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How to Fight Hunger and Reduce Food Waste During Your Next Move
Moving forces people to make a number of difficult decisions about what they can and can’t take with them. In those frenzied days of wrapping, packing, and figuring out whether or not that dresser is really going to make it up the stairs, most of us don’t take the time to consider what we’re going to do with all the food we’ve stored in our cupboards and pantries. Too often, these perfectly good items are tossed in the trash or left behind.
More than 42 million Americans are considered food insecure, meaning they lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and a limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Meanwhile, 40% of all food produced in the United States each year is lost or wasted.
So while throwing away a box of cereal or a few cans of soup may not seem like such a big deal at the time, when you consider that more than 30 million Americans move each year, it adds up.
Fortunately, there’s a solution.
Move For Hunger is a national non-profit organization that has mobilized the relocation industry to reduce food waste during the moving process. Our network of moving & relocation professionals provides customers, clients, and residents with the opportunity to donate their unopened, non-perishable food to a local food bank instead of letting it go to waste, all free-of-charge.
It was a simple idea that has had a profound impact. Since 2009, Move For Hunger has delivered more than 10 million pounds of food – that’s the equivalent of 8.3 million meals – to food banks and pantries nationwide.
There’s something about food waste that tugs at our conscience. Perhaps we inherited that from our grandparents, who lived through the rationing of the World Wars, saw the bread lines of the Great Depression and never missed a chance to remind us how good we have it now. Wasting food was unthinkable to earlier generations, and it should be unthinkable now, too.
If you are relocating this year, or if you know someone who is, please share what you can spare and helped provide meals to your neighbors in need. Visit MoveForHunger.org to learn more about our work and check out our Find a Mover map for a listing of socially-responsible moving companies in your area.
Every move is an opportunity to help a family in your community. Please donate your food when you move. It will be the most important box you’ll pack.
Source: CB Blue Matter Blog
What Is Giving Tuesday and How Can I Give Back?
We spend Thanksgiving being grateful. A roof over our heads, loving family members, new and old friends, good health, and delicious Thanksgiving dinner are some of the things we are thankful for. Then we spend Black Friday and Cyber Monday scoping out great deals on goodies, perhaps for the people we are thankful for. Finally, we spend the Tuesday after Thanksgiving giving back to the community. Giving Tuesday is a day dedicated to giving back to the community. Here are 3 ways you can get involved with Giving Tuesday.
1. Donate
Giving Tuesday is the perfect day to make your year-end donations or donate goods to your favorite charities. What are you most passionate about? Are you passionate about ending poverty, finding cure for a disease, achieving equality for all, or combatting climate change? Whatever your passion may be, you can find nonprofit organizations that can help you make a difference in the world.
Most importantly, do some research on the charity organization. Charity Navigator is a great online tool that evaluates charities. It offers charity assessments for thousands of organizations. Check out the organization’s rating, mission statement, and fund allocations.
Here are some of the charities that we are thankful for this year.
- Adopt-a-Pet.com
Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website. Since 2015, the Coldwell Banker community and Adopt-a-Pet.com helped over 20,000 pets find their new homes through the Homes for Dogs Project.
- Move For Hunger
Move For Hunger works to reduce food waste and fight hunger. Their network of moving companies, real estate agents, and relocation professionals rescues non-perishable food from people who are moving and delivers it to local food banks.
Remember, if you decide to make monetary donations:
- Find out if your employer offers a matching gift program. Many companies often encourage their employees to give to the community by making a dollar-for-dollar matching contribution to the employee’s charity of choice.
- Keep records of your donations. Donations to qualified organizations may entitle you to a charitable contribution deduction against your income tax.
2. Volunteer
The gift of time is invaluable. Volunteering is a great opportunity to meet and connect with others in your community. Share your knowledge and expertise with an organization that supports the cause you care deeply about. You may even be able to build on your existing skills or learn new skills. Volunteer this Giving Tuesday or on an ongoing basis.
3. Advocate
Support a cause by giving your voice. You can be an influencer of political, economic, or social policies and practices. First, educate yourself on the important issue. Learn the facts on both sides of the issue to gain credibility. Then, start conversations and engage others to share the knowledge. It’s also a good idea to visit your elected officials and let them know why and how they can help with your cause. Find out who your Federal, State and Local Elected Officials are and how to contact them. Make your voices heard!
The love we give away is the only love we keep. You may decide to donate, volunteer, or advocate (or all the above) to participate in Giving Tuesday this year, but whatever you decide to do, become part of something bigger and meaningful. There is no better way to warm your grateful heart than to give back to the community.
Source: CB Blue Matter Blog
