Feel Good Friday - Redhawk Native American Arts Council

November is Native American Heritage Month and this is a great time to learn more about Redhawk Native American Arts Council.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of Redhawk Native American Arts Council is “educating the general public about Native American heritage through song, dance, theater, works of art and other cultural forms of expression.”

Created and maintained by Indigenous American artists, performers, and educators residing in New York and New Jersey, Redhawk Native American Arts Council produces some of the largest Indigenous and Indigenous heritage celebrations in the Northeast, including the Raritan Native American Heritage Celebration & PowWow, the Bear Mountain PowWow and the Indigenous Peoples’ Day event in New York City.

In addition to these events, there are several programs that Redhawk runs. Educational workshops include Indigenous dance, music, storytelling and traditional arts programs for students from pre-k to university levels, corporate employee diversity programs that help people better understand Native American cultures, and workshops that focus on the relationship between Indigenous cultures and Mother Earth.

The social justice work they do focusdes on topics such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and the harm that is being done by the use of Native American mascots. There are also a series of online programs accessible to people in and outside of the tristate area which include social justice and activism from an Indigenous perspective, Native American dancing and Pow Wow history, cultural sensitivity training, and classes in music, art and dance.

If you’d like to support Redhawk Native American Arts Council and the work they do give people a better understanding of Indigenous American history and of the diverse cultures represented within Indigenous America you can. Make a general donation to the organization or target the scholarship fund for First Nations college students who reside or attend a college in the New York City area. You can also amplify their message on social media by following Redhawk Native American Arts Council on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - U.S. Hunger

With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on hold and a variety of holidays coming up, it seems like a great time to highlight the work being done by U.S. Hunger.

Founded as Feeding Children Everywhere in 2010 and headquartered in Longwood, Florida, the first project of U.S. Hunger was sending food to Haiti in response to the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which displaced 1.3 million people. 

Recognizing that 1 in 10 households struggle with food insecurity, now the mission of U.S. Hunger is “feeding families today and uniting them to a healthier tomorrow. Here’s how they do it. 

The Full Cart program is a virtual food drive. Individuals and corporations make a monetary donation and U.S. Hunger partners with community-based organizations to provide individuals and families boxes with shelf-stable food and fresh produce. Hunger Projects are high-energy meal packing events good for groups who want to make a difference in the fight against hunger. This video is a glimpse into what it looks like - hairnets and confetti together at last!

U.S. Hunger also ships containers packed with meals and supplies to partners in 53 countries around the world and provides disaster relief where it’s needed whether that means mobilizing volunteers or raising funds to ship food.

Since they began, U.S. Hunger has distributed over 191 million meals and more than 157,000 food carts to hungry people across the globe thanks to the help of over 800,000 volunteers Looking at this 2024 impact video, you can see some of the 88,414 volunteers who participated in 281 hunger projects and packaged over 18 million meals last year. You can read individual impact stories here.

If you’d like to help U.S. Hunger provide healthy meals to those in need there are many ways you can get involved. Volunteer your time, donate your money, shop for merch and raise awareness on social media. Follow U.S. Hunger on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - 10/31 Consortium

Happy Halloween! Today we’re profiling a krewe that’s been organizing Halloween events for children for the last 15 years, 10/31 Consortium.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 10/31 Consortium was started by a group of friends who love Halloween and wanted to find ways for the children in their area to have a safe an happy Halloween. You can watch this 2-minute explainer video to hear the origin story from one of the founders.

The goals of 10/31 Consortium include revitalizing the neighborhood tradition of trick-or-treating, providing comfort and support to children who are hospitalized, and creating outlets for the community to express its Halloween creativity. There are several programs that support these goals.

Trick or Treat assistance helps neighborhoods who want to encourage trick-or-treating by proving costumes for children, candy for neighbors to hand out, flashlights, street closures and security. Free costumes, both new and gently used, are collected during a costume and candy drive that runs from from September 1st through the costume giveaway day in mid-October.

In partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, 10/31 Consortium provides goodie bags for hospitalized children that can include art supplies, Halloween crafts and gift cards. There is also a Kids’ Court Youth Leadership and Volunteer Program that was created in 2018 to teach children ages 6-18 about organization, compassion and public speaking.

In addition to all of this, 10/31 Consortium organizes the Fifolet Halloween Festival every year. It is Baton Rouge’s largest free Halloween event and the 4-day festival culminates with a Halloween parade and food drive. The 2025 Festival took place earlier this month but now you know so you can plan your visit for next year. 

Since they began, 10/31 Consortium has collected more than 12,000 pounds of food, donated $25,000 to OLOL Children’s Hospital, and given away 6,409 Halloween costumes for a total financial impact of $335,247!

If you’d like to support their work you can volunteer your time, donate your money and shop for merch. You can also raise awareness on social media by following 10/31 Consortium on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribing to their YouTube channel.