Customers donating to the meal wall. Photo courtesy of Rosco's Pizza.
Would you recognize a request for help on a busy night? One of our fiber internet customers, Rosco’s Pizza in Union, Michigan, recently received an unusual phone call that resulted in an incredible piece of community outreach.
The restaurant has established a meal wall for members of the community to donate food to locals in need. The meal wall has received worldwide attention and is a shining example of why MEC is proud to serve the many community-minded businesses of rural southern Michigan.
A Call for Help
Photo courtesy of Rosco's Pizza.
One night as she was taking care of dinner orders, Manager Shanna Crice received a phone call asking if the restaurant threw away food at the end of the night. Crice told her they didn’t because they make pizzas to order. The woman hung up, but Crice couldn’t shake the feeling that there had been a deeper meaning behind the call and took to Facebook.
“I didn’t take the time to ask more questions and it threw me off,” Crice explained on Facebook. “My conscious hasn’t let me put it down. So if this was you, and maybe you were hungry and I dismissed it, please call back so we can have a different conversation.”
While Crice doesn’t know if the original caller saw the post, it has over 100,000 likes at the time of writing, with people from other states and even countries chiming in.
“Don’t know how I can help as a Nigerian but because of this, I am going to pay an ‘extra attention’ to the first four needy people I see on the road today,” said one commenter.
The Generosity of Others
Due to the popularity of the post, Crice started a meal wall. People can donate a $10 meal ticket that gets posted on a bulletin board at Rosco’s. Those in need can stop in and take a ticket to enjoy a meal supported by someone who cares.
The story has received national attention from outlets like TODAY.com, which Crice says boosted the number of donations they’ve received (and the number of people they can help). People from as far away as Spain and Australia have purchased tickets for the wall. Crice has also reached out to local schools and churches so that they can share information about the wall with people who could benefit from it.
“It has been an amazing journey and there have been lots of ‘feel goods’ that go along with it,” Crice says. “My favorite part has definitely been the hugs and tears from a couple that obviously really needed to utilize the wall. And they were extremely grateful.”
Donations Welcome
If you’d like to support the meal wall, you have a couple of options:
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Stop into Rosco’s (15314 US Highway 12, Union, MI) and ask to add a donation to your order.
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Donate via CashApp ($Roscospizzamealboard).
Some people have also mailed in checks.
Feature Your Business in Country Lines
If your business receives monthly service from MEC, you could be eligible to be featured in a future issue of Country Lines magazine!
Send us an email at pr@teammidwest.com with your business’ name and service address to let us know you’d like to be considered. There is no cost.
