Over the past five weeks of the COVID-19 crisis, small businesses are teetering on the brink of survival, and Johnson County is no different.
Todd Anthony has watched it with fear. He’s a lifelong Greenwood resident, and recognizes that the eateries and other locally owned businesses are what make the city unique. If those places disappear, Greenwood just won’t be the same.
So he came up with an idea: what if he could help support local restaurants while also helping feed those on the front lines — health care workers, first responders and others working hard to keep the community safe?
"This thing will pass. When it does, we don’t want Greenwood to lose its local flair. We want to help those restaurants that are there every day and trying to stay alive," Anthony said.
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Anthony’s solution has unfolded in a new community campaign. The owner of the Harry Cooler Conference Center, located in the historic Mills House, has created Save a Restaurant, Feed a Hero to collect donations from the public. He plans to use that money to buy gift cards from locally owned eateries, then donate those gift cards to medical workers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics.
The goal is to collect $100,000. He started the campaign on Saturday, and more than $17,000 has already come in.
"We all have time on our hands, and we wanted to come up with a safe way to help both the restaurants and the health care workers and first responders. We thought, what better way than buying gift certificates in large quantities," he said. "We have a pretty lofty goal, and we think this can really make a difference."
A love for Greenwood is what motivated Anthony, founder of DiscountFilters.com, to rescue the Mills House and open up the conference center in the first place. He had been driving past the Mills House his entire life, marveling at the architectural treasure designed in the Usonian style popularized by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The building had fallen into deep disrepair. Anthony was able to purchase it and renovate it.
The Cooler Center opened to the public in early March, just before the coronavirus crisis essentially shut down everything. In two weekends before the stay-at-home orders were introduced, Anthony held public open houses that raised money for nonprofits Random Acts of Flowers and Tails for Trails. The events raised thousands of dollars for the groups just in the nick of time.
That community-minded spirit is what motivated Anthony to create this fundraiser. The gift card idea seemed like the ideal option; it gives restaurants cash upfront that they can use for rent, utilities and other costs so they can stay open.
Government assistance for these kinds of costs has fallen short of what small businesses need, and this will help supplement it, Anthony said.
"It’s well intentioned, but it’s not cutting it. We want to boost that any way we can and show them a little appreciation for staying in business," he said.
A donation page has been created on the Cooler Center website, where people can fill out their name, email and payment information in one place, submitting that all online. They can choose how much to give — anywhere from $1 on up.
The form also has contact information where restaurants can reach out saying they’d want to be part of the gift card program. Fire and police departments, hospitals and others can also get in touch to request the gift cards.
"It won’t be hard to find people to give them to. There are plenty of police, fire, health care workers out there who can use them," Anthony said.
Already, the effort has generated support from the community. Donors such as The Skillman Group, Baily and Wood Financial, Cooler Design, The Garrett Companies, DiscountFilters.com and Miller-Eads helped the campaign collect more than $17,000 in the first three days.
Though the goal is set at $100,000, Anthony plans to start buying gift cards with the money that’s already been donated as soon as possible. The effort will continue as long as people give.
On the website, Anthony added a quote by Vincent Van Gogh: "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
He hopes that spirit inspires people to help, even if it’s just a few dollars.
"We’re off to a strong start," he said, "and we want to keep going."
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What: An effort to raise to purchase gift cards at local eateries and donate the cards to our local heroes such as medical workers, police, fire and paramedics.
Goal: $100,000
How to help:
- Online at coolercenter.org/make-a-payment
- By phone at 317-775-0297
- Checks payable to Harry Cooler Conference Center can be sent to 944 Fry Road, Greenwood, IN 46142
Restaurants and first responders in need contact [email protected]
Questions? Contact [email protected]
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