Tariq Farid donations | Tariq Farid - Founder of Edible Arrangements ® and Entrepreneur

A food drive at Master’s Manna ensures that 400 local children in need will not go hungry.

As I have written many times , I believe that with success comes a responsibility to help others. That is why the mission of the Tariq Farid Foundation is to provide support for organizations that work to relieve suffering or help individuals achieve success.

Connecticut, where the Edible Arrangements corporate offices are located, is considered one of the wealthiest states in the nation. But, as is the case in every state, in the midst of this wealth there are still those in need. That is why I am so grateful to have the resources to support nine soup kitchens and food pantries around the state of Connecticut. They are all run with extreme efficiency and by some of the most dedicated, hard-working and caring people I have come across.

Master’s Manna is one of these organizations. Located in Wallingford, CT, Master’s Manna truly stands out as amazing — even among all the other wonderful soup kitchens and food pantries that I support. They truly WOW me!

First, Master’s Manna is run by only one full-time and two part-time staff individuals who are supported by dozens and dozens of volunteers. What these dedicated people accomplish with so little is truly amazing, but I will get to that in a moment.

The first time I visited Master’s Manna, I noticed as soon as I walked in that the place is buzzing with activity. It’s friendly and welcoming and obvious that the volunteers—youth and adults alike—are happy to be there, helping.

The organization’s director, Cheryl Trzcinski, explained to me that many people who suddenly find themselves in need often hesitate to get help, even if they direly need it, because they are proud or embarrassed.

Cheryl shared with me one such story of a young woman who recently came to Master’s Manna and was visibly shaken and anxious when she walked in. After volunteers assisted the young woman, she explained that she had been coming to Master’s Manna since July, and would park in the parking lot but could not bring herself to walk through the door

Cheryl does not want anyone to suffer and makes sure that once someone in need walks through the doors of Master’s Manna they are treated with dignity. For example, the soup kitchen is called the “Family Dining Center.” Sadly, the term is fitting. Cheryl reports that the number of families with children who need assistance has steadily increased over the past few years. She says that many of the families that need help have one or both parents who are working, but still cannot make ends meet.

In addition to the Family Dining Center, Master’s Manna offers an amazing variety of services that include a food pantry, free primary health care services, eye exams, behavioral health counseling, dental services, a clothes and housewares pantry, showers and laundry facilities, and a computer lab for students and families. Master’s Manna is also an educational and vocational site for 45 differently abled students from local schools.

Master’s Manna is an amazing place and our local community is very fortunate to have them. You can find out even more about Master’s Manna, by visiting their website here.

If you have the ability and resources, I hope you will take the time to find a similar organization in your community and offer your support. You will not go unrewarded.

MM_volunteers — Volunteers work in the food pantry at Master’s Manna.

Eye_dr_masters_manna — Upon retirement, Dr. Peter Rosenwald donated his equipment and his time at Master’s Manna, providing free eye exams.

Likes0Dislikes

(0)

Are you between the ages of 18-35 with a great idea for a business but not sure how to get it off the ground? Do you know someone who is?

This week the International Franchise Association (IFA) Education Fund launched a new program called NextGen – A New Generation in Franchising. As someone who became an entrepreneur at an early age and used the franchise model to expand my business, there was no doubt that I would help sponsor this new program. I know there is no shortage of great ideas among young entrepreneurs, just a shortage of resources to pursue and develop those ideas.

This program will introduce young entrepreneurs and students to the world of franchising and share the franchise business model as they’ve never seen it before.

To launch the program, the IFA is sponsoring a global competition called “Young Entrepreneurs in Franchising.”

Fifty prizes will be awarded for the best, most innovative business and marketing concepts for new franchise businesses or existing franchise brands.

Prizes include a travel voucher and complimentary registration for the IFA Annual Convention, which will be held February 15-18, 2015 in Las Vegas, and an opportunity to participate in the first NextGen in Franchising Summit, a two-day educational and networking program at the convention.

At the summit, contest winners will have a chance to engage directly with leading franchisor, franchisee and supplier members of the IFA as well as other young entrepreneurs, students and participants in the NextGen in Franchising Summit.

Additional cash prizes and scholarships will be awarded from the pool of 50 contest winners.

For more information and to enter the competition, visit nextgenfranchising.org. Here’s your chance to prove that when it comes to building a successful business, you can do it, too!

Likes0Dislikes

(0)

Darlene and David Deberry

Darlene Deberry always wanted to own her own business. She often dreamed of it, but was never sure how to make her dream a reality.

Working as a portfolio manager for a micro loan enterprise program in North Carolina, Darlene remembers that as she would visit new businesses she found herself wanting to start her own.

“But I didn’t know how to start, where to begin or what type of business I would like to own,” she told me. “I just knew I had that entrepreneurial spirit and I wanted to grow something that was my own and create my own destiny. ”

On a trip to Brooklyn in 2005, Darlene walked by an Edible Arrangements store. She stopped, struck by what she saw.

“It was so beautiful and eye-catching—the store and the product,” she said. “It just made me feel good.”

As the months wore on, Darlene said she couldn’t stop thinking about the Edible Arrangements store.

Months later she came across an ad for Edible Arrangements franchise opportunities in Working Mother magazine. Still struck by the Edible Arrangements store she saw in Brooklyn, she decided to call and learn a little more.

“The staff at Edible Arrangements was most helpful in helping me to decide that this was the right fit and time for me to start a business,” Darlene told me.

She decided to take a leap of faith and join the Edible Brand.

“It was exciting and challenging at the same time,” Darlene said. “It was challenging getting all the pieces coordinated, like finding a good location and learning about the local marketplace.”

The Edible Arrangements corporate helped her find a great location and move through the process of opening a business.

Finally, in 2006, Darlene’s dream of becoming a small business owner came true when she opened her first store.

“I love Edible Arrangements!” she told me. ”No matter what the occasion, people are always excited to receive an arrangement or dipped fruit.”

Darlene will tell you that one secret to her store’s success is that she empowers and invests in her employees. Darlene and her husband and business partner David provide their employees with health care and 401k plans. Even part time employees are eligible for paid leave and sick time.

The result, she says, is that she is able to keep good employees, and that “makes my store stronger because it adds so much value to the business.”

Darlene and David are both originally from NYC and very active in their community, serving as volunteers and teaching financial literacy. They also teach bible study and Darlene is well-known as a hostess extraordinaire and famous for her family get-togethers.

Through their Edible Arrangements store, they frequently support local food drives, provide help for cancer and leukemia patients as well as recreational activities for children.

In November, Darlene and David will open their second Edible Arrangements store, proving that dreams do, indeed, come true. Often, more than once!

Likes0Dislikes

(0)

There is nothing more devastating than learning that a family member has cancer; especially if that family member is a small child. I know this first-hand because it happened to my family shortly after we had moved to the United States.

At the age of four, my youngest brother was diagnosed with leukemia. The entire family was despondent, grief-stricken and frightened for what the future would hold.

tommy_fund_child — The Tommy Fund provides much needed support for families of children receiving treatment at the Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven.

For any family, the shock of the news and fear of what the future holds is bad enough—but this is often exacerbated by the financial burdens that go along with cancer treatment. The new reality of day to day life is filled with trips and overnight stays at the hospital.

Parents often have to choose between taking time off from work to comfort their sick child at the hospital or risk not being able to pay rent or mortgage. In addition to medical costs, there are also often travel and housing costs. Our family struggled with all of these issues during my brother’s illness.

Fortunately for us, there were organizations and volunteers who helped us through this difficult time so that my parents could focus on helping my brother through the treatments that saved his life.

To this day, I have never forgotten those who helped my family through that difficult time. That’s why I am honored that the Tariq Farid Foundation was able to add our support to the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer.

The Tommy Fund provides emotional, educational, medical and financial support to families with children who are receiving cancer treatment out of the seventh-floor clinic that bears its name at the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

The assistance the Tommy Fund provides ranges from parking passes for the hospital garage to basic living expenses such as utilities and rental or mortgage payments for families in need. In addition they offer support groups for patients, parents and siblings. They have established a “Quiet Room” as a respite area for parents; provided recreational equipment for children receiving treatment; and they sponsor annual holiday parties for patients, family and staff.

Peter Parente, the board president of the Tommy Fund, told me that they have found it typically takes around six months for families to get used to the new reality of life that includes overnight stays at the hospital, doctor appointments, and keeping a cheerful face on for their child as they suffer from chemotherapy sickness.

Thankfully, there are organizations such as the Tommy Fund ready to ease the burden to enable the parents to focus on supporting their sick child and adjust to life in and out of the hospital.

Parente explained that the Tommy Fund is almost exclusively volunteer-run and requires only small expenditures for accounting and administrative costs. Their hope is to grow the fund enough to someday support families who are fighting childhood cancer at other Connecticut hospitals.

My hope is that the support the Tariq Farid Foundation has offered will, in some small way, return the favor by helping others receive the type of help our family received when we needed it most. I also hope to bring awareness to this wonderful organization and spur others to support them as well.

To learn more about the Tommy Fund, click here. To donate to the Fund, go here.

Likes0Dislikes

(0)

Among the many worthwhile causes that the Tariq Farid Foundation supports, some are more personal than others. A recent $10,000 contribution to the Life Foundation in Pakistan really hit close to home.

When I learned that support was needed to develop an app that could save thousands of lives every year by creating a system for safe blood donations and transfusions, I did not hesitate.

In Pakistan, blood transfusions can be costly. If someone cannot afford the cost they are unlikely to receive a transfusion, even in a life or death situation. It is estimated that as many as 12,000 to 15,000 people die each year in Pakistan that might have been saved had they had access to a blood transfusion.

Even in those situations when a family can afford a transfusion for their loved one, it is not guaranteed to be safe due to the potential for improper handling and storage.

A transfusion can result in shock or death, as I learned firsthand recently during a trip back to my native country.

Some of my family members had been involved in a terrible car accident in which two people died. One woman survived but was in critical condition when I went to visit her. She received a blood transfusion, but was given blood that had been improperly stored. She went into shock and almost died.

During this time I met Javaid Awan, a beloved local professor. Awan is battling cancer and has personally experienced the difficulty in securing blood for the transfusions during his treatment. He told me about a system he had developed through which mass emails and social media alerts would notify registered donors when a certain blood type was needed. Donors would then go to the hospital to donate blood which could then be transferred directly to the person in need.

When we talked, Awan already had hundreds of students from his university signed up as potential donors and he had created an NGO called the Life Foundation.

He says the contribution from the Tariq Farid Foundation truly is a lifesaver with global implications because this is not a problem limited to Pakistan. Many other countries face similar problems with blood storage and transfusions.

A majority of the gift to the Life Foundation will be used to develop an app for use on mobile devices and to recruit more volunteers and hospitals into the blood donation network.

The work has just begun, but I am very excited about the potential. Thanks to people like Awan, the citizens of Pakistan and other countries may soon have access to safe, untainted blood, and the unnecessary loss of life may soon become a thing of the past.

Likes0Dislikes

(0)

Tag: Tariq Farid donations

Master’s Manna — Offering Support, And Dignity, To Those In Need

Your chance to show the world that You Can Do It, Too!

At Edible Arrangements, dreams do come true

Seizing a chance to Pay It Forward

Saving thousands of lives with good ideas and technology