Service Industry Veteran Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Provide Financial Support and Assistance to Fellow Industry Professionals

A great cause to raise awareness and funds for our wait staff's future…

The tussle over tipped wages forms a less visible but no less divisive side of a larger debate over boosting the federal minimum wage. A bill now in the Senate would raise the base wage for tipped workers to at least $7.10 an hour from $2.13 now, phased in over about six years. But until it gets there, a service industry professional has devised a solution.

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Victor Johnson

Nov 17, 2014, 08:40 ET

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Nov. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Victor Johnson, founder and creator of this new campaign is a 15 year service industry veteran from one of the most cut throat places in the country: Mall of America.  Johnson has just released a new project called "Service Industry Benefit Fund" along with his sister projects: a must see "Cow Tipping T-shirt" and a very insightful blog.  The projects range in variety but parallel in message.  The message is that waiting tables is tough and tipping is a necessity not a luxury.  Part of the reason this job is so hard is due to the circumstances.  The good tips and lively human drama are gratifying, but the job also serves up high stress, exhaustion, and a fat menu of hazards.  First of all servers have to deal with hot ovens, slippery floors, backaches and sore muscles, and then they have to recover from these injuries with zero insurance or vacation/personal days.  Anyone can see this is the perfect storm.  And add in late hours and early mornings and then we add exhaustion to the list.  All while making minimum wage.  Something has to give for the life of the server to have a decent quality of life.

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Photo of charge slip.
Photo of charge slip.

This is why Johnson has created this campaign.  Recently he had received an insult for a tip that hit a little too close to home. And with this comment he decided to leave the industry and take up another passion--writing.  Before he leaves the scene completely he wishes to leave his legacy.  His legacy will be a fund to help.

This could be a game changer in the service industry.  Servers can finally do what they love or at least what they are good at while being able to plan for their future.  This progressive concept is on GoFundMe, it will be fascinating to see how this new idea is accepted amongst peers.  With so much success and positive feedback so far, the creator looks to expand his reach, but it will have to be through shared efforts.  This will be a campaign to watch.

Crowdfunding enables people with a great business ides to ask the general public for funding. The business sets monetary goals, and explains the intent of the funding. People can then make pledges in return for a reward if the target is reached.

Cow Tipping Tee: http://teespring.com/capcowcanoetipping                     
GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/h7d22k

Service Industry Benefit Fund                    
Contact: Victor Johnson            
Phone: 612-991-4030            
Email

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141114/158764

SOURCE Victor Johnson