Dining Out At 50 Local Restaurants Could Help Save Lives

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—If you don't have plans for Thursday night, we've got an idea. Make a reservation at one of nearly 50 Baltimore area restaurants and at the same time help others.

Ron Matz has more on Moveable Feast's Dining Out For Life.

It's another busy day at Moveable Feast. The many volunteers, including CCBC nursing students, prepare thousands of meals to be delivered to the sick and needy.

"I think it's a great opportunity for all of us to give back to the community, help people less fortunate and in need," said Mike Meadowcroft, volunteer. "It makes us feel good working as a group. It's a good team project."

 "We serve people with AIDS, people with cancer, folks who because of their illness can't get out of their homes to go shopping or prepare their own meals," said Tom Bonderenko, Moveable Feast executive director. "We go to Baltimore City, the five surrounding counties and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Last year we delivered close to 740,000 meals."

You can enjoy a good meal Thursday night. It's Dining Out For Life, a fundraiser for one of Baltimore's best nonprofits.

"Just go to any of the participating restaurants," Bonderenko said. "Twenty to 50 percent of what you spend there that night will come directly back to Moveable Feast to support our mission. Dine out and save a life. We have 110 individuals on our waiting list. They're waiting and in need of our service, so a couple of dollars that folks give to us goes a long way. We really appreciate what the restaurants do, too."

Ruth Sutor knows about that mission.

"It's just a good organization," she said. "You never leave here without somebody saying thank you for coming and that means a lot to the volunteers."

Sutor's been volunteering for 12 years.

"I don't care how people got the disease. They have a disease and they need help. I feel like I'm helping somebody and now that we help women with cancer it makes it even more rewarding," Sutor said.

Last year volunteers gave 52,000 hours to Moveable Feast. They delivered more than 700,000 meals last year and now it's a chance for you to help too on Thursday night.

"Dining Out For Life is a great time of the year for us. Restaurants have really stepped up to the plate again this year to make a difference for us and the people we serve in the community. We have about 50 restaurants participating. Some do breakfasts for us. Some are doing breakfasts and lunch. Others are doing lunch and dinner," Bonderenko said.

WJZ is a proud sponsor of Dining Out for Life.

For a list of participating restaurants, click here.