Since we are always looking for donations, let me share with you our baked potato donation. We enlisted a local BBQ restaurant (Wilhoites in Grapevine Texas) to donate and bake the potatoes for us. They were happy to do it, and we noted them on a little handout that we did for the luncheon.
The handout was a trifold
* it started with a poem for the teachers (which I have lots of and put on our Council website)
* and inside it noted the names of the new school year which listed the names of the PTA board
* and then the other portion of the handout, noted the wonderful local business that donated to the Welcome Back Teacher/Staff Luncheon.
also, we were able to get Olive Garden to discount our price quite a bit, and provided the bread sticks.
another local school had already arranged with Olive Garden to donate the salad.
Metzy does it basically the same as we do. I definitely agree, multiple ovens!!! We've never lined the ice chests but it sounds like it would make it better (duh! why didn't I think of that!)
I have found that grocery stores are really good at donating food. I have a much harder time getting paper goods donated.
We've added lemonade to the drink options for those who avoid caffiene but don't want water to be their only option.
We've also used chili as a topping, (love the mushroom soup idea!)
We have used plastic table cloths that are recycled. Tear down takes a little longer with the cloths but we give the remaining toppings away at the end (first asked, first received) and the crockpots leave with their respective owners.
It is easy and the staff loves it! Some helpful hints:
Bake the potatoes in several homes. Using just one oven is not a good idea (don't ask!) unless your oven is made for that purpose.
Store still-tinfoiled hot potatoes (hehe) in a tinfoil lined ice chest and make sure to close it tight.
Fixin's are cool because you can plan other things around them. Shredded cheese and bacon bits will go wonderful on lettuce for those dieting or carb counting staff members. Try to plan for your fixin's to do double duty.
Crockpots work great for fixin's whether they are cold or hot. Make sure you have enough spoons and forks for fixin's. Two per item may seem like alot, but it isn't...lol... Plastic-ware is great here.
Have your volunteer coordinator call parents to purchase and/or cook. It doesn't take very many people, but you can spread it out to make folks feel included... have 8 ovens cooking 5 lbs of potatoes each... have 5 parents each purchase and shred a head of lettuce or salad type item... etc...
Iced tea and water are pretty much the favored liquids for this type of luncheon, so don't go all out for 10 different kinds of drinks. KISS is the best way to go here... (Keep It Simple Stupid - no offense intended...lol...).
Most grocery stores or restaurants will donate the paper goods, like paper plates, cups, napkins, etc. A request on letterhead will usually suffice and it can be handled immediately by the store. They don't even need an hour's notice as a rule.
Set up and tear down takes a little longer than you think, so allow your group about 45 minutes on each end, longer if you are putting down table cloths. I just use paper so that clean up is quick.
You should plan on about a pound of potatoes per person. You should be sure to have butter, sour cream, bacon bits and cheese at the minimum. It helps to have a salad, but isn't necessary. Approximate cost when we do it (for a staff of 120) is about $100. We also provide a thick mushroom soup (which alot of people use on their potatoes, but we provide for those who may not want a potato or salad). We usually have 8 - 10 types of toppings from plain butter to steamed broccoli. OH! Don't forget salt and pepper!!!
Our school has about 55 teachers/administrators on staff. We want to have a back to school lunch but are limited on funds. In the past we have had boxed lunches and such. I am interested in this "Potato Bar" idea. If you have done this for your staff please share some ideas.
