Mollie Katz’s Post

Not sure where to donate? Or which food pantry needs the most help? The Tackle Hunger Map helps bring all the pieces together. Visit map.tacklehunger.org to automatically see your closest food pantry, its needs status, and donate…all in one place. #TackleHunger #Map #TechforGood #Easy #GiveBack #Donate #Community

Hello Chicagoland Network! As some of you know, I volunteer with PAWS Chicago. They are having Open Houses this month to learn more about volunteering. The first one is this Sunday at the Medical Center. Here is the information. If you are an animal lover, it's a great organization to get involved with! Even if you can't volunteer, please consider PAWS Chicago for your donations and Corporate Matching Programs. PAWS Chicago has a 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator. Less than 1% of charities evaluated by Charity Navigator have ever received a 4-star rating consecutively since 2003, indicating that PAWS Chicago outperforms most other charities in America. Charity Navigator is the country’s premier independent charity evaluator, ranking charities based on their efficient use of donor funds. #animalwelfare #pets #petsarefamily #volunteering #volunteers #volunteeropportunity #volunteersmakeadifference #charity #charitysupport #corporategiving #matchinggifts #corporategift

What does your company do for your team?

🙌 Initiatives like Aldi UK's surplus food donation program are making a crucial difference to children facing poverty in the UK. By partnering with the Neighbourly platform, Aldi ensures that food which might otherwise go to waste reaches those in our society who need it most. This approach not only addresses food poverty but does so in a sustainable and impactful way, exemplifying responsible corporate citizenship. #SurplusFoodDonation #ESG #SustainableBusiness

Did you know that 1 in 8 Americans experience food insecurity while more than $200 billion is spent on food that will never be eaten? That’s billions of pounds of food wasted instead of going to those who need it. Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC) aims to redistribute excess food to people experiencing food insecurity. RLC makes it easy for businesses to donate their excess food to their community and provides a reliable, professional food rescue service for our partners at an efficient cost. Join us at the Rescuing Leftover Cuisine Gala 2024 as we unite to end food insecurity. If you cannot attend, please donate to support the cause. The link is in the first comment below. #foodrescue #donate #foodinsecurity #nonprofit

We must accept that inventory at food and beverage (F&B) establishments (e.g. restaurants, retail grocery stores) does expire. Food service workers at restaurants must discard any inventory received within 7 days or product that was defrosted and refrosted [1, 2]. That’s even with so many F&B establishments following the Food Safety and Inspection Services’ (FSIS) guidelines. Food eventually rots, then sent to a landfill or incinerator to emit carbon dioxide and methane. The guidelines aren't helping reduce food insecurity in the US, which remains above 10% for households since 2001 [3]. The 1996 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act intended to change that. Without criminal or civil liability (i.e. potential to be sued), F&B establishments could donate an “apparently wholesome food” or an “apparently fit grocery product" to nonprofits that would distribute it to "needy individuals" [4, 5, 6, 7]. They could only be held reliable if food service workers knew that the food wasn’t safe to eat (i.e. intentional misconduct) or didn’t check for pathogens like mold (i.e. gross negligence). Then why must I repeat that food insecurity has increased since 2001, and "up to 40% of the edible food supply ends up as food waste [and loss] [8]?" The Bill Emerson Act should make donating easy, especially when no company has been sued. There hasn't been enough education on food donation protection laws [9]. Moreover, the ambiguity of "apparently wholesome" or "apparently fit" renders civil and criminal immunity pointless. Rather than focusing on what to donate, F&B establishments focus on what won't get them in trouble. For context, Walmart’s Frank Yiannas’ team counted 47 "different" labels [10]. The 2023 Food Donation Improvement Act is a step in the right direction. It specified who qualified as a donor: retail grocers, wholesalers, agricultural producers, agricultural processors, agricultural distributors, restaurants, caterers, school food authorities, and institutions of higher education. Additionally, donors could set up a network of nonprofits, agreeing on a fixed rate to sell donated food to them: a "good Samaritan reduced price," which is not greater than making the food available for sale (e.g. handling, processing, packaging). F&B establishments could donate directly to individuals with civil and criminal immunity, too. Yiannas’ departure from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2023 indicates there’s more to be done. In his departure letter, Yiannas spoke about how the FDA is entering a "new era of smarter food safety," where it’s "bending the curve of foodborne illness once and for all” [11]. That curve must overcome 50% of food manufacturers, 25% of retail grocery stores, and 21% of restaurants feeling that liability concerns were still a barrier to donation, after being surveyed by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance in 2016 [12]. Until that curve is fully realized, however, F&B establishments won't donate. 

To deliver the best possible services and make a real impact on your purpose, your organisation must be set up effectively. For many, this will involve redesigning and implementing a new target operating model. Woodgreen Pets Charity wanted to become more effective and impactful, adopting a more proactive and preventative approach to supporting pets in need. Our new case study shows how Ad Esse Consulting helped Woodgreen with this goal - https://lnkd.in/ePzVVXD4 #Charity #PetCharity #AnimalCharity #OperatingModel #TargetOperatingModel #BusinessConsultancy

During our last community kitchen event, something remarkable happened. As we were distributing meals, we unexpectedly ran out of takeaway packs. Rushing to a nearby store to get more, we met Olamilekan a food vendor. Instead of accepting payment, Olamilekan chose to donate the packs to us. He was deeply moved by our efforts, something he had never seen in his community before, and wanted to be a part of it. Even if he was selling food , he didn’t feel uncomfortable about us giving out food around him. We salute Olamilekan’s generosity and his willingness to support his community. Now, imagine a world filled with more people like Olamilekan—where sharing and giving back are the norms, and everyone has enough to eat. This vision is within our reach, but it starts with each of us. Be like Olamilekan. Donate today, and together, we can make this a reality. #foodcliquesupport #sdg2030 #zerohunger #sdg2 #hungerheroes #endinghunger #foodsystem #charity #donation #socialimpact

🏆 Prize Draw Insights: Celebrating Sussex's Charitable Spirit! 🎉 At the recent Acumen Business Convention, we hosted a prize draw with a revealing question: "Sussex boasts many remarkable charities, yet only a handful are widely known. Tell us how many Sussex-based charities you know?" The results underscored this statement, with circa 100 respondents consistently mentioning three well-known much-loved charities: Rockinghorse Children's Charity Chestnut Tree House Martlets Hospice An additional 77 charities were captured, but a large majority only by a single respondent, thereby highlighting the significant challenge faced by grassroots charities in Sussex to build awareness of the work they deliver. At Focus Foundation, it is our mission to support lesser-known grassroots charities in raising their profile and encouraging opportunities for collaboration. Congratulations to Rockinghorse, Chestnut Tree House and Martlets for elevating their profile so successfully. We aspire to help other charities achieve similar recognition. Together, we can connect communities and change lives. 💜 #FocusFoundation #SussexCharities #CommunitySupport #CharityAwareness #ThisIsFocus ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW

The results of our annual impact survey are in. We’ve found that, over the last year, there has been a surge in youth food insecurity as a result of the cost of living crisis. The survey also found that: 🍏 The number of charities seeing 18-25 year olds accessing food support has doubled in the last year 🍏 The cost of living crisis is forcing young people to seek support from local charities, which are under pressure 🍏 Almost half (43%) of charities we provide food to would likely have to close down without support from FareShare Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eiVmJmGQ