1/18/15

2:31:10 PM

Dinners on Maxx Overview

How are the funds used?
At this time, 100% of the funds are used for:
The required federal/state professional fees to operate as a corporation in the State of
California, as well as general liability insurance dues to protect the company from bodily injury
(BI) and property damage (PD) arising out of premises, operations, products, and completed
operations; and advertising and personal injury (PI) liability.
Food and beverage

The meals served to the patrons are fresh and prepared on site the day of each event. The menu is
planned and tailored specifically according to the chefs original recipes. For this reason, specific
ingredients are used, therefore must be purchased for each meal. The benefit of this structure is that
there is minimal risk of food wasted due to not being used, as there is with food that is randomly
donated often when it is nearing its expiration date or has begun to spoil. The organization will accept
food donations and will use what it can for its purpose, while additionally donating other food items to
the shelters.

There are approximately over one thousand transitional housing shelters in Los Angeles County. A
vast majority of these shelters offer food services prepared onsite. We will host a meal at each shelter
once per month at no additional cost to the shelter or its residents.

How will the events operate?
The event is divided into two shifts. The first shift is meal preparation. There will be 2-3 experienced
cooks preparing the meal and 4-5 volunteers to assist. The chefs will plate each course and meals will
be served to each resident individually. The second shift will be the set up and servers. The number of
servers needed is based on how many residents will be dining. The second shift will set each table
specific to inform table setting. Depending on the situation, we often have someone to greet the
residents as they enter the dining room.

How are volunteers chosen?
Volunteers are required to go through an extensive screening process to ensure they are the very best
representation of Dinners on Maxx. An online volunteer orientation must be completed before
volunteering. They must also be able to work in harmony with other volunteers as well as make the
recipients of the dinner feel comfortable and welcomed.

Because of the high standard of the operation, the staff will be required to wear clothing that is
consistent to the theme of the organization. Additionally, they will not be permitted to wear clothing
that violates health codes or safety policies. The volunteer attire is dressy enough to show respect for
the residents, while casual enough to where they feel comfortable in our presence.

How is Dinners on Maxx different from other charities aimed at providing food to those in need
of assistance?
Dinners on Maxx offers a memorable dining experience to the residents at the homeless shelters
nationwide. Each delicious, nutritionally sound meal is created from scratch, using only the finest

ingredients. Shelter Residents have committed to stringent programs and are at the crossroads of life
change and transition. Their goal is to not only integrate, but also thrive again in their
community. For this reason, it is imperative to be the face of hope and inspiration. Served with
unmatched style and atmosphere, our dinners create a personal connection for each recipient;
connection that aids in motivation and boosting the human spirit. Knowing we care as a society by
showing they matter, lessens the sting of statistics and stereotype.

Founder, Chef Tricia Maxx offers insight from her past and her own transition from being homeless
to an active and respected member of the community. In addition to serving our hungry, there is
also an opportunity to raise awareness and educate the public on what truly defines
homelessness. Attracting more volunteers, donation and exposure, each shelter has the unique
opportunity to fulfill its goal of helping those in need.
What other ways does Dinners on Maxx contribute to this cause?
The organization is developing an outreach program and at the end of each meal Tricia herself will
speak with the residents about her struggle with homelessness, what lead her there and how she
overcame it and how she integrated back into society. Being a published author, she has also
implemented a writing program to offer assistance to any of the residents who want to tell their story
to the world.
How do we know what the homeless want?
Speaking from experience- I know because I was homeless once. It is easy for one to think they
know just what it is the homeless need when they are basing their opinions on what the media has
told them. Unless you have been homeless or spend any portion of your life engaging with the
homeless daily, you dont know. The needs go beyond clothing donations and sustenance from food
served with a smile. I had an advantage when I was homeless, I was a young and beautiful girl in her
twenties and it was easy to latch onto the most vulnerable or easy guy at a club just so I could go
back and endure unspeakable things just to sleep with a roof over my head for the night.
Most of the time I ate instant noodles or Hot Pockets from the gas stations. Even though it was food,
it wasnt nutritionally good for me and it certainly didnt boost my self-esteem to be forced to eat at
a gas station. When people I knew would treat me to dinner at a nice restaurant it was uplifting and
because of the way I was respected as a guest I was given a sense of dignity. I was being
acknowledged as a human being, by another human being.
Feedback- The organization has received praise from recipients of the meals as well as from the
directors of the facilities. They state that they could tell there was a lot of love put into the food
and the way we served them made them feel special. Going forward, we will also hand out survey
cards to the recipients that will help us to not only shape the event, but will also show them that they
and their opinion matters.

How can Dinners on Maxx be a model for other charities?

When other charities follow our business model, the shelter residents would receive top quality
meals and the support more than once a month. The support the residents receive would be ten
fold; in turn their recovery and integration would have a quicker turn around.