Syd Mandelbaum, CEO and founder of RWU
Bonnaroo resulted in a lot more than giggly memories and sunburn for us here at The Syndicate. We met so many amazing music industry members, artists, and organizations! It is there that we met Ashley Hillis and Taina Thermidor, representatives from Rock And Wrap It Up! RWU is an inspirational non-profit, with a focus of arranging the transfer of surplus food and supplies, that would otherwise go to waste, to partners that manage distribution among the needy in local communities. Leftover musical and sporting event catering materials (food that is prepared but not served), and discarded toiletries and paper supplies from hotels are among the most frequently donated items. Aside from working to close the gap between those with extra and those in need, the group’s mission also includes reducing landfill waste (by putting perfectly good food in mouths instead of the ground).
According to an article published by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the organization has donated to at least 41,000 shelters and locations in need, has collaborated with 150 bands, 200 schools/universities and 30 sports franchises, and have fed more than 200 million people. We had the opportunity to meet with Taina and Ashley again on our home-turf of New York City, along with other members of their team including CEO and Founder Syd Mandelbaum. I had the exciting opportunity to interview him over e-mail following our meeting.
Once a scientist who became renowned for his work in solving the famed Anastasia Romanov mystery using DNA technology, Mandelbaum has grown Rock And Wrap It Up! into an organization that requires his full-time attention, and his selfless devotion to the less fortunate of our world.
When you first founded Rock And Wrap It Up! in 1990 did you have any idea that the organization would grow to the point it is today? Was this your original vision?
I knew that in 1990 the current tactics to help the poor were not working. I served on the Board of Long Island Cares, a Regional food bank and was exposed to vertical strategies to help poverty fighting agencies. I also served on the board of a soup kitchen which gave me horizontal vision on the street level of how the poor were being helped. Those early experiences gave me the vision to grow our think tank in new directions. We morphed in many ways over the past 20 years. Sharon Osbourne has called us the first green charity in the music industry. Our message is simple; we all need to reduce the planet’s poverty footprint by reducing society’s carbon footprint.
What was your profession before the organization grew to the point that you needed to be around full-time? Was it related to your inspiration for starting RWU?
I worked as a scientist for think tanks, working mainly in genetics, DNA and cancer research. I managed divisions of Fortune 20 companies and received classical managerial training. I also took courses and received the equivalent of a BA in Economics while receiving my MBA in mgt. I had already a BS in Geology and MA in Science. My skills in logistics and planning gave me the confidence to grow RWU. I also was world renown in my other career for solving the Anastasia Romanov mystery using DNA. No she was not. So, fame and ego took a backseat to fighting despair and hopelessness. My parents, who almost starved to death as teens in Nazi concentration camps, inspired me by their survival to try to feed all who hunger.
What do you consider to be the most touching moments you’ve experienced during your involvement in RWU?
There have been many. My father and I had an epiphany in 1981 at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where I felt I needed to come back to America and change the world. It was the first gathering of Jewish Holocaust survivors and it was a special time. Another time was seeing my youngest son stand on a milk crate at a booth in Jones beach Theater, at age 6, and tell people how they could change the world…
The organization has just recently recruited the NHL as an official affiliate. How do you expect the participation of such an influential force in the sports world to immediately affect the food shortage in impoverished communities? Can just one additional group becoming involved make a significant difference?
The NHL will help add millions of meals to help the hungry in North America. We will start with arena food and then empower the teams to mantle other RWU signature programs, like co-branding through Snack Wrap! The New York Mets and NY Giants have started Snack Wrap! programs, encouraging young students to be like the teams and donate food to Rock and Wrap It Up!
What are the types of goods that are most commonly collected from your contributors? How do you ensure your volunteers are trained for proper food handling techniques?
Food, paper products, toiletries, baby items, clothing, appliances, dorm assets.. Our volunteers work with agencies that are certified by local health agencies.
RWU is also becoming increasingly involved with collecting leftover toiletry items and paper goods from hotels; goods that are in high demand by those that you distribute to. What types of initiatives are your team planning to implement to get more hotels involved?
We have become one of the Guidelines for waste management under the American Hotel and Lodging Associations website. We have added a video on our website on Hotel Wrap! We have hired Taina Thermidor, our National Hotel Wrap! and Music Director to concentrate in this sector and she is doing a great job!
What are the plans for further expansion of the mission of RWU for the near future?
We want to grow our mission in more schools, sports teams, hotels, bands and film. We believe The Syndicate and its partners can be an important resource for this expansion. We are one of the only think tanks in the Northern Hemisphere solely working to end poverty. We will continue to work to introduce the Federal Food Donation Act to more government agencies on the federal, state and city level. We would like to see this law adopted by the countries of the G 8 and G 20.
How can someone interested in volunteering, contributing or donating to the program best go about doing this?
People interested in helping us reduce poverty can visit the website (http://www.rockandwrapitup.org/) and make a donation and volunteer. They can also support our efforts by attending our functions throughout the year. This is a tough year to raise money. Even a small contribution will help us continue our vital work.
