MICHAEL SCHNEIDER GIVES BACK , EVEN WHILE TRYING TO SURVIVE .
THE PEOPLE ISSUE
MICHAEL SCHNEIDER GIVES BACK , EVEN WHILE TRYING TO SURVIVE .
Contributed by DEBBIE CARLSON
Few in hospitality have been immune to COVID-19 ’ s economic effects ; one charity is helping the hardest hit .
Michael Schneider , president , Next Events , and founder of Hospitality Cares , is on a mission to help people who have lost their jobs or been furloughed during the pandemic by giving US $ 500 grants to workers in hospitality interior design and procurement .
“ When COVID-19 came , we pooled all our resources and went into high gear to raise money for people in need ,” Schneider says . In 2020 , the charity raised US $ 50,000 and issued 31 grants . It averages three applications per month and Schneider says they ’ re looking for more applicants .
“ We have a good problem of having too much cash and not enough applicants . It ' s a bit of a conundrum . We think that people are embarrassed to ask for money or apply for grants , or that they feel other people need it more than they do ,” he says .
In 2009 , Schneider founded Hospitality Cares in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis with his mentor ,
THE
GIVER
the late Helen Marcus of Zenith Rugs . At the time , Schneider owned the hospitality interiors publication Boutique Designs , and he and Marcus discussed ways of giving back to the industry . The charity raised money in its first year , but when Schneider sold Boutique Designs to ST Media and joined its staff , a conflict of interest shut the charity down .
When Schneider left ST Media in 2019 , he sought to restart the organization , working with Jim Hesterly , now the charity ’ s vice president . By January 2020 , Hospitality Cares had identified its advisory board and it held its inaugural meeting the following month . In March 2020 , Hospitality Cares established its coronavirus relief fund .
“ The irony of this is we did not reboot because of COVID-19 ; [ the virus ] was unbeknownst to us ,” says Schneider .
Michael Schneider is the founder of Hospitality Cares