Happy New Year to all of our donors, volunteers, supporters and cheerleaders! In the month of December we are pleased to report that we received $3,851 in contributions which allowed us in turn to donate $4,955 worth of meals and pantry supplies bringing our monthly total to an amazing 905 meals donated and delivered. Your help and hard work made a difference to so many families and community members this holiday season that we are determined to keep the good vibes going all throughout the New Year.
Wishing you health and happiness in 2024!
Scholarship Opportunity
Climate Essay for Teens
Our friends at Delaware Interfaith Power & Light believe in the power of young voices to inspire change. They are inviting high school aged students from across Delaware to share their personal experiences of how climate change impacts young people.
Scholarship awards will be offered to the most compelling essays, empowering the next generation of leaders to take action on this pressing global issue. This contest is an opportunity for students to connect with the world around them, harness their creativity, and make their voices heard.
Register today with the button below and we look forward to reading what I’m sure will be incredibly compelling submissions.
Biden’s American Climate Corps sees more than 42,000 sign-ups
In the three weeks since President Joe Biden announced his American Climate Corps— a new youth-oriented job program focused on training the next generation of clean energy, conservation, and resilience workers — tens of thousands of Americans have signaled their enthusiasm for the growing green economy. For those at its helm, it’s proof that a modern imagining of New Deal-era community workforces could bring us closer to a sustainable future.
“Everybody is welcome. Because the only way we’re going to meet the moment on climate change is if we have the full team.” says Ali Zaidi, White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy.
While the dedicated government program website will launch early in 2024, you can visit the White House’s official American Climate Corps site below to stay in the loop. Webinars and Listening Sessions will be available as well, so make your voice heard! Our future depends on it.
Read the article on Mashable.com
Chicken Soup with a Twist
Have you given turmeric a try? The golden-orange relative of the ginger root adds heaps of flavor, color, and nutrition to this classic chicken soup recipe. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory that has been used for centuries to aid in the treatment of chronic pain, arthritis, depression, and to support brain health. It is also rich in vitamins C and B6, as well as manganese, iron, and potassium, making this Turmeric Ginger Shiitake Chicken soup the perfect partner in defense against cold and flu season along with your flu shot.
“He that takes medicine and neglects diet,
wastes the skills of the physician.” -Chinese proverb
A low-cost medical clinic in California noticed an unfortunate trend among their patients: they were running out of food. They were at the clinic for a different reason, but the story was the same. “Our patients tell us they regularly run out of food or can’t buy produce. Some tell us they have no money left over after they pay bills each month. Others only have $50 to $100 left over.” says Dr. Gina Moreno-John, the UCSF program leader.
“Nutritious food is critical for good health, but about 23% of our patients don’t have reliable access to sufficient nutrition – what we call being ‘food insecure.” So, Dr. Moreno-John partnered her clinic with local food pantries to invent a program that turned her low-cost clinic into a Food Pharmacy. Now every patient takes home a bag of groceries along with their visit.
The UCSF Food Pharmacy gives out grocery bags of fresh produce and protein twice a month and offers cooking classes and hot meals once a month. Their patients have reported that their brains feel sharper, their health has turned around, and their spirits are lifted. They have reduced their food insecure patients by 49%.
“What’s wonderful about participating in a program like this is that you see the impact immediately,” says Dr. Diana Thiara, medical director of UCSF’s Weight Management Clinic, “It’s not theoretical; on the day you give out the food or do the cooking lesson, you see people’s lives improve that very day.”
With 80 million tons of food wasted, rotting in landfills a year, producing planet warming gasses, I know I don’t need to remind you that we do not have a food scarcity problem in this country, we have a food distribution problem. Food Pharmacies are the perfect way to find and assist those members of our community who suffer from lack of access to fresh ingredients and the health issues that come along with that lack of access.
As Dr. Moreno-John says, “We are making sure we’re giving them everything they need for whole-person care.”
The Food As Medicine Collaborative is an excellent resource for anyone who would like to know more about how food insecurity effects public health.
Read more about the Food Pharmacy program at UCSF HERE.
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