November Newsletter

A message from our Executive Director, Teresa Ripley

Welcome to the TAPTF Society’s November Newsletter! In the month of October, we received $5,505 worth of contributions which we then supplemented and processed into 1,462 meals and other donations worth $8,442. Cass & I were fortunate enough to take a two-week break while the team kept the ball rolling. Big thanks in particular to our friend Geri Boisjoly and our eldest son Isaiah for all they did in our absence. People often marvel at the meals number, and wonder how it is calculated. Let me take a moment to explain. When we began in 2020, 90% of the meals were those that were fully cooked and ready to heat and eat. Because of the zeitgeist of 2020, this is what was needed to assist the community. However, that has changed over the years of our operation, in the best and most sustainable ways. Some of the organizations that we donate to continue to receive the heat and eat meals and that will always be the need that we fill for them because their clients do not have the facilities with which to cook for themselves. Most others have evolved to cook for themselves, so instead of providing heat & eat meals, we give them whole foods from which they can create their own meals.

This progression is in keeping with our mission because we want to teach sustainability and resiliency rather than “fishing” for people who no longer need that level of assistance. We want to thank all of our donors and supporters who have helped us evolve our mission from a single seedling to a many limbed sapling, and to someday – with your help – a mighty oak! 

On their recent trip to Germany, Teresa & Cass saw first hand how another part of the world handles their recycling. In fact, when Germany imposed a fine for mis-recycled materials way back in 2002, they saw such a jump in recycling that they currently have the world’s highest-performing drink container recycling system, achieving a 98% return rate. The combination of convenient drop-off locations and a meaningful deposit return have transformed Germany’s recycling system and reframed the average citizen’s mindset to think about simple ways of reducing waste in all aspects of their lives.

Learn more about Germany’s effective recycling strategies.

Learn more about what other counties of the world are doing to reach their recycling goals.