Very soon, Pierce County residents can choose to do something awesome for his or her community by eating. That's right - chow down, do good. Sign me up!

Thursday, Oct. 24, a new communitywide fundraiser will allow just about anyone to support local immigrants by merely going out to dinner. The fundraiser, called Flavor, will bring together 19 area restaurants. Each restaurant will donate 25 percent of that day's food sales to support immigrant integration services offered by Tacoma Community House (TCH). You don't have to order specific menu items. You don't have to eat things you don't want to or donate extra fundage on top of your meal cost. Just go to any participating restaurant and dine as usual, and 25 percent of your purchase price goes to TCH.

"We wanted to highlight the contributions of immigrants to the Pierce County community, so we thought this would be a great way to do so," said TCH Executive Director Liz Dunbar. "We are showcasing the businesses to hopefully bring in new customers and share information about Tacoma Community House as well."

Participating restaurants are: Adriatic Grill; Alfred's Café; Dirty Oscar's; Doyle's Public House; El Guadalajara; El Toro (Downtown Tacoma); Gateway to India (Tacoma); Il Lucano Ristoranté Italiano; Indochine Asian Dining Lounge; Infinite Soups; Joeseppi's Italian Ristoranté; La Fondita Mexican Restaurant; The Funky Iguana; The Social Bar and Grill; Josefina's Mexican Restaurant; Lele (Gig Harbor and Tacoma); La Crème Brûleè; and The Spar.

Perhaps most important of all - the last five restaurants listed will include alcohol sales as part of the fundraiser. Woo! Seriously, when was the last time alcohol did something to help people? It's about time your favorite beverage gave back.

"Some of the restaurants are immigrant owned but chose not to identify as such," Dunbar said. "Others have immigrant roots through the owners' parents. Still others want to support immigrant culture because of the cuisine they offer or the staff they employ, or because they believe in our work."

TCH is a 103-year-old organization that serves nearly 3,000 people from 85 countries every year. The organization strives to create opportunities for immigrants and other community members through a variety of programs, all aimed at self-sufficiency via skills to navigate American culture successfully. Flavor will contribute directly to a few specific programs, including job readiness and job placement services; immigration and naturalization services; adult basic education and ESL classes; domestic violence help; and other services designed to integrate immigrants into the community.

"Demand for all of our immigrant integration initiatives has grown over the past year," Dunbar said. "Through Flavor, our goal is to highlight the positive contributions that immigrants are making in our neighborhoods and communities, all while raising critical funds that help our participants thrive while navigating life in a new country."

As a special bonus, diners will also have the chance to win a vacation to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico valued at $1,500 at no extra cost! That's right - delicious dinner and a chance at a vacation, too.

For more information, including the locations and contact information for participating restaurants, visit TacomaCommunityHouse.org.