One small act sparked something much bigger.

Many years ago, one of the chefs working at Cater Plus handed in her resignation. She was a great worker, reliable, talented, and well-liked and her resignation didn’t make sense.

When asked why she was leaving, she was hesitant to say. Eventually, embarrassed but honest, she explained that her car had broken down. She couldn’t afford to fix it, and without a car, she couldn’t get to work.

She needed $800.

Instead of losing a good staff member, instead of watching someone spiral into financial stress, unemployment, or debt, a simple solution was offered: the money to fix her car, paid back gradually through payroll.

That small act changed everything.

Cater Plus didn’t loose a great staff member

She kept her job.

She avoided debt.

She kept her sense of dignity and purpose.

And something else became clear — how small, timely support can create big impact.

That moment became the spark for what was then the Cater Plus Foundation, a registered charity, created to support people who had fallen into the grey areas — the ones working hard, doing their best, but slipping through the cracks.

Carrying the Legacy Forward.

The Hodge Foundation is the continuation of that original spark.

While the Cater Plus Foundation carried out many acts of support over the years, The Hodge Foundation was created to ensure this way of giving could continue — more intentionally, more sustainably, and beyond any single business.

It exists to carry forward a legacy of:

• Helping people early, before situations escalate

• Supporting those who may never ask for help

• Backing underdogs, misfits, and people in the grey areas

• Offering dignity, not judgement

At its heart, The Hodge Foundation is about being good humans — because we can.