Club Member Spotlight: Rob Tobiassen

The past year has proven to be a challenging time for the National Press Club -- for our staffers and for our members. Despite the ravages of COVID-19, there have been glimmers of hope and resilience in our midst.

Many of our members are kind and generous but recent actions by fellow Club member Rob Tobiassen really stand out. Rob figured out a great way to help furloughed Club employees while simultaneously helping the Club’s business.

Rob is one of the most ardent customers for Club takeout. He was in the Club most every day before COVID and had an office in the building where he served as president of the National Association of Beverage Importers.

In fact, Rob seems to be in for nearly every meal kit the Club produces. Staff loves to see him when he comes to pick up. It has been this regular contact with staff that also made him one of the earliest and most frequent contributors to our Furloughed Employee Fund. 

During the pandemic, Rob figured out how to combine these two interests -- supporting the Club’s takeout business and supporting the furloughed staff. Here’s what it looks like: Rob purchased five of the recent Cinco de Mayo kits and asked that they be distributed to five furloughed employees. Management identifies the group of employees and the kits are either picked up or delivered to those employees.

This is great news for them and their entire family, as the kits feed several people. By donating this way, Rob is helping the business – and when he does that, he is helping the working staff – AND he’s helping the furloughed staff who receive the meals. 

Rob has done this a few times now, which is admirable and deserved a shout out. He is quiet about it, but agreed to let us share his idea to get other members to consider ways they too can help.

The Club can certainly receive donations like this but since we are not a 501c3, there is no tax deduction. However, depending on your employer, this kind of approach could be deducted as a business expense. 

Thanks again to Rob Tobiassen for being a shining example of the important role members play in keeping the Club moving.