Tag: Service

Foods to Donate in Bulk This Summer

On July 17, 2019

In Adam Gant, Blog, Charity, Environmentalism, Service

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

By Adam Gant

On April 9, 2019

In Adam Gant, Blog, Charity, Environmentalism, Philanthropy, Service

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.

A Move Towards True Help: Understanding Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth

By Adam Gant

On May 23, 2018

In Adam Gant, Charity, Philanthropy

Philanthropy is a uniquely western invention. This act of service, which is practiced by many wealthy individuals in America, has manifested itself in a number of ways by a number of people. It has even produced a form of the original known as “philanthrocapitalism”, a term that is indicative of a process that has received intense criticism by some in the recent years.

But the conversation of how much the rich should give and what the motives behind their giving should be is not what’s in question with this article. Instead, it’s important we take a deeper look at the concept of philanthropy, what helping truly looks like, and how the 19th-century millionaire Andrew Carnegie can help point us in the right direction.

In 1889, Andrew Carnegie published an essay entitled, “The Gospel of Wealth.” Here, Carnegie gives the reader some great insight into not only the mind of a multi-millionaire but also into the psyche of a generous philanthropist. But perhaps the most controversial statement in this essay is Carnegie’s insistence that there are two types of poor people.

Carnegie saw and classified a difference between people who are poor due to circumstances largely outside of their control and people who are poor due to a lack of continued fiscal irresponsibility. While many have often misinterpreted his words and wrongly critiqued this argument as harsh, there is something of infinite value that is learned through this sentiment.

Carnegie, whether consciously or not in his essay, draws the philanthropic ventures of the rich into something much more profound than giving money. You see, Carnegie is not arguing that the rich give less, but that they actually give – of themselves – exponentially more. It’s easy for those with a lot of money to give a monetary gift. Not so easy though, is it to engage with a person and truly take into consideration their unique needs. Carnegie agues philanthropy is much more than giving money; it’s about truly helping someone and working to help instill a sense of self-dignity within them and to help instill the belief that they too are deserving of a fair shot in the marketplace of ideas.

In a world that often sees money as the currency of success, it can be difficult to parse through Carnegie’s thoughts. But diligence is the key to understanding, and it’s important we understand how to help our neighbor truly. It may not always be the most beneficial act to give money to everyone who asks. In fact, we may not always have the money to give. But we can always, one way or another, seek to help those in need. And at the heart of Carnegie’s argument is that we, as individuals, have to pay attention to the specific needs of those in distress. And that’s not always as simple as signing a check.

Why Charity Can Only Take Us So Far

By Adam Gant

On April 18, 2018

In Adam Gant, Charity, Philanthropy, Service

In an age that seems obsessed with social change, shouldn’t we be thrilled by the charity of others? It’s true, all the help that we give to those who are suffering is good and necessary. But I do fear that some of the push for change we see in the world is rooted out of a “knee-jerk” emotional desire for the world to change, as opposed to a solidified, strategic goal of embodying that change we so desperately wish to see.

This concept has recently led me to think about the difference between charity and philanthropy. To many, there doesn’t appear to be much of a difference. In fact, many view charity as the organizations that give money to those in need and philanthropy as something that famous people do to give back. But the truth is, you don’t have to be or know Bono or even be massively wealthy to be a philanthropist.

There are more to these concepts than we typically think, and I believe it’s vitally important we discuss the reasoning and outcomes of both.

What’s the Difference?

Charity is the change we leave in the jar in the hopes that change will come in the world. While giving to charities is an excellent cause (and there are many great charities), it’s often classified as something that is an emotional and momentary response to something we see or hear about in the world. In fact, Steve Gunderson, former president of the Council of Foundations, provides a helpful distinction between charity and philanthropy:

Charity tends to be a short-term, emotional, immediate response, focused primarily on rescue and relief, whereas philanthropy is much more long-term, more strategic, focused on rebuilding. There is charity, which is good, and then there is problem-solving charity, which is called philanthropy. – Steve Gunderson

Charity tends to focus on what we can do in response to something.

Philanthropy focuses on providing dignity and respect to the individual.

Buying a meal for someone who is without a home is a great thing to do, but seeking to help build them up as a contributing member of society is even better. For me, philanthropy aims to instill confidence, dignity, and a sense of purpose back into those that so many in society can often forget. Charity is to be encouraged and is still required. But we should also encourage people to continue past giving and enter into partnerships and relationships with organizations and with people.

All are worthy of love, equity and respect. And for me, that’s what philanthropy is.