OCLC’s Post

You and your family are most likely preparing for Thanksgiving today, but for almost 1/5 of America, Thanksgiving is a painful reminder of inequity and food insecurity. Use this holiday to reflect on what makes you grateful, and remember that what may seem standard to you is inaccessible to some families. Click the link in our bio to learn more about and get involved in our mission to end food insecurity. #ChildrensHealthWatch #Thanksgiving #FoodInsecurity

Help Us Bring Joy to Families in Need This Thanksgiving! Join the Elijah House Foundation as we work to provide Thanksgiving meal kits to families in need within our community. From November 1 through November 20, bring your canned food donations to Elijah House Headquarters, 2060 Park Ave., Oroville, CA 95966, and drop them in our collection barrel out front. Every can counts! Canned Food Drive Dates (M-F, 9am-4pm): November 1 – November 20 Drop-off Location: 2060 Park Ave., Oroville, CA 95966 Want to sponsor a Thanksgiving turkey? For as little as $20, you can help us provide a full Thanksgiving meal for a family. Our goal is to deliver Thanksgiving meal kits to families who might otherwise go without. Together, we can make this a holiday to remember for families and children facing hardship in Oroville. Why is Matters Oroville’s poverty rate is 23.3%, meaning nearly 1 in 4 families face food insecurity and often struggle to afford basic needs, this statistic is compounded when a family member is in treatment, especially during the holidays. Your donation will help ensure these families have the joy of a warm, festive Thanksgiving meal. Every Donation Brings Hope Help us show these families they are not alone. Each meal kit distributed through our drive brings warmth, hope, and the joy of a holiday shared together. Make a difference today! To Donate: Drop off canned foods or frozen, wrapped turkey, or by pledging $20 or more. Here’s a list of ideal, non-perishable items specifically suited for a Thanksgiving feast: Main Course Essentials: 1. Canned Vegetables – Green beans, corn, peas, and carrots 2. Boxed Stuffing Mix 3. Instant Mashed Potatoes 4. Canned Yams or Sweet Potatoes 5. Canned Cranberry Sauce 6. Canned Gravy or Gravy Mix 7. Canned Pumpkin or Pie Filling Soup and Broth: 1. Canned or Boxed Chicken or Vegetable Stock/Broth 2. Cream of Mushroom Soup (for green bean casserole) Breads and Sides: 1. Cornbread Mix 2. Biscuit or Roll Mix Baking and Dessert Ingredients: 1. Evaporated Milk (for pie filling) 2. Pie Crust Mix 3. Graham Cracker Crusts (for pies) 4. Boxed Cake Mixes (pumpkin, spice, or apple flavors) 5. Instant Pudding or Jello (holiday flavors) Seasoning and Cooking Additions: 1. Cooking Oil (small bottles) 2. Sugar and Flour (small bags) 3. Holiday Seasoning Packets – sage, thyme, rosemary These items provide all the classic components of a Thanksgiving dinner and are shelf-stable, making them ideal for donations. This list can help families easily prepare traditional holiday dishes. #ThanksgivingDrive #GiveBack #ElijahHouseFoundation

Definition of Irony: Food banks have Thanksgiving items year-round. Growing up as 1 of 11 kids, our parents had to get creative to fill the “grocery gaps”. We ate flounder sandwiches for breakfast that dad brought up in the crab scrapes the day before, veggies from mom’s garden and mom-traded items on Cove St. I’m convinced that 85% of my body is comprised bartered items and free-lunch from school. Growing up, we ate a lot of food bank food. We were grateful for the meal, but I couldn’t help noticing some trends in the brown bags. Cans of yams, turkey gravy, stuffing mix and cranberry sauce were in nearly every bag. Fast forward to when my kids’ schools are doing food drives and we are now blessed to be able to donate to food banks. I show up for the can drop and notice everyone donating the same stuff. Basically, everyone cleans out their pantry and the most common items nearing expiration are holiday foods, especially Thanksgiving items. I was getting ready to donate some expiring cornbread stuffing and I stopped myself. Is it really generous to divert your throw-away items to someone’s plate? The answer for me is”sort of”, because you don’t have to participate at all. Consider buying something for the food drive that you would want for yourself. Better yet, put some good quality food in the hands of someone directly, maybe on the street. Times are tough for lots of people, and good food is hard to come by.

Support Sacramento State's new holiday tradition: ASI Food Pantry Friendsgiving Feast! Please take a moment to read their description below: The ASI Food Pantry is thrilled to introduce Friendsgiving Feast, a new initiative transforming our Thanksgiving Food Baskets into a warm and vibrant community gathering. This November, we’re creating a space for students to come together, enjoy a festive meal, and experience the true spirit of Thanksgiving. In addition, your support will help stock the ASI Food Pantry with holiday food essentials for students in need. Why Your Support Matters: The holiday season can be especially tough for students facing food insecurity. By supporting Friendsgiving Feast and the ASI Food Pantry holiday restock, you’re not only providing a meal – you’re helping create a memorable experience and fostering a welcoming, supportive environment on campus. Our Goal: Your generous contribution will help us: - Serve a high-quality, nutritious Thanksgiving meal for students - Provide a festive and welcoming atmosphere for students - Support students experiencing food insecurity during the holidays - Create lasting memories for our Sacramento State community #sacramentostate #csus #stingersup #madeatsacstate #foodinsecurity #studentneeds #basicneeds #holidays #Thanksgiving #collegefoodpantry #foodpantry

Food: Giving Thanks...to Whom? Growing up in an Irish Catholic household, our family grace was always, “Bless us, Oh Lord, for these gifts…” But as a mother to two thoughtful boys, I started to reflect on how that prayer felt out of place. I began to wonder what I truly wanted to instill in them about our relationship with food. Recognizing the Value of Food I want my boys to appreciate the significance of food. Many people don’t have the luxury of deciding what to eat for dinner or even if they’ll have dinner at all. I grew up hearing, “There are starving children in the world; finish your plate.” While that sentiment has faded, I want my boys to understand their privilege regarding food and to recognize that many struggle to access nourishing meals. I hope they will take action against food inequity whenever possible. Thank you for this food. Gratitude for Every Contributor It’s essential for my boys to express gratitude for every person involved in bringing food to our table. From farmers to truck drivers to grocery store employees, the list can be extensive! By reflecting on the countless individuals who contribute to the simple act of eating, they gain a deeper appreciation for each meal. As children, we explored this process in depth, and now that they are older, we acknowledge all who helped us receive this food. Thank you to everyone who made this meal possible. Awareness of Our Community I want my boys to recognize their connection to a larger community: a county, a country, a world. Our food choices can have ripple effects, influencing both people and the planet. It’s our responsibility to help others when they are in need and to make choices that are healthy for the Earth. May all eat well. Creating a world where everyone is nourished requires collective effort and awareness. It calls for moments of grace where we reflect on the bigger picture, fostering gratitude for what we have while motivating us to support others. Here’s our new grace as teenagers: “Thank you for this food. Thank you to everyone who helped bring it to us, and may all eat this well.” #gratitude #foodasmedicine #appreciatinglife #givingthanks

On November 28, the U.S. will celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that began in what’s now Virginia. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Specialty Diagnostics business operates a manufacturing facility in Middletown, Virginia. For the past three years, 90 members of our Middletown team have given a Thanksgiving meal to 12 local families that might otherwise go without one. A dozen teams from practically every part of the Middletown operation, from production staff to training specialists, quality managers to warehouse workers, create 12 baskets. The baskets are filled with non-perishable food items needed to make a Thanksgiving meal, gift cards and special vouchers for perishable food, and other items to address a particular family’s urgent needs, such as diapers, hats, gloves or children’s clothing. The kindness of our Middletown team was further shown by including other items, such as puzzles and coloring books. To add some friendly competition to the basket program at Thermo Fisher’s Middleton site, the baskets are judged, and for the second consecutive year, I was honored to be one of the judges, this time remotely. It was difficult to think about anything other than the care, compassion and generosity that went into the contents of each basket, what it will mean to the family who receives it, and how proud I am to work alongside the people of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Once complete, the baskets are delivered to Family Promise Northern Shenandoah Valley, a local non-profit that delivers the baskets to families in need. Family Promise’s local coordinator told our Middleton colleague Hannah Thiel, who co-leads the site’s Community Action Council with Becca Hartley-Cole, “Your teams went above and beyond in bringing much-needed items for families to be able to have a joyous Thanksgiving. One Mom called me crying from her car after she picked up her items.” This program, this week and the upcoming holiday are all reminders to be grateful for all that we have, and to give back whenever we can. Happy Thanksgiving. #QualityProfessionals #QualityAssurance #RegulatoryAffairs #QARA #Regulatory #Quality #QualityControl #QualityManagement #Thanksgiving #Gratitude #Giving Back

Avocados have exploded in popularity across the United States. But to produce all that guac, the avocado industry is gobbling, too — scarfing up vast swaths of Mexican forest, where millions of monarch butterflies migrate to spend the winter and other imperiled wildlife struggle to survive. Most avocados sold in the United States come from a single region in Mexico, where the industry burns forests and uses an enormous amount of water — 18.5 gallons to produce one avocado — in a region already suffering from extreme drought. Avocado production also brings land grabs, pollution, and violence to Indigenous and other local communities. Research from Climate Rights International has linked this devastation to importers that supply major U.S. grocery stores with avocados. Tell U.S. grocery stores to adopt avocado-sourcing policies that protect human rights and monarch habitat. While some grocery companies have anti-deforestation policies for palm oil and beef, few — if any — have them for avocados. And most corporate policies to protect human rights don't address violence to Indigenous and other local communities in their supply chains. If we demand that grocery stores source avocados responsibly, we can build a better food system. But we need to act now.               Every day more than 10 football fields' worth of Mexican forest are cleared for avocado production. If the United States keeps consuming avocados at this rate, by 2050 the land destroyed to grow them will have increased by more than 70% — at the expense of even more forests, including those of the world-famous Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Imperiled monarchs are plunging toward extinction already. Losing their winter home in Mexico could be the final blow. Join us in urging top U.S. grocery chains to adopt an avocado-sourcing policy that protects monarchs and human rights.

On Sunday, families around the world will gather to celebrate Easter. In the US, traditions often revolve around church services, Easter egg hunts, & meals with family, so it's no surprise that the holiday would come with a large price tag. WalletHub released a report about Easter spending projections for 2024, detailing everything from the world's most expensive chocolate bunny to how much #money will be spent on spring clothes. Here are some of 2024's most surprising Easter spending stats. From new clothes for pictures with the Easter bunny to baskets filled with gifts & chocolates, there's plenty of money to be spent on holiday festivities this year. WalletHub also reported that Easter is the most popular day for Americans to attend church, which makes the holiday a big donation day, too. That amount is down from the $192 per person WalletHub projected in 2023, but up slightly from 2022, when projected Easter spending per person was $170. In addition to outfits worn at different celebrations like New York City's Easter Parade & Bonnet Festival, many families will buy new clothes to celebrate the holiday or to take seasonal photos. Pastels, florals, white, & other bright colors are often popular choices. From brunches filled with pastries to large dinners of ham, potatoes, & vegetables, #food is often a key part of #family Easter celebrations. WalletHub reported that more than half of parents are making Easter baskets for their children this year, including kids who no longer live at home. The most popular items are chocolate eggs & bunnies, jelly beans, candy-coated eggs, & marshmallow candies. In 2023, Business Insider reported the most popular Easter candy in 30 states in 2022 was Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. Per WalletHub, 91 million chocolate bunnies are sold in the US annually, & Americans also eat 16 billion jelly beans on Easter. In addition to candy, it's common for American children to receive small toys or other gifts on Easter. The annual White House Easter Egg Roll began in 1878 during President Rutherford B. Hayes' #administration & has only been canceled 3 times since its inception (once because of rain & twice because of the #COVID19 pandemic). Over 30,000 #people attend the event every year, including the president, first lady, & celebrity guests. There are also 1,200 volunteers, according to WalletHub. More than 80,000 souvenir wooden eggs are made for the event yearly. In 2016, Forbes reported that the company Very First To was behind the expensive bunny. #Advertising #Agriculture #Analytics #Banking #BestAdvice #Commerce #ConsumerBehavior #Coronavirus #Creativity #Culture #Data #Database #DataMining #DataScience #Design #eCommerce #Economics #Economy #Entrepreneurship #ExecutivesAndManagement #Fashion #Finance #Finances #Happiness #Investing #Leadership #Marketing #Markets #Motivation #PersonalFinance #Productivity #ProjectManagement #Publishing #Statistics #Sales #SmallBusiness #Startup #Strategy #Success

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I would like many to remember that this holiday is not always celebrated with food. Having the abundance of entrées, side dishes, desserts is truly a privilege. In my home city--Toledo, Ohio, experiences significant food insecurity, especially among low-income households. In Lucas County, where Toledo is located, around 21% of residents and 25.2% of children are affected by food insecurity. Many residents face challenges accessing nutritious food due to the prevalence of food deserts—areas with limited access to affordable, healthy food options, particularly affecting neighborhoods with low incomes and reduced mobility options. These food deserts are compounded by economic hardship, as roughly 61% of Lucas County households facing food insecurity fall below the income threshold for SNAP benefits, limiting their ability to access additional food assistance programs. Organizations like the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank play a vital role in addressing this issue by providing food distribution, SNAP outreach, and educational programs. Community initiatives, such as local food pantries and projects like the Little Free Food Pantry and community gardens, further support residents in need. Despite these efforts, food insecurity remains a pressing issue that requires continued community and policy efforts to ensure equitable food access and support for Toledo's vulnerable populations. This year my church helped by providing gift certificates for food to members of our community to promote community presence as well as helping those in need. If you are able, you should try to provide others with food or you can invite others to your home to help with the prevalent food insecurity of today! #publichealth #socialdeterminantsofhealth #foodinsecurity #publichealt #toledo #food

We have a story in the latest issue of Neighbourhood Media detailing all the work we do via Addison Road Food Pantry Camperdown, our low-cost grocery store which makes use of rescued, donated and purchased food to support the local community and its needs. The story (link below) shows how we help feed people from Mission Australia's Common Ground housing project and the nearby Johanna O’Dea Court, a multi-storey NSW Family and Community Services apartment block. It also explains how we serve people living on a tight budget in Camperdown and Glebe, as well as people who come to the pantry from right across the City of Sydney LGA. Most of all, the story is a celebration of our monthly Addi Road 'Let's Get Cooking' sessions (AKA "the Cook-Up"), which offers 260 free hot meals for Mission Australia and Joanna O'Dea residents, as well as those shopping at our Addi Road Food Pantry Camperdown. These sessions involve a monthly cooking demo inside the Common Ground building. Food literacy is the ultimate goal behind Addi Road's Let's Get Cooking program. As well as simply providing a free hot meal (and dessert) each month, we look at helping people to shop AND cook with often very limited funds. Each month there are easy recipes on offer (and ready to be tasted) along extra tips for stocking people's kitchen cupboards; a list of essentials to facilitate simple, inexpensive and nutritious recipes that will match whatever Addi Road Food Pantry might have in stock. It's about building an integrated food ecology for people battling. With a few extra special ingredients over a shared meal as the community comes together: camaraderie and connection. + #Addiroad #cityofsydney #foodrelief #foodjustice #housing #inequality #Camperdown #Glebe #MissionAustralia #homeless #battling #costofliving #poverty #resilience #mentalhealth #wellbeing #nutrition #diet #charity #community #freemeals #cookingworkshop #volunteers #caring #education #connection #letsgetcooking #neighbourhoodmedia https://lnkd.in/gs7vVEvM