Peanut butter and jelly will change the world.
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Peanut Butter & Jelly
It’s called the Peanut Butter Plan. Once a month a dozen of Strangers get together, make peanut butter sandwiches and immediately pass them out to homeless people. No federal subsidy, no foundation, no vouchers. No official sanction from anybody. Just strangers, good will and peanut butter.
Jory John, a San Francisco children’s book writer, got the idea for the PBJ stealth campaign this spring. John put forth the idea on Facebook and, over the past few months, PBJ handouts have taken place in Los Angeles; Berkeley; Phoenix; Little Rock, Ark.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Austin, Texas; and London.
“People are joining from all over the place,” John said. “I thought it was about time to use a social networking site to do some good.”
The monthly gathering took place the other evening around a conference table inside a publishing house that had donated its office for the cause. There was barely time for introductions before jars were pulled out and sleeves were rolled up.
“There’s something nostalgic about peanut butter and jelly,” said Ryan Lewis, organizer of the gathering. “It’s comforting. Everybody ate peanut butter and jelly as a kid. It’s an old friend.”
Some people make one sandwich at a time, slowly. Some make a dozen sandwiches at a time, lickety-split.
If there is anything complicated about a PBJ, it’s getting the proper ratio of PB to J. Put too much peanut butter and it’s too dry. Put too much jelly and it’s too soggy.
“I started out 50-50,” said volunteer Efrat Lelkes, a San Francisco pediatrician. “But that’s too much jelly. I think the proper ratio is 3-to-1, in favor of peanut butter.”
And then, when the last glob was spread and the conference table was scrubbed clean, Lewis dispatched some sandwich-laden volunteers to the Tenderloin and some others to the Haight and South of Market. He led a small group through the Mission District and there was no shortage of people who found the idea of a complimentary peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich to be just the thing.
The sandwich distribution is best done in pairs, Lewis said, because you never can tell. On Valencia Street, one homeless fellow began screaming that he didn’t want any “poison sandwiches” and started shoving the young woman who was seeking to give him one. But the buddy system worked and the fellow was persuaded to shuffle off.
“No good turn goes unpunished,” his would-be benefactor said.
Outside the BART station at 16th and Mission streets, a dozen folks accepted sandwiches. Robin Holmberg took one sandwich for herself and one for Ben, a black Lab.
Holmberg, an auto mechanic who hasn’t had any cars to work on for a while, said she had not eaten all day. She said she was waiting for a check, although she wasn’t sure which check.
“I’m at the lowest of the low, but why be depressed about it?” she said, chewing thoughtfully on her sandwich. “It’s not me, it’s the economy. I’ll be all right.”
When the sandwiches were gone, Lewis and his fellow sandwich makers retired to a nearby tavern for a beer. The camaraderie of doing something nice, along with the beers, made everyone feel pretty good and some of the strangers exchanged phone numbers. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Jory John said, is everyone’s friend.
Nobody doesn’t want one. They’re cheap, easy, and they hold up for a couple of days, if you don’t overdo the jelly.
Peanut Butter Plan from The Quotidian on Vimeo.
“The smallest actions make the biggest difference,” he said. “There are some cynics who say it’s not really curing hunger, and it isn’t curing hunger. But it’s curing one person’s hunger. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
To volunteer
Information on the Peanut Butter Plan, including upcoming Bay Area sandwich-making parties, is available at www.peanutbutterplan.org
Read more at SFGate
Everyone of us can make a difference and it can be with something as simple as PB& J.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hello Giovanna!
Man! This is such an awesome idea. People not caring about any government help or money, but just getting together and helping others, and the peanut butter thing is genius! I noticed, watching the video, the smiles on the faces of the volunteers as they prepared the sandwhiches. So cool.
Thank you for sharing this!
Even a simple thing shared with others can be sooo MUCH for them. Share HAPPINESS, we can not be happy even we don’t make others happy. God wants us to have creativity to share.
Gio,
Guess what I had for breakfast today? Peanut butter and jelly! For me that’s quite unusual so it’s such a coincidence that I read your post today. It’s wonderful what these good people are today, and so inspiring. Your posts always are!
Thank You Giovanna,
For this inspiring story of people helping people. It started out as one and added many more to it.
Dan and Deanna “Marketing Unscrambled”
I love the aspect of giving food to those in need, but the notion of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, something virtually everyone in America was raised on, should provide a level of spiritual healing beyond just satisfying the hunger.
Hi Giovanna,
Peanut butter and jelly make a big difference indeed. They seem more worthier than just money.
Thanks for sharing.
Giovanna,
Thanks for sharing this. What a wonderful and simple way to be a community of love.
Hi Giovanna,
Such a wonderful story…and Imperfect Action! The simplest acts can surely make the greatest impacts. Many blessings to all those participating in this project. Will surely spread this positive News on our blog, too! Thanks so much for sharing.
Many Blessings….
Roxanne and Hugo
Believe Achieve
Thanks for this — this is inspiring me to get back into making food to give away. I did this for a while at a shelter at the church I was going to but it fell by the wayside, so this is a helpful reminder.
Hi Gio .. that is an amazing idea and so brilliant that it’s spreading far and wide. Now winter is approaching in the northern hemisphere there will be more people who will need support - so many are so generous with their time.
Thanks for showing us
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
Hi Giovanna - this was utterly fascinating! What a great story!
One thing that makes it extra fascinating to me is that here in Australia we would call it peanut butter and jam, and though we are aware of this sort of sandwich, it isn’t eaten very often. I don’t think I’ve ever had one! I like peanut butter, and I like jam - I guess I could try putting them together. Sounds a bit scary, though!
Hi Keith,
It is amazing how simple this idea is and how much joy it is bringing to so many people.
Thank you so much for your comment and joining the conversation.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperecfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Maria,
Thank you so much for your comment and sharing your thoughts.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Daphne,
Peanut butter and Jelly is my favorite, I eat it all the time. So, it is very cool for me to see how much Joy and happiness it is bringing to so many.
Thank you for your comment and adding more to this post.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Dan & Deanna,
Most thing in the world started out with one person than it become many…
Thank you for your comment and support.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Mark @ Global Patriot,
Yes, you are right about the PB&J being spiritual healing. You are a wise man.
Thank you for your comment and sharing your wisdom.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Arswino,
I love PB&J so I am sure it can make people happier, more importantly, I think it is the love and kindness is shown that make everyone even more happy.
Thank you for your comment and joining the conversation.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Mark,
I am glad you enjoy this story.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with me.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Hugo and Roxanne,
Thanks for your comment and spreading this positive message.
Yes, sometime the little thing in life, can make a big difference.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Chris,
The world can never have too have good people like you doing great things.
I am glad this inspire you to get back to your goodwill work.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Hilary,
I love this story. It just goes to show any small idea with action can make a big impact.
Thanks for the comment and support.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Hi Robin,
Thanks for your comment and the conversation.
The frist time I heard of Peanut butter and Jelly together. It sounded very crazy to me. But once I try it, it is very good. I hope you will give it a try.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfet Action is better than No Action
I love it! I forwarded it to my daughters in Detroit and Atlanta. I’m getting on the bandwagon here in Phoenix. Because of your story more will be eating PB & J. yeah
Hi Tess,
Giovanna Garcia
That is so awesome, to know that there will be more PB&J served in Phoenix, Detroit and Atlanta. You are changing the world.
Thanks for your comment and getting on the bandwagon.
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Great stuff!
And of course, peanut butter and jelly RULES!
Several times in the past few years I have been fortunate enough to share Subway sandwiches with people who were down-and-out or homeless. They would be near a Subway sandwich shop when I happened to be going in, and I would just invite them to come with me and eat. What a great blessing!
It is true that with simple actions, we can all make a HUGE difference!
MS
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