For the fifth straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com, presented by Concordia University. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2011."
A few years ago, Marti Fine considered joining a group called "Dining For Women," a program that organizes groups of women to create "giving circles" that meet on a regular basis. These women take turns hosting potlucks, and then each woman decides what she might have spent if she had she eaten out in a restaurant and then donates that amount of money to a non-profit organization picked by the group.
"Dining For Women" focuses on donating money internationally to programs that empower women and girls living in extreme poverty. Fine was inspired by this group and its mission, but decided instead of joining a local chapter of "Dining For Women," she would start her own Milwaukee group that benefited local non-profit groups.
"I took some of the premises of Dining for Women and made changes to fit my needs," says Fine. "I kept it as women-only and we have potlucks," says Fine.
Last March, Fine sent an email to many female friends, and asked them if they were interested in joining "Eating In For Milwaukee." The response was very positive, so Fine organized the first potluck for June of 2011. About 18 women attended a potluck in her Riverwest home.
The host provides drinks and dessert, and the rest of the women bring a vegetarian dish to pass and donate an amount of money that they would spend eating and drinking in a restaurant. Fine suggests at least $20, and the money is later donated to an organization decided upon by the group.
"Eating In For Milwaukee: meets from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on a Monday through Thursday night so it doesn't interfere with weekend "date nights" and raps up early enough to accommodate women who have to rise early for work. The night of the week switches with each dinner so that all of the women have a chance to attend.
On average, about 15 women show up to each dinner, and the host invites a representative from the benefiting organization to attend the potluck and provide a brief presentation and to collect the checks.
So far, the group has donated to Meta House, DreamBikes and Repairers of the Breach. Fine chose MetaHouse for the first dinner, and then asked the other women in the group to suggest local organizations to consider for subsequent potlucks. Then she sent out a poll and members voted on the groups they were most interested in supporting. The next dinner will support Milwaukee Achiever Literary Services.
"I specifically want to focus on small organizations, knowing that we won't be raising huge amounts of money and I want our donation to make a difference," says Fine. "I also avoid religious and political organizations. The organization must benefit the community at large."
After Fine sent out the invite, other women joined the group who were friends of friends. Because the group meets in private homes, it can't grow too large, so Fine avoids opening it up to anyone on Facebook.
The goal of the group is to donate money to small, local organizations, but also for the women to learn more about the non-profit and to consider volunteering or helping out more in some other capacity.
"I have enjoyed meeting some of the new women who have joined, and I am thrilled that several women have told me that they have made new friends through the group. I like the satisfaction of knowing that I might be making a small impact on the community, and making some of the women aware of non-profits out there that they may not have known about. And that includes me; I have learned much more about the three organizations that we have sponsored so far," says Fine.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
