SAN DIEGO — A San Diego company that started small is making a big mission to pay it forward.
Ocean Beach’s Skrewball Whiskey is on a road trip across America to spread kindness in a van called the "Shaggin’ Wagon" and an R.V. called the "Sheep Wagon."
Skrewball owner Steve Yeng and two of his Skrew Krews stopped to Zoom in Nebraska with News 8 on Friday where they donated $5,000 to a local food pantry.
“We come from very humbling beginnings and we felt we could give back at a time when it's needed most,” said Yeng.
The campaign is called "Skrew it Forward." It started on July 17 and since then, they’ve donated more than $15,000 to charities and those in need.
“Each day of the week they get a $1,000, but you have to donate that. 'Be a Skrewball hero, what would you do with $1,000?' that became popular,” said Yeng.
In the past month they’ve stopped in Northern California, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota and Nebraska to help fill food pantries and feed homeless people. They also helped veterans, a small mom-and-pop winery, and educational causes, like filling backpacks for students and helping a basketball camp for at-risk youth while adhering to public health guidelines.
“To help fund their dream and it's great to give back to their community and Skrew it Forward across the country,” said Michael Bolmey, Skrew Krew member.
It’s not just money they are donating, but time, such as feeding the homeless in Denver.
“I think it's essential in times like this. Anyone can always donate money, but I think it's crucial to donate your time as safely as possible,” said Ebony West, Skrew Krew member.
Roadtripping hasn’t been easy. Some have been on the road for a month and the air conditioning compressor just went out. They’ve also had to replace tires and a catalytic converter on the R.V. was stolen. Each were replaced at no cost as a way to pay it forward.
In the northwest, there was a shout out on Facebook for spotting Lloyd and Harry from Dumb and Dumber on the highway.
“Hope and spread kindness is our main mission right now,” said Yeng. “We are better together.”
While on the road they donating $8,000 for schools in Ocean Beach and Point Loma to fill backpacks for 400 students.
The Skrew Krew plans to be on the road for another month. Their next stop is unknown as they travel by day, checking with state and city public health orders.
If you want them to make a pit stop in a town you know needs help, give them a shout out on their Instagram or Facebook.
Skrewball provided highlights of the Skrew Krew acts of kindness while on the road:
- Bought the remainder of backpacks for kids worth $200 for a charity drive in front of Fred Meyer for the Salvation Army. The Radio Station hosting was 93.7 Mountain FM in Spokane.
- Donated a case of sanitizer and masks to a struggling mom and pop winery called Indian Peak Winery in Manton, CA owned by Donna and Fred Boots. They were struggling due to COVID and had to move to subscription-based deliveries. Donna is a stage 4 cancer survivor so delivering during COVID is a risk so they made sure they were sanitized and protected.
- Donated 2 hours of time and fed the homeless at Denver Rescue Mission. Denver has an extremely high homeless population and volunteers have been lacking due to COVID. In addition, they bought $1500 in clothes for the Rescue Mission to aid the homeless and struggling families.
- $5k was donated to The Lab in Chandler, AZ. It’s a basketball camp that gives at risk youth a place to stay off the streets. The money will be used to buy new gym equipment.
- Skrewball donated a van full of food (40 bags) to the Storehouse in Albuquerque, NM. Began the Skrewball Hero Campaign where a $1k was given to 5 people and they get to donate the money to their favorite charity.
- Donated $2,500 to South Dakota City Management. They will use money to help veterans.
- A young man was helping them in South Dakota and told him of his struggles. He was going to have a big wedding but because of COVID and the economy, he can only have close family at the wedding and doesn’t have the financial means to take a honeymoon. They offered him to come to San Diego and paying for his flight and accommodations.
- They donated $5k to Together Omaha. It will be used to keep up with the food pantry as they have been hit very hard during COVID.
- $250 of Peanut Butter and Jelly was donated to a local food bank Dignity Health Connected Living in Redding, Ca. They specifically make 500 bags weekly to feed senior citizens and typically can't afford those items due to cost. PB&J is the most requested sandwich by senior citizens.
- $1k to Panhandle Alliance For Education (PAFE) in Sandpoint, ID. Idaho has the lowest per capita spending for education in the country so the community rallies to establish funding to take care of public schools, kids, grants for teachers and provisions. They met Mayor Shelby Rognstad of Sandpoint and he recommended that was the best way to aid the town. This money will go towards special training for teachers to identify a curriculum to support the needs of kids returning back to school after a long break due to COVID.
- They haven’t forgotten about their roots and hometown. $8k was donated to local elementary schools in OB/Point Loma. 400 kids will be given backpacks fill with goodies to keep them occupied during distance learning. The new backpacks will help with the kids looking forward to the new school year although it is a virtual classroom. OB Town Counsel will be in charge of putting it together and disbursing it.