many non-profits that have benefited from the Finnegans Community Fund, and the Drink Like You Care promotion at www.finnegans.org. You can also find the liquor stores and establishments near you that serve Finnegans. If your favorite pub isn’t on the list, ask them to add Finnegans to their menu.
The Finnegans story is a great example of the kind of leadership and vision that have made Minnesota a great community, and Jacquie is determined to help others follow her lead. In addition to promoting Finnegans, Jacque is reaching out to other social entrepreneurs to offer support, guidance and encouragement.
In a difficult economy, it becomes more and more important to find innovative ways to help people in need. Finnegans is one example, but there are others as well:
• City Kid Java donates 100 percent of the profits from the sale of their coffee to help at risk kids.
• The Cookie Cart provides training and support to North Minneapolis teens looking for job experience.
Using just these examples, your holiday party drinks, coffee and dessert could all make a difference in the community. Do you know about other local social entrepreneurs? Please post your examples and give your thoughts on these new business models and their potential impact on the community.
Oh… and go out and have a Finnegans!
FINNEGANS, being the only beer in the world that gives 100%, yes 100% of it’s profits to LOCAL charities is such an amazing and almost incomprehensible idea. Jacquie Berglund has pulled it all off by running a company with a flood of volunteers who care and love to make a difference. Through offering this product people are now given a choice to (A)- line a corporations pocket for a product or (B)- help their own community while drinking responsibly, a beverage in which they would have purchased a similar item. The choice is clear! Thank You Jacquie! Happy Holidays! And Drink Like You Care!
P.S. I always have coffee and of course cookies for my parties! I’ll be sure to pick up these socially conscious products for all of my festivities this season! Thank you for sharing.
Inspired by the great social entrepreneurship mentioned in the post, I wanted to share a little bit about our community program that is providing healthy groceries at low cost. Fare For All Express is a cooperative food buying program that offers fresh produce and frozen meats at 40% off retail prices. We have several locations throughout the metro area. The program is open to anyone who is looking to save money on groceries. By pooling community resources and buying in bulk, we make sure that people of all incomes are able to afford fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and quality frozen meat items. For more information, feel free to check out the website: http://www.fareforall.org.
The best part about a program like Fare For All is that it brings together diverse community members. For many, Fare For All is the only way to ensure that the fridge stays full throughout the month. For others, it is a household budget saver. Still others find it a meaningful way to engage with their communities. All are welcome.
Wendy,
I really appreciate your feedback and I understand your concerns… but I just want to ask that you take the post in the spirit it was written. The whole idea around these social entrepreneur efforts is to give people easy ways to make choices that will benefit the community.
- If you’re going to go out for a drink with friends, why not choose a beer that gives 100 percent of its profits to help the working poor?
- If you’re going to buy coffee, why not choose one that helps at risk kids?
- If you’re buying cookies for a party, why not choose to buy from a company that supports teens in North Minneapolis?
There are many other examples we could share.
If you look at the programs that Finnegans has supported over the years I think you will agree they represent a great diversity in communities that have been assisted, and programs that are making a huge difference in helping people out of poverty. You can find the list of non-profits they have supported here: http://www.finnegans.org/sitepages/pid36.php
To be clear, I am in no way suggesting that the only way to help the community is to buy things. My last column was about the Be the Match Foundation and the importance of being a bone marrow donor. As for blood donation, you are absolutely right. My family has benefited more than most from the generosity of blood donors.
We are lucky in the Twin Cities to have so many opportunities to give back and to help others. Social entrepreneur ventures are just one way we can incorporate giving into our day-to-day lives. I hope to explore many other ways on this site as well, and I welcome any and all ideas for future postings.
Thanks so much for reading the blog and for your willingness to share your opinions. It is exactly this kind of dialogue that made me interested in contributing to this blog in the first place.
Brian
Without ranting, I want to say I find this post somewhat offensive. Are there not ways you can promote being a leader in the community without drinking or buying stuff? As I have seen very clearly over the last few years the damage that alcoholism does, I was hoping your “pint” might be about giving blood, but clearly my hopes were too high. Let’s see some real leadership here, which includes acknowledging diversity within the community.
I’m not sure who coined the phrase “social entrepreneur” but Jacquie is the perfect example. Check out Christy Eichers – she also left “corporate America” to follow her passion to give back to community. http://www.regreet.com reuse and recycle and give! I think these are the people and trends we should support!
The more I have read about TOMS shoes, the more impressed I am. For every pair of shoes purchased, one is donated. Remarkable story and initiative. For more information, please visit http://www.tomsshoes.com/content.asp?tid=227.
And of course, I will be tipping some pints in November and December.
Finnegans really is a great story about how one person with a vision and unlimited passion can help change the world. I choose Finnegans because it’s a great beer that serves a cause. No other beer that I know of gives as much back to our community as Finnegans does… So, as leaders in our community, we should encourage people to support Finnegans… Heck – they should Drink Like they Care.
John