An Insane Idea.

I get several calls a week from people wanting to know how they can help Samaritan House. The offers range from inquiries about cooking meals to volunteering about sorting food in our pantry.  Some people are kind enough to bring in donations.

Recently I have fielded quite a few calls from people who want to help but simply do not have the time to offer that others do. Sometimes they ask about donating money but feel that anything less than a substantial amount would not be helpful. I assure them that any amount will be put to good use but when I end the conversation I can’t help but wonder if I made any sense. Then I read an article that contextualized things for me and thought I would pass it on to you.

U.S. workers, on average, spend $37 per week for lunch, but men spend more: $47 a week, versus $27 for women. Men also pay more for coffee -- $26 a week is typical -- and are more likely to complain about the selection of office vending machines.

One of the sharpest differences is between young workers and older ones. Professionals between 18 and 34 spend almost $25 a week on coffee, $11 more than co-workers over age 45, Accounting Principals said.

Hmm… $37 per week for a month= $148.

$26 per week for a month= $104

The combined total for lunch and coffee for a month is a whopping $252!

So, if you are interested in donating to Samaritan House but are unsure of an amount that would be practical for your budget, allow me to introduce a revolutionary new idea I would like to call the 2012 Coffee and Lunch Challenge! Here’s how you can play right along at home.

For 1 week, buy instant coffee and make your own before you head out to work. We serve instant coffee for our residents, so give it a try. Also, brown-bag your lunch over the course of a week… sandwiches or soup or whatever else both tickles your fancy and can be easily exported with you to your job. With the money you would save, feel free to come on down and drop it off or send it in as a donation.

But alas… perhaps you are thinking this idea is aloof and will still not amount to much. Even though I am the furthest thing from an economist that you will ever meet, I did manage to Forest Gump my way through 4^th grade math and here are the numbers I crunched: if the amount saved and donated for a week totals $200, here is what could happen.

5 people=  $1000

10 people= $2000

15 people= $3000

20 people=$4000

By nature, I am a cynical and skeptical person and although I fight it daily, everything in me tells me this is a lost cause and I am wasting my exemplary typing skills (it has already taken me 40 minutes to pound this out with the grace of a 10-thumbed gorilla). For 20 people to set aside a week’s worth of coffee and lunch money is asking too much, so I went and tried to find some odds that I liked.

According to the 2010 US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Flathead County was roughly 90,000 people. I am looking for 20. I am hoping against hope that .0002%  of the population will take me up on this.

Ask yourself if you would like to be a part of an absurd challenge that could yield astronomical results.