Adam Gant is a committed philanthropist

Category: Environmentalism

Foods To Donate Adam Gant (1)

Foods to Donate in Bulk This Summer

Nutritionists recommend that people eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, dairy products and healthy oils or fats on a daily basis. For over 42 million Americans, putting food on the table is a struggle. They do not have the means to provide for the nutritional needs of their families.

Over 13 million children go hungry on a daily basis. As summer vacation begins, the hunger crisis becomes a more prevalent problem. Students who have been getting meals at school will now be home all day without appropriate food to eat.

Approximately 10 million elderly adults in America also experience daily hunger. The senior citizen population often hide their struggle with food. They have a tendency to use what they have to benefit other people.

Government programs only marginally help those who need food assistance. Some struggling Americans do not qualify for the assistance that is offered. As a result, more people are turning to food banks for help.

Most food banks rely on volunteers and donations to provide for people in need. As summer starts, donations begin to dwindle. With fewer contributions, food banks become limited on how much help they can provide. Bulk donations of non-perishable food items can help sustain a program’s food supply and keep them in business.

Here are some suggestions for items that can be donated in bulk.

Proteins:

  • Canned Meats
  • Canned Fish
  • Peanut Butter/Other Nut Butters
  • Dried or Canned Beans/Legumes

Grains:

  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Quinoa
  • Oatmeal
  • Whole Grain Cereal

Dairy:

  • Dry Milk
  • Canned Milk
  • Shelf-stable Cheese Products
  • Boxed Milk

Vegetables/Fruits:

  • Canned Vegetables
  • Canned Fruits
  • Raisins/Dried Fruits

Miscellaneous Items:

  • Spices
  • Vegetable, Beef, or Chicken Stock
  • Pasta Sauces
  • Gravy or Seasoning Mixes
  • Tea, Coffee or Drink Mixes

Hunger doesn’t stop for summer. Bulk donations to food banks can help provide nutritious meals for families in need all summer long.

How You Can Start A Community Farm Adam Gant

How You Can Start a Community Farm

When considering how you can benefit your community, donating money and goods may be the first idea to come to mind. However, there are other ways you can provide valuable resources and opportunities for those in your area. One such idea is starting a community farm. The benefits of a community farm are plentiful, especially in urban areas, and they are a great way for you to get involved with your neighbors and form lasting connections.

 

What Is A Community Farm?

Simply defined, a community farm is a shared plot of land that hosts produce, flowers, and other vegetation for anyone to use. These gardens are tended to by the community, meaning that anyone can plant seeds, water sprouts, and harvest fruits and vegetables. Often, community farms are started in order to provide healthy resources and cost-effective opportunities to individuals who might otherwise lack access to such things.

 

Some of the primary benefits of a community farm entail access to fresh produce, urban beautification, cleaner air, diversified relations, and a stronger, more tightly-knit community. Though starting and maintaining a community garden can certainly require a lot of hard work, the positive effects are worth the labor.

 

Getting Started

One of the most important steps to take prior to starting a community farm entails actually communicating with members of your community and gauging their interest. If you are the only individual who is passionate about the initiative and shows interest in tending to the farm, you might want to consider alternative means of serving your community. However, even connecting with your neighbors is a great start; showing them that you have an idea that would benefit everyone could be enough to convince them to support your initiative.

 

Identify Resources

From available, fertile land to gardening equipment, ensuring you have what is necessary for the urban farm is essential. You should devote some time to researching the organizations in your area such as gardening clubs or municipal planners who can support your idea and provide you with valuable resources and advice. Connecting with individuals in your community who have gardening or landscaping experience will also be beneficial.

 

Establish Guidelines

Budgeting finances and determining management duties is often a necessary aspect of beginning a community farm. Designating how you will receive funding for your farm—through fundraising or membership dues, for instance—and who will be responsible for tending to the garden throughout each week can help eliminate some stress and uncertainty. Putting these rules in writing is an important step, as well, to ensure everyone involved has a sense of responsibility for the project.

 

Once you have taken the necessary steps for preparation, you can begin. The benefits of a community farm are immense, and starting one can improve your community by adding to available resources, providing green space, and encouraging community connection and engagement.

Pexels Photo 280221

Clever Ways to Upkeep your Neighborhood

Figuring out how to obtain a more enjoyable neighborhood community for you or you and your family is actually quite simple. Start to get to know your neighbors. Just by simply interacting with the people you live near can significantly strengthen your community and spur organization.

 

Below are tips on how to make your neighborhood community feel more like home.

 

Paint your intersection. Usually, when you think of interesting you don’t think of an intersection. But residents in Portland, some neighborhoods have made them worth stopping for. All you need is some paint, creative people, and a bright design to get started. This is all it takes to bring neighbors together and produce something the whole community can be proud of.

 

Make a poetry box. This idea is simple and does not take too much time at all. Start by creating a box with a clear or plastic front. Put this box on a post and write your own poem or print out your favorite classic. Then display it in the box for all your neighbors to see.

 

Another option is setting up a separate dropbox and encouraging neighbors to write their own poems and drop them in the box. Then post the poems from the neighbors as they come in.

 

A tool library. When you randomly need items such as a leaf blower or a chainsaw or even an electric cake mixer, a tool library is definitely an option. Tool libraries create a space where neighbors can donate rarely used appliances to share. To find a space for a tool library, check with a local business, community center or church group.

 

Set up a book library. Turn old and unused pay phones into small lending libraries. This concept was developed by John Locke in New York City.

 

Turn your front yard into your backyard. You rarely, if ever run into your neighbors in your backyard right? Well, moving your typical backyard activity to the front instantly makes you more visible and approachable. You can establish a front yard garden, build community benches or even simply barbecuing in your front yard are all great ways to connect with your neighbors.

Philanthropy Spotlight: The Ocean Cleanup

Some people march to make a change. Some people create colorful signs to promote equality. And some people, even in the midst of a staggering and seemingly impossible drama, create the solution and thus embody the change they desire so desperately to see.

These individuals stare Goliath in the face and don’t run.

Boyan Slat is one of these people.

Who They Are

Slat, who started the non-profit organization the Ocean Cleanup at just 18 years of age, is making waves in the environment by employing his unique and effective method of ocean cleanup. The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit that seeks to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. And by utilizing the ocean currents to their advantage, the Ocean Cleanup’s passive drifting system is estimated to clean up half the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 5 years.

The Ocean Cleanup is developing the first practical method to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. Every year, millions of tons of plastic enter the ocean every year. Once there, much of the trash drifts into large systems of circulating currents called gyres. Here, the plastic begins to break down and can easily be mistaken for food by marine life. The thing is, going after the plastic with vessels and nets would extremely costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. In fact, according to the United Nations, plastic pollution is estimated to have financial damage of 13 billion USD. Here’s where the genius of Slat comes in.

How They Do It

The Ocean Cleanup is developing a passive system that moves with the ocean currents to catch the plastic. According to the Ocean Cleanup, their passive system is comprised of a floater with a solid screen underneath, concentrating the debris and leading it to a collection system. The system is slowed down by a drift anchor suspended at an approximate depth of 600 meters, making the system move slower than the plastic and therefore catching it.

Boyan Slat, along with everyone at the Ocean Cleanup, is the prime example of someone developing the changes they want to see. The Ocean Cleanup is not only excellent and vital for environmental health, but it speaks of a new mindset. A mindset that includes the  individual taking responsibility upon themselves and determining to transcend limitations and create a better self, and in turn a better world.

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