Orange Legal, A Veritext Company’s Post

Last week, Alton’s New York office took part in our Pledge 1% volunteer day initiative, once again teaming up with West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) in Manhattan to help alleviate hunger in the city.    WSCAH’s crucial work ensures all New Yorkers have access with dignity to a choice of healthy food and support services. In support of the organization’s community-focused mission, the Alton team helped prepare 1,490 bags of fresh or shelf-stable food to serve more than 600 families in New York.     Each year Alton supports Pledge 1% https://lnkd.in/eW_ANjH, where we not only donate 1% of our revenue, but also 1% of our time to charitable causes.       Please join us in helping West Side Campaign Against Hunger with its impactful work by donating here: https://lnkd.in/d3eDAKJ   #community #socialresponsibility #corporatecitizenship #givingback #WSCAH #Pledge1%

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. 

One of the most common concerns we hear from potential food donors is the fear of liability—many worry about being sued if donated food unintentionally causes harm. Some even mistakenly think donating surplus food is illegal. ⁠ ⁠ Good news 📣 ✨️ The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects individuals, businesses, and nonprofits that donate food in good faith. ⁠ ⁠ Dispelling this myth encourages more food donations and less waste. Click the link below to learn more about how this law supports food recovery and help us spread the word!⁠ https://lnkd.in/eBtsY6hh #foodrescueus #foodrecovery #fooddonation #goodsamaritan

Join us for our #LCBAKindness Campaign, a movement dedicated to celebrating and spreading kindness in our communities. For every act of kindness shared through our website at www.LCBAlife.org, LCBA will donate $10 to a different charity each month. If you share your act of kindness on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn using the hashtag #LCBAKindness, we’ll double that donation to $20. Together, we can make a real difference, with donations totaling up to $1,000 each month. Simple acts like helping a neighbor, volunteering your time, or sending a thoughtful card can go a long way. Let’s work together to make kindness count! To start the campaign off, we’ll be donating to Feeding America for the month of October. Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks that works to combat hunger and provide meals to those in need. With every $1 donated, they can help provide at least 10 meals to families in need. Your kindness could make a significant impact on the lives of many. It costs $0.00 to be kind, but LCBA will donate $10–$20 for your acts of kindness!  💚 #LCBAKindness #LCBAlife #LCBA #Fraternal #FraternalBenefitSociety #TomorrowTogether #LifeInsurance #LifeInsuranceWithaConscience #DifferentKindofLifeInsurance

How can $20 turn into $25,000? See below

In these challenging times, many families face the daily struggle of putting food on the table. Yanfa-un-Naas Foundation's Rashan Scheme is committed to alleviating this burden by providing essential food supplies to those in need. We invite you to join us in this noble cause and make a real difference in the lives of many. Your donations, whether big or small, can bring hope and sustenance to families striving to make ends meet. By contributing to the Yanfa-un-Naas Foundation's Rashan Scheme, you are not just providing food; you are offering a lifeline, a sense of security, and a reminder that they are not alone. Together, we can ensure that no one goes to bed hungry. Be a part of the Yanfa-un-Naas Foundation and help us spread the message of compassion and community support. Click the link below to get involved 👇 https://lnkd.in/d6UK44eG #YUNF #NonProfit #RashanScheme #DonateNow #CommunitySupport #HelpTheNeedy #MakeADifference #Charity #GivingBack #SupportEachOther #FoodSecurity #EndHunger

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) page is live! https://lnkd.in/gtSJ-8y4 For Feed Geelong Appeal's Lunch Money Challenge, donate the equivalent of what you might spend on lunch on an office day. Today is World Food Day, and donations made on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 October will be doubled thanks to the generosity of matched funding partners. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible and will receive an automatic tax receipt. Whether you donate under TAC, another organisation, or as an individual, your contribution supports the many people doing it tough across the Geelong region to put food on the table, and the incredible work of Give Where You Live Foundation Food for thought: ·      It is estimated that every week the Geelong food relief sector supports around 9,000 client interactions, over 2,000 food parcels, provision of 34,000 meals, and nearly 23,000 kg of food ·      GWYL distributes around $130,000 annually through its Community Choice voucher program, supporting over 7,500 people each year ·      67% of people accessing GWYL’s Community Choice voucher program are female ·      55% of food insecure households in Victoria had someone in paid work (Foodbank Hunger Report 2022) ·      The Geelong region has the third highest rate of homelessness in Victoria (after Dandenong and Monash, all higher than in Melbourne’s inner city)

We need your help to provide another 1,000 VF100 water filters to families in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. 💧🇬🇹 Our water project in the rural community outside of Chimaltenango has already provided 1,000 VF100 water filters to low income families. But there are still families lacking this essential, lifesaving resource. Guatemala is the number one country in Latin America for child malnutrition. Its levels of stunting in children under the age of five is close to 50%. Only half the population has access to uncontaminated drinking water that is readily available. Currently there is no clean water infrastructure in the community we are working in. If a family isn’t able to purchase bottled water from a market, they have no option but to drink water that can make them sick. Together let's change and save lives, one water filter at a time. Your charitable contributions are tax deductible and go directly toward providing clean, safe drinking water in developing rural communities. Give today. Give clean water. Save lives. 💧 #waterforlifecharity #bewaterforlife #chimaltenango #cleanwaterguatemala #waternonprofit https://lnkd.in/g9zVcyjs

Human trafficking is still happening every day, and we must act now to stop it! Every effort counts, and you can make a difference by spreading awareness about this critical issue. Educate yourself and others on the signs of trafficking and the steps we can take to prevent it. Visit our website to learn more about how we combat human trafficking through prevention, protection, and prosecution. Discover the various ways you can help, whether it’s through volunteering, donating, or simply sharing this message. Together, we can put an end to this injustice and create a safer world for everyone. #humantrafficking #humantraffickingawareness #childtrafficking #endtrafficking #sexualabuse #sanbernardinho #InlandEmpire #NonProfit