Dispatch - 4-01-07

A Most Extraordinary Man

Mr. T blustered through the door of his Cow Hollow office at 10:45 on Friday morning wearing his usual plaid shirt, rumpled wide wale corduroy pants and a navy blue, light-weight , classic L.L. Bean style squall parka, the kind with a drawstring at the waist. A wilted, khaki fisherman’s hat covered his wiry, white curls. “Good mawning, Nancy,” he said as he tipped a hand in my direction on the way to his desk in the rear office overlooking the park. His mild New York accent swam comfortably in my ears reminding me of the precious lost voices of my grandparents as well as that of my dear, departed father who grew up in Queens. “What do we have today, Bawbara?” Mr. T called across the hall to his assistant who works in the other rear office overlooking the park. “Oh, you know,” she replied. “The usual.” She brought Mr. T his mail. I resumed clacking away on my Food Runners laptop which sat on the long, rough hewn, Tuscan style table that serves as my desk in the most glamorous, yet homey office I’ve ever worked in. The spacious entry room to the office where I ply Food Runners daily business sports interesting, original artwork, a ring toss game, a dartboard and an impressive glass coffee table surrounded by a witty collection of chairs and a tufted, caramel colored, distressed leather sofa that invites limbs to sink in and conversation to flow. A stack of a certain, glossy, local magazine, of which Mr. T. is among the owners, graces the side table. Mr. T donates this part of his office suite to Food Runners. He has done so for the past five years. Mr. T is about to be 75. I know this because, just the other day, I overheard Barbara asking Mr. T how it felt to be turning 75. Mr. T is a successful business man and although I’m not exactly sure of the specifics of his work, it seems to be eclectic, with thumbs in many pies, entrepreneurial and most certainly philanthropic. Clearly a man of broad interests and talents, spirited riffs on such varied topics as high finance, the current state of the arts, advertising, politics, and education dance through my office along with talk of this season’s prospects for the Chicago Cubs. Mr. T is nothing if not passionate. He still skies. He hosts regular meetings with film people, the real ones and takes frequent trips to fantastic places with his beloved wife of many years. All the while, he quietly gives back to the community expecting nothing in return save that the causes to which he contributes continue their much needed work. Food Runners is lucky to benefit from this extraordinary, vigorous man. Thanks to Mr. T, I am sure that I get more work done and think more clearly in his calm, stylish office than I would in some generic cubical for which Food Runners would have to pay rent. San Francisco rent. Thanks to Mr. T, Food Runners has more of its funding available for operating expenses such as the Food Runners truck which enables Food Runners to pick up loads too large for Food Runners volunteers; loads like those from Trader Joe’s or Moscone Center West which often exceed of 500 pounds. Thanks to Mr. T, Food Runners is better able to fulfill its mission of helping to feed the over 160,000 people that go hungry in San Francisco every day.

Food Runners picked up and delivered 116,675 pounds of food in the month of March. Volunteers performed 766 runs and the truck did 219. Food Runners welcomed 3 new volunteers in March and a whopping 9 new donors!

Of the new donors, 4, yes, you read right, 4(!) are donating on a DAILY basis. They are: La Boulange in North Beach, TPG Capitol, the White Swan Inn and the adorable, new Patisserie Philippe located at 655 Brannan Street.

For a trip to Paris without ever leaving San Francisco, I recommend a night at the scrumptious, old world style White Swan Inn (you’ll swear you’re on rue Vieille du Temple itself). For breakfast the next morning, stop by Patisserie Philippe where you’ll be treated to French pastries the way they make them in France!

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