How it Works & FAQ
How it Works
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Wonderful people contribute to the Feed It Forward >> Sonoma County Go Fund Me campaign. We use these funds to purchase gift certificates to small family-run restaurants, and then distribute them to Sonoma County residents who have recently lost income due to Covid-19.
Frequently Asked Questions
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*What is Feed It Forward >> Sonoma County?*
Fires. Floods. Power shut-offs. More fires. Sonoma County has been through devastating hard times. What did we learn? The best of our community shows up. We help each other. We support each other. We work together. We love each other. This community spirit has defined our identity as a county, and has helped us to stay #SonomaStrong through it all. Feed It Forward >> Sonoma County is a small grass-roots effort to save our small local restaurants from the financial devastation of COVID-19 while supporting our neighbors who are experiencing the hardship of job and income loss. We appreciate and love our culinary diversity and want to do what we can to help restaurants stay afloat while helping folks who could use a take-out meal as a gift.
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*How can I be sure you're really going to use my $ to give gift certificates away?*
We'll be posting updates about our gift certificate purchases on our Facebook and Go Fund Me pages, as well as sharing any thank you notes that come in from meal recipients. Besides, the whole point for us is to help local folks and local restaurants, so we're definitely excited to use the funds to gift the meals.
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*Who is eligible to get a gift meal?*
Anyone who lives in Sonoma County who has lost work or income because of the Covid-19 pandemic is eligible. This means they have been laid-off, furloughed, or had a severe cut in their normal income since March 18th. Potential recipients can request a meal for themselves, or someone else can request a meal for them.
*How do you choose the restaurants to support?*
We are buying gift cards from restaurants that are A) small, family-run restaurants of all cuisine types, B) are near the area in the county where people on the meal request list live, and C) have been recommended on our "Recommend a Restaurant"page
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*Can I recommend a restaurant to support?​*
Sure! We've got a "Recommend a Restaurant" option here. We'll consider the recommendations when making choices about which restaurants to support. If you are a restaurant owner and could use the support, feel free to recommend your own restaurant.
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*What is the recommended sponsorship amount?*
Each gift certificate will be for $40. However, we'll gratefully accept more or less-- whatever you feel you want to contribute.
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*Who is behind Feed it Forward > Sonoma County? *
Kim Isley, a grateful Sonoma County resident and small business owner, and a dedicated group of local volunteers run this site out of love for our community. (And frankly, we love to eat and don't want to see our favorite restaurants close forever!) Feel free to contact us here.