VIA and San Antonio Food Bank announce partnership

VIA and the San Antonio Food Bank are partnering to help make sure homebound residents do not go hungry during these challenging times. VIA operators are currently delivering meals and supplies prepared by Food Bank staff and volunteers to homes and distribution points Monday through Friday throughout San Antonio. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

Since VIA joined the Food Bank’s mission to “fight hunger and feed hope,” operators have distributed more than 650 food packages to nearly 500 locations throughout the city. VIA has continued to operate transit service in a safe environment as part of its COVID-19 response that includes a fare-relief period for all VIA services through April 30 and safe capacity limits on its buses and vans to help maintain social distancing for passengers and operators.

The San Antonio Food Bank serves an estimated 60,000 individuals each week in one of the largest service areas in Texas. That was before the coronavirus shuttered hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs, leaving many with little resources and few options.

The immense need for local food assistance became abundantly clear when 10,000 people formed long lines and waited several hours to receive rations from the Food Bank’s popup distribution at Trader’s Village on Thursday, April 9. Volunteers and City staff handed out one million pounds of food that day—just one of several distributions the Food Bank staged last week.

VIA’s collaboration with the Food Bank marks the launch of its VIA Cares Program, an extension of its effort to connect our community by organizing available resources to help make ends meet for neighbors in need. Other VIA Cares initiatives that kicked off this month focus on providing Wi-Fi access for students through a partnership with the City of San Antonio, San Antonio Housing Authority and San Antonio ISD and matching VIA volunteers with opportunities to serve. More about VIA’s crisis response is available online.

VIA will continue to deliver food bank supplies as long as resources are available. If you are home bound and in need of food, please call the San Antonio Food Bank at (210) 431-8326 to pre-register or click the link at the Food Bank’s home page and sign up online.

“So many are suffering and struggling in this new environment of COVID-19. Our partnership with VIA and VIAtrans will ease the hunger pains of seniors and those with disabilities by bringing grocery products and household supplies right to their doorstep. This type of innovation and partnership is San Antonio at its finest.” Eric Cooper, President/CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank

Therapy dog helps frontline workers via FaceTime

Ricochet the therapy dog. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

* Contains update – originally published April 16, 2020 *

In times of crisis, therapy dogs are usually called upon to provide comfort and healing. But now, due to social distancing and quarantine, animal assisted therapy programs have been suspended. Surfing therapy dog Ricochet is offering FREE canine therapy to those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic through FaceTime and virtual canine therapy. Doctors, nurses, other healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers can take a few minutes to lower their stress and anxiety with Ricochet. To schedule a FaceTime call, email Ricochet’s guardian Judy Fridono or if time is limited, visit Ricochet and her therapy dog crew online. (Pawsitive Teams, 2020)

Ricochet is a certified therapy dog with Pawsitive Teams and they have joined forces to provide Virtual Canine Therapy. This partnership directly addresses the mental health crisis affecting essential workers. Ricochet is one of ten certified, goal-oriented therapy dogs that participate in Canine Inspired Community Reintegration (CICR) program, a collaboration with Naval Medical Center San Diego. The dogs have more than eight years of experience providing human-animal intervention, under the guidance of an experienced recreational therapist, for active duty service members recovering from PTSD, moral injury, anxiety and other mental health challenges. Eye contact is one of the anxiety-reducing techniques used. Gazing into a dog’s eyes stimulates the release of oxytocin—a hormone associated with positive, happy feelings. After receiving long gazes from a dog, a person’s level of oxytocin increases, thus reducing stress and anxiety.

To assess the scientific validity of the effects of eye contact between a human and a dog, Ricochet, Fridono and an army veteran with PTSD participated in a study at Duke University’s Canine Cognition Center with research scientist Dr. Brian Hare. Researchers have already determined that looking at photos of nature for 30 to 60 seconds reduces stress. Similarly, hundreds of individuals who have participated in the virtual canine therapy program have reported they felt a calm, connected state of being. Cultivating these moments allows for deep experiences of connection regardless of whether physical contact is made. All you need are a human and a dog with open eyes . . . and open hearts.

It is critical to recognize that the Covid-19 pandemic is a source of great physical, psychological and emotional distress for front line workers as well as individuals and communities around the world. There will likely be doctors, nurses and others who will need treatment for anxiety, stress, depression, PTSD and more resulting from this crisis. Then there is the rest of the world that is feeling the panic of losing jobs, being ordered to stay home, the unfathomable reality of not being there when a loved one passes, and the like.

Addendum:

There is a lot we can do to support each other during these times as well. Even if you can’t meet up in person, whether due to Covid-19 or for another reason, you can still use face time to check up on your friends and family, especially those in frontline positions. Even if you just call them up and chat, with a few of the best canned cocktails you can find on hand, it can help. But there’s something wonderful about therapy dogs being used, no matter what the circumstance.

The proactive steps of Ricochet and Pawsitive Teams offering virtual canine therapy with eye gazing will support healthcare workers, essential workers, and the world at large now, as well as into the future. The best part is it can be done on any computer or mobile device connected to the internet and it only takes a couple of minutes. Stressed individuals can take a quick break from the chaos and find themselves less anxious after engaging in the program.

“At a time when dogs could be truly valuable resources, we’re thinking outside the box in an effort to offer some form of canine therapy to the millions of people around the world who need it.” Judy Fridono.

Culinaria helps hospitality industry

Culinaria is helping out the hospitality industry with several programs. Photo: Culinaria, used with permission.

The hospitality industry is one of the major industries in San Antonio and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is an industry struggling more with each passing day. With many furloughed and inevitable restaurant closures, the situation will most likely get worse before it gets better. Culinaria, with its mission to promote San Antonio as a culinary destination for food and wine, is stepping in to help. The other component of its mission is to offer support to the industry it serves in times of financial hardship. In the past, fundraising was structured through events to benefit a specific individual or family, but now, at this time an event is not an option, and the need to assist others is of growing importance. (Culinaria, 2020)

Culinaria has initiated three tiers of assistance to address short and long-term needs for individuals and restaurants/bars in the San Antonio area.

HospitALLity House focuses on short-term needs by ensuring those in the hospitality industry receive a hot meal. Service is provided Monday through Saturday at Alamo BBQ from 4p.m. to 7p.m. and several other restaurants have stepped in to help with meals at their locations. Food donations and monetary contributions from generous businesses and individuals have helped keep this program going. It has already fed more than 12,000 in its first two weeks of operation.

Culinaria Family Meal Kits are networked through chefs for distribution to furloughed workers. Hospitality businesses who have employees in need can email Culinaria to be included in the kit distribution.

For long-term needs, an Emergency Relief Fund has been established and will issue funds to hospitality workers in need of financial assistance. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to donate to the Emergency Relief Fund through PayPal or Venmo online. An application process is available online and the current need is greater than the resources available, so Culinaria will continue its outreach to raise enough funds to assist more individuals and to later provide relief for restaurants and bars to reopen.

Culinaria’s social media channels will be posting the locations and times where hospitality industry workers can get the hot meals.

In addition, Culinaria is offering the Restaurant Weeks To-Go, to promote restaurants that have remained opened for to-go, curbside and delivery services. A complete listing of those restaurants, menus (when available) as well as restaurant websites and phone numbers is available online.

Some of the key support includes contributions from Chef Jason Dady, Silver Eagle, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Sysco, Alamo BBQ, Bakery Lorraine, Chef John Brand and Hotel Emma, Gaucho Gourmet, Cheesecake Factory, Panifico Bake Shop, Hush San Antonio, San Pellegrino and Texana Brands

“This is definitely an unprecedented time for us all and our hope is to support furloughed industry workers that have helped put this city on the map as a culinary destination.”- Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, President/CEO of Culinaria.

Garrison Brothers Distillery launches fundraiser

bootflask — Garrison Brothers Distillery launched Operation Crush COVID-19. Photo: Garrison Brothers Distillery, used with permission.

Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas, has launched Operation Crush COVID-19, a fundraising campaign to help American communities recover and rebuild. The campaign, launched in partnership with Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, the distillery’s 501(c)3 public charity, aims to raise more than $2 million dollars for veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon, which is currently serving in communities across the country, leading efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Good Bourbon for a Good Cause will also be naming a secondary beneficiary that is helping with the immediate needs of hospitality industry professionals and their families. (Garrison Brothers Distillery, 2020)

Until recently, Garrison Brothers had planned to release Laguna Madre, a special project over 10 years in the making, later this summer through traditional liquor retail channels. Laguna Madre is the oldest bourbon Garrison Brothers has made to date; an eight-year-old, top-shelf release named after the beautiful blue waters along Texas’ Gulf Coast. The ultra-premium bourbon was aged in new white American oak barrels for four years and aged secondarily for four more years in Limousin oak from France, which is prized for its vanilla content. Limousin oak wood imparts spirits with distinct flavors of vanilla, sweet candy, cacao and thick, white chocolate that an experienced bourbon drinker will never forget.

The original plan was to release just over 2,000 bottles to the distillery’s original supporters, then to close friends, then to bars and restaurants who have always championed the brand. But in light of COVID-19, Laguna Madre will now be available only to donors who contribute $1,000 or more to Good Bourbon for a Good Cause in partnership with Team Rubicon, a global disaster response organization composed primarily of military veterans and first responders who are deploying teams to areas heavily affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

The first 2,004 people to contribute $1,000 or more will receive a bottle of Laguna Madre. Everyone is invited and encouraged to donate whatever they can. “If you donate $100, you will forever have our respect and you can choose to take home any clothing item from our gift shop for free,” adds Rob Cordes, marketing director at Garrison Brothers Distillery. “If you donate $500, we’ll reserve one bottle of Boot Flask (375ml) and one bottle of Honey Dew (750ml) for you.”

There will be 4,008 bottles of Boot Flask, 4,008 bottles of Honey Dew and 2,004 bottles of Laguna Madre available.

“At Team Rubicon, we know we’re only as strong as our volunteers, partners and donors, as we fight this invisible war on COVID-19, we must all work together. During this unprecedented time, we are entirely grateful to have Garrison Brothers Distillery and its customers by our side, supporting our efforts in response to this deadly virus. This generous donation will help us continue to prepare, respond and aid community recovery efforts across the country.” – Jake Wood, co-founder and CEO of Team Rubicon.

San Antonio Food Bank mega distribution sites

The COVID-19 crisis continues to strain the donated food supply generally available to the San Antonio Food Bank. Limited donated food availability is demanding the Food Bank adapt its distribution methods to ensure equitable food access across the Food Bank’s 16-county service territory. The Food Bank is now consolidating the weekly mobile distributions it fulfills and supports during normal business operations to only a handful of “mega distribution sites” for the remainder of the COVID-19 response effort. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

These mega distribution sites are intended to get emergency food to households in immediate need. The Food Bank hopes that its network of 500+ food pantries across the region, along with the many programs and services offered by the Food Bank will continue to meet ongoing needs.

Individuals seeking immediate help can sign up online for an upcoming mega distribution at or by calling the Food Bank’s helpline during normal business hours: 210-431-8326. Pre-registration is required.

This new distribution effort also means a new opportunity for volunteers to engage in acts of service during the COVID-19 crisis. Volunteers will be asked to follow the strict safety protocols put in place by the Food Bank as a response to this crisis. Those interested in volunteering at a public distribution can sign up online and click on “volunteer sign up.”

San Antonio Food Bank’s ‘Neighbor Helping Neighbor’

After a two-week effort to front-load low-income households with groceries and household supplies, the San Antonio Food Bank is launching a new phase in its coronavirus response: the Neighbor Helping Neighbor relief effort. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

The core components of this effort are two-fold: 1) ensuring every kitchen table in Southwest Texas has the core food items needed to get through this crisis; and, 2) ensuring that all our neighbors who might be elderly and living alone get a visit. The Food Bank will be adding mobile, grab-and-go meals and food distributions daily throughout Southwest Texas. Their website has up-to-date information on how and where individuals can get help.

With the economy suffering and San Antonio already struggling with the highest poverty rate in the country, the Food Bank is prepared to grow with the expanded need. The Food Bank’s website is the best place for information on how to give help. Volunteers are still in need, and one does not need to leave their house to be a good neighbor: every $1 provides 10 pounds of food/supplies to “Neighbor helping Neighbor.” The Food Bank is emphasizing that money donations are preferred over food donations; this allows the Food Bank to target specific items in specific quantity.

“This great city of ours has always been a city of compassion, and our state is known for its hospitality. The crisis in our midst is an opportunity for us to shine and lend support during a neighbor’s season of need. We may have a neighbor near us without food or without a family member to visit and check on them. “Neighbor helping Neighbor” is about stocking the shelf and filling the heart.” – Eric Cooper, President & CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank

As for visits to the elderly and making sure that social isolation is minimized for our older neighbors, Cooper admits it is been something they started to do in the last year, thanks to funding from Humana, and that they learned a lot: “We have been setting the tables for seniors for years, but making home visits to thousands of seniors in the last year or so has reminded us that a table full of food can be empty of love if someone doesn’t have a friend or neighbor. We want our relief effort to be a kitchen table filled with both food and love.”

Five San Antonio bartenders to compete for spot in Bourbon Brawl 2020

bourbonbrawl19 — Bourbon Brawl 2020 will take place in Austin on Thursday May 7. Photo: Garrison Brothers Distillery, used with permission.

Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas, recently announced the semi-finalists in its Bourbon Brawl 2020 contest, a state-wide bartender competition with a grand prize of $10,000. (Garrison Brothers Distillery, 2020)

The five semi-finalists from San Antonio include:

Trinh Quan Huy-Philip – Rebelle at St. Anthony Hotel – Golden Ticket Winner
Gladys Estrada – Range – Consumers’ Choice Winner
Cruz Gutierrez – Jet Setter
Michelle Stephenson – Tributary at Marriott Rivercenter
Johnny Yumol – Bar du Mon Ami

Dan Garrison, founder and proprietor of Garrison Brothers Distillery, visited a selection of bartenders and after tasting their cocktails and listening to their stories of inspiration, Garrison offered a select few the opportunity to advance on the Bourbon Brawl Semi-finals, on the spot. Those are the Golden Ticket winners. Consumers’ Choice winners are the bartenders whose cocktails received the most votes via Garrison Brother’s voting app.

In each semi-final competition, the city’s top five bartenders and mixologists will showcase their creative and technical cocktail-making skills, vying for the opportunity to represent their home turf at the state-wide final competition in Austin and take home the prestigious title of Garrison Brothers 2020 Bourbon Brawl “Bartender of the Year.” During these events, attendees will enjoy libations while watching the bartenders compete in a three-round, Top Chef-style match-up.

In Round One, guests will sample the five best cocktails in each city and interact with the five semi-finalist bartenders. These cocktails will be crafted with love using the 2020 vintage of Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon. Guests will receive one (1) wooden token at check-in to cast a vote for their favorite cocktail.

During Round Two, each bartender will take the stage to prepare and present “Native Texan Wildlife”-themed cocktails in real time. A panel of judges will score each cocktail and factor in the crowd-favorite cocktail from Round One. The two bartenders with the highest scores will advance to Round Three.

Round Three is a mystery ingredient challenge. In this round, the city’s top two bartenders will go head to head to create the best cocktail using secret ingredients from a veiled box. Sampled and scored by the judges, one bartender will be announced as the winner of this semi-final event and will advance to the Finals to compete for the prestigious title of Garrison Brothers 2020 Bourbon Brawl “Bartender of the Year.”

Tickets for each semi-final event are $30. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, a 501(c)3 public charity founded by the Garrison Family and their staff in 2018.

Dates, time, and locations for each event are below. The Garrison Brothers team highly encourages attendees to use local ride-sharing services, ensuring a safe ride home for everyone. Lyft codes are provided for $5 off each ride for up to 200 rides at each event.

Houston
Thursday, March 26 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
The Houston Event Venue | 3118 Harrisburg Blvd | Houston, TX 77003
Tickets | Lyft code BB2020HOUSTON

San Antonio
Thursday, April 2 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
The Arcadian at Sunset Station | 1174 E Commerce St. | San Antonio, TX 78205
Tickets | Lyft code BB2020SA

Dallas
Thursday, April 9 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
The Empire Room | 1225 N Riverfront Blvd | Dallas, TX 75207
Tickets | Lyft code BB2020DAL

Fort Worth
Thursday, April 16 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
The Ostreum | 108 South Fwy Ste. 130 | Fort Worth, TX 76104
Tickets | Lyft code BB2020FW

Austin
Thursday, April 23 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
Springdale Station | 979 Springdale Rd. Ste 160 | Austin, TX 78702
Tickets | Lyft code BB2020AUS

FINALS (Austin)
Thursday, May 7 | 6:30p.m. – 10p.m.
Fair Market | 1100 E 5th Street | Austin, TX 78702
Tickets | Lyft code BOURBONBRAWL2020

Qualifying contestants must have participated in Garrison Brothers’ Bourbon Takeover of Texas, two weeks during which 75+ distinguished bars and restaurants across Texas featured cocktails incorporating the 2020 vintage of Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon. From February 17 – February 28, the Garrison Brothers team visited every participating location to taste, critique, examine and enjoy the creations, considering each for potential advancement to the next round of the competition. However, the cocktails themselves were not the sole criteria for advancement; the bartender’s attitude, charm, camaraderie with customers and concern for the well-being of their community were also factors under consideration.

San Antonio Food Bank announces coronavirus preparedness effort

On Thursday March 5, the San Antonio Food Bank launched a month-long coronavirus “preparedness and prevention campaign.” The effort aims to reach as many as 300,000 low-income households in the Food Bank’s southwest Texas service territory with a 14-day supply of food and a coronavirus preparedness kit. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

The Food Bank’s 14-day food benefit will consist largely of items in its “12 Most Wanted” list. This includes staple non-perishable items like rice, beans, pasta, soups, canned meats, canned vegetables and fruits, along with diapers and pet food. The coronavirus preparedness kit will contain hand sanitizer and cleaning disinfectant, along with other items available to the Food Bank.

The Food Bank will implement a three-part effort to help deliver their preparedness food benefits and coronavirus prevention kits to those in need: targeted mobile distributions in urban and rural areas of southwest Texas; stocking super-pantries and senior centers with the benefit; and opening up a portion of their warehouse for individual drop-in to secure the benefit.

To meet goals of this month-long campaign, the Food Bank aims to raise $1,500,000, or the equivalent of 15,000,000 lbs. of food/cleaning supplies. The public is invited to make contributions at the Food Bank’s website and every $5 provides one food/cleaning benefit to a person in need, with the goal to distribute 300,000 prevention and preparedness benefits in a month. Volunteers will also play a critical role in this response. If you cannot give food or funds, you are invited to give the gift of time. Special volunteer shifts will be set up for the campaign.

“Our low-income families, particularly our seniors on fixed incomes, don’t have the luxury of stocking up in case of a virus outbreak, and they certainly don’t have the ability to weather a two-week quarantine or leave-without-pay if their place of employment sees a slowdown in business.” – Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank

San Antonio Burger Week 2020 to benefit San Antonio Food Bank

Beginning Friday February 21 through March 1, San Antonio Burger Week, in partnership with HeartBrand Beef and benefiting the San Antonio Food Bank, will pay homage to America’s original sweetheart: the hamburger. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

During the second annual San Antonio Burger Week, more than 30 San Antonio eateries will offer $5 and $8 specialty burgers, with a portion of each plate benefiting the San Antonio Food Bank. Participating restaurants include Armadillo’s Texas Burgers, Babe’s Old Fashioned Food, Benjie’s Munch, Biff Buxby’s Burgers, Big Lou’s Burgers & BBQ, Big’z Burger Joint, Broadway 5050, Burger Boy, Burgerteca, Charlie Brown’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, Cheesy Jane’s, Chris Madrid’s, Chunky’s Burgers, The Cove, Cover 3, Hopdoddy’s, Johnny Rocket’s at River Center, Mark’s Outing, OrderUp, Papa’s Burgers, Sam’s Burger Joint, Slider Provider, Southtown 101,The Lion & Rose, The Well, Tributary at the Marriott, Tripoli’s Mediterranean Grill and Zinc.

San Antonio Burger Week aims to entice locals to explore new restaurants across San Antonio’s vast culinary landscape. Specialty burgers will range from cheeseburgers to bacon burgers, to veggie burgers and everything in between. Patrons are encouraged to take advantage of special drink pairings and sides and to punch their SA Burger Week Passport for a chance to win prizes. More information, including updates, passport and participating restaurants is available online and on Instagram.

The San Antonio Food Bank takes pride in fighting hunger, feeding hope in their 16 county service area. They believe that no child should go to bed hungry, adults should not have to choose between a hot meal and utilities, nor a senior sacrifice medical care for the sake of a meal. Founded in 1980, The San Antonio Food Bank has quickly grown to serve 58,000 individuals a week in one of the largest service areas in Texas. Their focus is for clients to have food for today but to also have the resources to be self-sufficient in the future.

Pluckers Wing Bar to host ‘Anti-Resolution’ special

pluckerslogo — Pluckers Wing Bar’s Anti-Resolution special will run from January 1 through January 6. Photo: Melissa Skorpil, used with permission.

Pluckers Wing Bar, Texas’ favorite sports bar and wing restaurant, is bringing back their Anti-Resolution special from Wednesday January 1 through Monday January 6, 2020 at ALL Pluckers locations. (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2019)

The Anti-Resolution special includes 50% off desserts and a $1 addition for salads. The extra dollar will be donated to Breakthrough Central Texas, an education nonprofit that creates a path to and through college for students from low-income communities. From sixth grade through to college, the organization offers out-of-school learning experiences, leadership skills and comprehensive advising to students. The organization makes a 12-year commitment to students and their families to guide them through the process of preparing for, enrolling in and completing college. The long-term model ensures the success of students and families from middle school to high school graduation to college diploma and beyond.

Owners Mark Greenberg, Dave Paul and Sean Greenberg opened their first Pluckers restaurant in Austin in 1995. Over the past 24 years, Pluckers Wing Bar has opened 25 locations, expanding to Baton Rouge, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen, San Marcos and San Antonio. Pluckers is known for their signature wings and is consistently recognized as the best sports bar and chicken wing restaurant. They offer guests a fun, laid-back atmosphere where friends, family, and co-workers can enjoy a great meal and watch sports. Pluckers has been named in USA Today’s “Top Ten Wing Restaurants” and ESPN’s “Top 5 Sports Bar in North America,” along with being named one of “Austin’s Best Places to Work 2017” by the Austin Business Journal and Dallas Observer’s “Best Sports Bar.”

Pluckers Wing Bar
14881 IH-35 North
Selma, TX 78154

Pluckers Wing Bar
15651 I-10 W
San Antonio, TX 78249

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