CORE Launches ‘Serving Up Hope’ Campaign to Rally the Food & Beverage Industry Behind Families in Crisis

Fundraising initiative unites restaurant, beverage and hospitality brands from 9/1 – 10/31, 2026. The public can donate to support restaurant families in need.

NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees), a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting food and beverage service families in crisis, today announced the launch of its 2026 “Serving Up Hope” campaign. Running September 1 through October 31, the initiative unites restaurants, beverage brands and hospitality partners across the country in a shared mission: building a financial safety net for industry families facing the toughest moments of their lives.

Serving Up Hope raises funds through a wide range of grassroots and corporate activations, including special menu features with proceeds benefiting CORE, point-of-sale round-up donations, in-restaurant fundraising events, and dedicated corporate partnerships. Every dollar raised helps CORE deliver direct financial grants to food and beverage employees and their families coping with health crises, natural disasters, and other unexpected hardships covering essentials such as housing, utilities, groceries, and transportation.

“Serving Up Hope is more than a fundraising campaign – it’s our industry standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the people who bring us together around the table,” said Jill Chapman, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships at CORE. “Every gift, whether it’s a five-dollar online donation or a national sponsorship, tells a restaurant family in crisis that they are not alone.”

This year’s campaign is made possible by the generosity of restaurant, beverage and hospitality companies from across the industry, including:

Heroes of Hope: Cromwell Media, Custom Culinary, Guest Counts Hospitality, Din Tai Fung

Champions of Hope: Areas, Boston Beer Company, Cleveland Menu, Cuisine Solutions, FSR Magazine, Heineken, IMI Agency, Kerry, Marriott, Nation’s Restaurant News, Ole Smoky Distillery, QSR Magazine, Questex, Restaurant Leadership Conference, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery Estates, Terlato Wines, Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Beacons of Hope: Alliance HCM, Goo Goo Cluster, Sysco

CORE is inviting restaurant guests, industry professionals, and the public to join these partners in supporting food and beverage families in need. Every contribution helps CORE assist more families in crisis.

Learn more or donate by visiting: https://coregives.org.

“No one should have to choose between paying rent and taking care of a sick child,” Chapman added. “With the industry’s support, we can make sure that’s a choice our families never have to face alone.”

About CORE

CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting food and beverage service employees and their families during life’s most difficult challenges. CORE has awarded direct financial grants to thousands of families navigating health crises, natural disasters, and other unexpected hardships.

Kristine Mylls
CORE
kristine@coregives.org
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