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On Jan. 2 of this year, I received an email from Tracey Selingo asking if I&rsquo;d be willing to help with a non-profit she was starting to set up called Fork Over Love. The focus of the nonprofit was to help local restaurants while feeding the hungry in NEPA.
				I didn&rsquo;t hesitate when answering yes. After ten years in the restaurant business and months last year spent helping CEO box food for those in need in our area, I immediately recognized the importance of this new nonprofit.
				In the two short months Fork Over Love has been in existence, the impact has been great. The nonprofit has distributed 2,725 hot meals in local neighborhoods and just as vital, has injected $27,250 into our restaurant community. Yes, Fork Over Love pays small local restaurants that have been struggling financially to provide takeout meals for distribution to those in need of hot meals.
				To date, 17 different restaurants have provided meals, with many more scheduled to participate. The impact has been far-reaching.
				My awe for Tracey and her determination has grown through this process of working with her. She pulled this amazing concept together in only a few short weeks with the help of a volunteer board of six energetic local women of which I&rsquo;m proud to be a part. In addition, Fork Over Love has amassed a small army of volunteers to help with food distribution and the list continues to expand. The support from the community has been overwhelming and inspires me every day.
				My participation in Fork Over Love came at a time when I needed an important mission like this in my life. I&rsquo;ve found that I&rsquo;m getting back as much as I give in the form of a feeling of inner peace in knowing I am making a real difference and also gratitude for this loving and generous community I&rsquo;m part of.
				Most importantly have been the lives Fork Over Love has been able to impact. At a recent food distribution in Wilkes-Barre, I had the pleasure of speaking to a woman who has been helped numerous times by Fork Over Love. Her appreciation was so apparent, not only in the fact that she would have food on the table that night but also the feeling of fellowship and acceptance she experienced from everyone, from the reservation process through picking up her meals.
				She began crying as she told me that this past year has been such a trying time in her life. She maxed out her credit cards while struggling to pay her bills, put food, on the table, and in taking care of those around her. She explained that Fork Over Love was a Godsend to her at an important time of need. Something as simple as having a hot meal provided by a friendly face meant so much. By the end of our conversation, I was crying as well, as the gravity of what we were providing beyond food hit me. She personally spoke of Tracey as well, in always taking the time to talk to her when she called for a reservation, another personal touch that is so appreciated by this woman and many others.
				Our second week into distribution, the owner of our host site forwarded me a text message she had received from a single working mom who was referred to Fork Over Love for assistance with meals. Due to her dire financial situation, a restaurant meal was always out of the question for her. She expressed how very supported she felt through the process of reserving and picking up meals for her and her children. She said it brought her to tears because she was treated like a person of value and felt so special that she was getting treated to this meal she couldn&rsquo;t otherwise afford. It&rsquo;s stories like these and the notes of gratitude that make this all so worthwhile.
				Tracey takes the time to read and share with our volunteer board all of the notes of gratitude Fork Over Love receives. She believes the thank you notes are evidence that we are meeting our mission and feeding our neighbors like family. Life is crazy and people are always busy. It&rsquo;s easy to grab dinner, say thank you, and zoom off in your car. But when you take the time to sit down and write a note, it means that you&rsquo;re connecting on a deeper level.
				Tracey reinforces that she didn&rsquo;t make the leap to start Fork Over Love just because she wanted to help restaurants feed the community. She started it because she wanted to change the way we individually and collectively care for one another. She said that every time we receive a thank you note it reinforces that someone has felt cared for, loved, or lifted in some way. She shares the notes with everyone because it&rsquo;s important to know that we are, in fact, making a difference in someone&rsquo;s life.
				Information on upcoming food distributions, volunteering, restaurant applications, hosting, and a link to make a donation can all be found at forkoverlove.com. Have food distributions upcoming in Hazleton, Kingston, Wilkes-Barre, Dallas and Pittston. I encourage you to step up to the plate and help make a difference with us.
				***
				Ruth Corcoran is a professional marketer, former restaurant owner, and community advocate. She resides in Bear Creek. Readers can reach Ruth by emailing ruth@corcoranpr.com.

Life at Full Throttle: Fork Over Love feeding the soul as well as the belly