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"Feed them and they will come."
Michael J. Herman

About Us

Smorgasbord: an anglification of the Sweedish word Smörgåsbord. It is a buffet style table or tables in a restaurant, or a holiday feast at a home, prepared with many small dishes originally to represent many different places. The identifying quality of Smorgasbord is its variety of food.

The Needy Smorgasbord ProjectT is a community-based action to feed homeless and indigant hungry poor people. It asks for the most basic contribution from volunteers and from donors.

The reason more people don't volunteer, and the reason more organizations don't donate money or resources is because of the perceived burden associated with doing so. The Needy Smorgasbord Project T has streamlined the process of giving and of doing. We're asking for ONLY 3 ½ hours per volunteer only once each month, and only 20-40 meals once each month from donors. The Needy Smorgasboard will then take those donated items and supplies and feed hungry and homeless people on Skid Row.

There is so much waste of perfectly good food in the world disposed of simply for cosmetic reasons that we are committed to putting that excess supply chain to good use. We're asking restaurants, food stores, and food companies to give us what they don't want, what they don't need, and what they will most likely discard as useless or unsellable.

Homeless sittingThen, our teams of more than 250 volunteers will take that food and those supplies and provisions, and deliver them directly to hungry and needy people on Skid Row.

"But there are already pleanty of soup kitchens, missions, and food banks where homeless people can go. Just about every church feeds the homeless as their mission" say some.

True, but if you're living on Skid Row, with no food, no clean water, unable to shower, properly deficate, or change your clothes, you probably don't have an accurate perception of time or space. As a result, you will more than likely miss the set times for food disbursement. More over, with greater than ten thousand homeless and displaces humans living on the streets in Los angeles alone, no church, no food bank, and no soup kitchen even in tandom with each other can satiate the need.

Also, if you're living in a doorway, covered by newspapers and using a burlap sack as a pillow, chances are that you don't have a good idea of where food is anyway.

Besides, if you're not near the food, you can't get to it. And if you can't get to it, you can't eat. It's dog-eat-dog out there when you live on the streets and the rule is the first dog gets the bone. Everyone else licks his scraps if there even are any? We're taking the food right to the streets. No churches, no soup kitchens, no governmental intervention, and no bureaucrasy. Just committed people and

Conscious companies helping other people in need of help.

THE PROJECT'S GENISIS

Michael J. HermanAs part of a course called SELP (Self Expression Leadership Program) at Los Angeles- based Landmark Education, the project's founder, Michael J. Herman had to creat a community project that would not only benefit a community, but also enroll others into the possibility of the project.

So with the help of his wife Penny www.cocoandpenny.com (whose project is the passage of the PETS Act through the US Congress to protect animals during disasters and emergencies), and a core group including business partner Jeffrey Braer, and his Landmark coaches Dr. Paul Macy, Dr. Phil Watts, and Craig Nisker, Herman began enrolling contributors like Out Back Stake House, Krispie Kream Doughnuts, Domino's Pizza, Cheese Cake Factory, Pizza Hut, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, Noah's New York Bagels, bakeries, delis, and even toy stores.

Within only a few days, with the simple plan:

"You give us whatever you don't want or need, and we'll go to Skid Row and feed hungry and homeless children, adults, and elderly people. We're only asking for what you don't want or need anyway."

"The response" says Herman "was instantaneous! The first 10 places I went to, came on board. Before I knew it, there was more food donated than I knew how to deliver it."

THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS

So Herman amasted a volunteer army from far and wide to go out the morning of Christmas Eve and serve food like savory home made turkey, gormet breads, candy, cheese cakes, doughnuts, pizza, pasta, cookies, juices, sodas, bagels, salads, home made cakes, and even icecream from Baskin & Robins to people whom otherwise will not eat that day or most other days.

THE PLAN

Every participant is asked for only 3 ½ hours of their time. We're meeting in Burbank, CA. We'll have a brief meeting of the minds to ensure we're all on the same page. Then we'll pick assignments out of the hat and drive enmass to Skid row. Our destination is the intersection of San Pedro Street and 6 th Street in down Town Los aNgeles (also known as Tent City.)