Qu POS’ Post

JULY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The need for our daily Noon Meal has been rising and we are feeding more and more people each day. We rely on volunteers to help us serve our patrons- can you help out on one of the dates listed below? Each day, we need: 2-3 people to help prepare food from 9a-11a (includes chopping, making sandwiches, repackaging snacks, putting together sack lunches, opening cans, etc.) 5-7 people to help serve food on a cafeteria style line from 11a-1p Dates with asterisks by them are the biggest needs. If you can help on the dates listed below, please message the page or email [email protected] *Volunteers must be 10 or older to help with preparation shifts and 13 or older to help with serving. See less

This time of year, our food pantry sees stress and anxiety levels rise. Inflation, the increasing cost of utilities, and the financial demands of the holidays bring us our busiest season of the year. We can't change this- but we can make sure that our organization is prepared and ready to accommodate the individuals coming to us for support. When we are explicit about recognizing that anyone using a food pantry is also facing a host of other challenges, then we can be more thoughtful and deliberate in how we serve them, and make it a better experience for everyone. Here are some steps for building a trauma-informed food pantry, since this work is never just about food and hunger.

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

Great initiative as always.

🎵 🎧 Giving Kitchen's year is (NOT YET!) wrapped up. 52% more food service workers are asking for help this year than in 2022. As Giving Kitchen's case management team enters the busy holiday season, consider making a contribution to GK and support the growing need. Show your support 👉 https://bit.ly/GKEOY2023 📌 Share this post and let food service workers in your local community know you care about them. 💙🧡 Together, we are Giving Kitchen. We help food service workers.

Delays in SNAP processing are very disheartening. Benefits and resources, like SNAP, serve as a lifeline for countless individuals, like Mary Helen, experiencing food insecurity right here in our community. 🍲 Access to nutritious food is a basic human right. The delays in SNAP benefits can have profound effects on vulnerable communities. 🤝 As a community, we must advocate for efficient and timely distribution of benefits, recognizing the essential role they play in addressing immediate needs and fostering long-term well-being. Let's do better, Texas. Let's ensure that these lifelines remain strong, offering hope and sustenance to those who need it most. #SNAP #FoodSecurity #CommunitySupport #Advocacy #SocialImpact https://lnkd.in/geWcwHqH

At Denver Food Rescue, we believe that acknowledging the inherent dignity of our program participants is just as important as the food we provide. Our No Cost Grocery Programs, like the one pictured at Thomas Bean Towers, operate using a ‘choice model.’ This means that families get to decide what foods to take home based on what best suits their needs, rather than being handed a box of food that they may be unfamiliar with. We also require no ID or proof of income to get food at our No Cost Grocery Programs. We believe that everyone deserves fresh food, no matter their situation. Lastly, we break away from the traditional ‘food pantry’ model by delivering the food we rescue directly to a No Cost Grocery Program within 2 hours. This means we are able to provide the freshest quality food to our participants, and it enables us to rescue mostly fresh produce. Learn more about our mission at our website, DenverFoodRescue.org. #foodaccess #foodrescue #foodjustice#foodsecurity #healthequity #healthequitynow #healthequityjustice #healthequityforall #denvervolunteers #volunteer #denverfood #denver

Today's Friday affirmation: Food Education Standard #7: We can advocate for food choices and changes that impact ourselves, our communities, and our world 🗺️ 💙 💪 We believe that young people have the power to make meaningful changes to their food systems. That's why our Food Education Fellows end their school year by leading a food advocacy project with their students. Every food advocacy project looks different: some classrooms choose to advocate for changes in their cafeteria by meeting with their school nutrition and administration, some start food drives or share tables to combat food waste in their school, some practice talking with friends, family, and even local businesses about changes they want to see made. Food advocacy means something different to all of us, but ALL acts of advocacy are important steps in changing our food system for the better! What does food advocacy look like for you? #foodadvocacy #foodeducation #fridayaffirmation #foodsystemschange #pilotlightchefs #studentadvocacy #foodsystems

Human Being -OR- Human Race Reflecting on the essence of our existence, I often oscillate between being a ‘Human Being’ and part of the ‘Human Race.’ The former seeks connection and presence, while the latter is caught in the relentless pursuit of doing. This dichotomy can cast a shadow over us, as it did for me, Founder, Chief Hunger Fighter of www.satisfeed.org, during a moment of vulnerability. My experience, shared on LinkedIn and Instagram, resonates with many. It’s a reminder that amidst the hustle, we must carve out space for being—to nurture our mental and physical health. SATISFEED’s mission, fueled by my passion, mirrors this balance. It’s not just about distributing food; it’s about fostering relationships and building a community where everyone has a place at the table. Our organization’s growth, from serving 40 families bi-monthly to over 300 weekly, demanded a shift from pen-and-paper to a digital system, a transition encouraged by the Board, Staff, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. This change, though arduous, reflects the ‘doing’ part of SATISFEED—implementing efficient systems to support our expanding reach. Yet, at its core, SATISFEED remains a testament to ‘being’—a compassionate response to human need, a beacon of hope in Gwinnett County. It’s a reminder that in our fast-paced world, the true race is not against time but towards meaning and connection. As we navigate the ‘do-do-do,’ let’s not forget to pause, to dwell, and to be—fully human, fully alive.

One of the most common areas that we get asked about is what is the best food to serve at a Children's Party. In the latest Memorable Parties blog we give some great tips on what to consider.