I was meeting with the two sole members of TIPS, Andrea Ventura and Richie Reno. I arrived early at a downtown cafe I had never been to. The two founding members of the Raleigh based non-profit were already at the bar. We shared a sample of a beer cask infused whiskey then got to work.
We weren’t yet scheduled to begin, but “Andi” started discussing an organization, InterAct, that TIPS will be working with closely in the coming month of April. The conversation was impromptu but spoke volumes about the nature of TIPS’ mission -- to address issues concerning restaurant-industry communities and the service industry workers who feel removed concerning their agency in matters of civic engagement.
In other terms, TIPS raises money for local shelters, charities, the disadvantaged, and has become a voice of public outreach in the Raleigh community. They offer support groups for service industry workers and work tirelessly to orient Raleigh to organizations whose work is based on serving the needs and shortcomings of ALL community members.
I have experienced discontent and disillusionment as the result of dedicating myself to the service industry. I used to work 45 hours-a-week in a good week, or when management let me.
Waking up and heading to the store. Clocking out, slugging beers, staying up late, oversleeping, then doing it all over again most days of the week. I wasn’t doing much for myself. I had fallen into bad habits, had forgotten my hobbies, and felt stagnate and incredulous of my motivations for how I conducted myself daily.
I met with these service-industry veterans, as I believe working with their organization offers an opportunity to serve a community that has become my home in the last year and some change. I have heard tell of -- and witnessed -- Raleigh as a rapidly developing place of industry, commerce, and opportunity.
On the opposite end of this prodigious-commercial spectrum are countless issues that exist across all civic and restaurant communities. Issues of substance abuse among bartenders, servers, and cooks; social perceptions of this lifestyle as a "summer job;" no paid vacations or personal days; always working holidays; and late-night muggings. There also exist issues in our general community regarding homelessness and hunger in a town that prides itself on local produce and local tastes and ingenuity in its food and spirits.
I will be working with TIPS, as they have won over my heart, mind, and ambitions. Before I knew that TIPS was a product of Richie’s, and others', efforts to improve their community, I would donate and shake his hand whenever he worked a shift offering his personal tips toward a community cause. I felt good randomly donating when I could, but I was yet to be invested in the cause(s) and was unaware of the scope of TIPS’ energies.
TIPS now has four members. For April, our focus will be raising community awareness to the ideals and services provided by InterAct. InterAct provides shelter and aid for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape.
TIPS is still a young organization. While there exist some underdeveloped areas and foci, this organization has already accomplished much in the Raleigh community.
From generating a support network of downtown Raleigh restaurants, business owners, and employees, to raising money for charities; collecting clothes and provisions for the disadvantaged; and organizing letter-writing events to reach out to public officials -- TIPS has and will continue to work hard to improve our community and not let service industry workers and their issues be erased to the strenuous and arbitrary hours of a restaurant-based lifestyle.
If you want to get involved in Raleigh, even if you don’t work in the service industry, TIPS is an opportunity to lend your voice, efforts, or even a fraction of your time to work toward a greater cause improving this town for all people.
Please reach out to our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Website as we continue to grow and work with new causes and communities.