Springfield real estate agency to support local non-profits during Food Truck Thursdays
Mar. 28—A local real estate agency will host bi-weekly food truck events to network, fundraise and help local non-profit organizations.
Real Estate II will host Food Truck Thursdays every other week from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting April 7 in its parking lot at 1140 E. Home Road in Springfield.
Lori Fulk, one of the owners, said the agency does this to give back to the community.
"Our founding brokers always impressed upon us as agents to be rooted in your community," Fulk said. "Finding a way during the pandemic to still stay viable and be a giveback to the community, it just keeps us constantly in the forefront in the community's mind that we give back. ... It's been a good time. It's not just business all day long. We look forward to those Thursdays."
This is the third year the agency will invite food truck vendors out and hold a separate donation drive for the non-profits. These events are put together by a committee including Fulk, Heather Minier and Lynn Schrader.
"During the pandemic, I was president for the Arts Council at the time, so we were all freaking out what to do to stay viable. We were encouraged to think outside the box with the businesses we're in. I saw all of the food trucks popping up in neighborhoods, and thought about having them come here, so we partnered with non-profits in the local area because we knew they were struggling as well and we would take donations for them," Fulk said.
Fulk said they helped eight non-profits the first year in 2020 and raised between $4-5,000. In 2021, they helped about 15 non-profits and raised $5,000.
The agency also does a parking lot podcast the same day that features the non-profit on who they are, what they do, and what their outreach and needs are.
"They loved it the first year. There are not many restaurants around, so it helped them to be able to help people during their lunch times to connect and network. It's us giving back to the community," Fulk said. "Food truck vendors also love it. Some were very philanthropic and helped as well with the donation drive."
Real Estate II, which is owned by Fulk, her husband Al, Lisa Smedley and Ryan King, has been locally owned and operated for 43 years to help people find and sell homes.
The schedule for Food Truck Thursdays will be:
April 7 — Eat and Keep Clark County Beautiful
April 21 — Poppy's Smokehouse Café and NHP of Greater Springfield
May 5 — Eat and Project Jericho
May 19 — Griddles & Cheese and Second Harvest Food Bank
June 2 — Christian Brothers and Interfaith
June 16 — Diamond Dogs and Animal Welfare League
June 30 — Rudy's Smokehouse and Springfield Arts Council
July 14 — Raging Bull and St. Vincent de Paul
July 28 — Tommy's Double Barrell BBQ and Break The Cycle
Aug. 11 — Christian Brothers and Awakenings of Clark County
Aug. 25 — Old School BBQ and Clark County Literacy Center
Sept. 8 — Street Food by Chef Daryl and Clark County Heritage Center
Sept. 22 — Poppy's Smokehouse Café and SCYM
Oct. 6 — Christian Brothers and PHI Beta Sorority
Oct. 22 — Rudy's Smokehouse and United Way
