'Tis the season
Ruthie's Rolling Cafe gets in the holiday spirit with new charitable givingprogram
- Ruthie's Rolling Cafe is giving back to local nonprofits with the Ruthie's Dozenaward program.Photo courtesy of Ruthie's
- Ruthie's Rolling Cafe owner Ashlee Hunt Kleinert, Robin SkinnerPhoto by Shana Anderson
Everyone has a soft spot for comforting grilled cheese sandwiches. And Ruthie's Rolling Cafe, a grilled-cheese-centric food truck, is banking on it.
Get your fix with the classic — American cheese on Texas toast — or get fancy by creating your own or opting for the Turkey Trot, with turkey, bacon and cheddar cheese on sourdough bread.
Regardless of the kind of cheesiness you choose, come January, your dollars will do double duty.
The food truck is giving back to the community with an award program named Ruthie's Dozen, where 20 percent of each month's net profits are donated to a dedicated local nonprofit.
The inspiration? Owner Ashlee Hunt Kleinert's grandmother, Ruth Ray Hunt.
"Through Ruthie's Dozen we hope to keep my grandmother's legacy alive by helping others and creating awareness for important causes," says Kleinert. All beneficiaries — a combination of small, lesser-known nonprofits and widely recognized organizations — are carefully selected.
The 2013 lineup:
- January, Genesis Women's Shelter
- February, Executives in Action
- March, Honor Courage Commitment
- April, New Friends New Life
- May, St. Philip's School and Community Center
- June, North Texas Food Bank
- July, Methodist Health System
- August, SPCA of Texas
- September, Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas
- October, Dallas Women's Foundation
- November, Senior Source
- December, Birthday Party Project
Kleinert says that in December 2013, the Ruthie's Rookie Award will be given to the Birthday Party Project, a nonprofit dedicated to creating charity-based birthday parties for children living in homeless or domestic violence shelters.
"This special award is meant to give a new nonprofit agency an extra boost in their support base," Kleinart says. "We want to honor a special organization each year for putting in the blood, sweat and tears needed."
To make the gift of giving even cheesier, Ruthie's will roll to the nonprofit's facility each month and provide lunch to all staff members. The program also includes blasts on Ruthie's social media outlets about the selected charity and messages urging customers to give back.