From Kings to Killing Fields

Before I get started, please know it's difficult to attach photos to this blog from my phone and trying to position them among the text nearly impossible so if you're here for the photos, they're all at the end of this post. And in reverse order of how I want them to show up (sigh). Now that I got that out of the way... 

It's been a busy two days in Phnom Penh. Starting with a visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Amazing architecture, emerald Buddhas, silver elephants and roaming cats. I'd love to tell you more about the history but I opted not to hire a guide and the map was not so informative. Gives me something to look up later. 

Afterwards, I used an app to order a $1 tuk tuk ride to Wat Phnom, a temple on a hill that houses four Buddhas found by Lady Penh and a colony of flying fox bats! I spent most of my time there watching, and listening to, the bats. They sound like birds and kind of look like them when they fly around. So cool. 

A short visit to the Central Market where I was too overwhelmed to buy any of the items on offer, clothes, jewelry, electronics, souvenirs, haircuts, fish, crabs, fruits and vegetables. The building is art deco style and there are 4 entrances. Much like parking your car, it helps to pay attention to which side you enter if you want to exit the same way. 

Next was a sunset cruise on the Tonle-Sap River. Lovely to get little history while enjoying the view and marveling at the traffic on the river. Tourist boats, fishing boats and car ferrys all vying for a spot on the water. I shared a table with a Finnish couple who plans to move to Phnom Penh in a few years. Then at dinner I met another couple from Australia and China who moved here and haven't looked back. You can rent a house for $100/month and you never have to shovel snow out of your driveway. Most exciting if you're coming from Finland. Time to start rethinking your retirement. 

Today, I went on a tour of the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng Genocide Museum. It was as grim as you imagine, maybe even more so. If you don't want details, skip to the photos. 

The area we went to is one of many killing fields in Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge executed people and left them in mass graves. Flooding in the area is causing the ground to sink and pieces of clothing and bones are surfacing as a result. There is a stupa on the site where the bones of almost 9,000 people are being kept. Our guide shared the story of his parents and their experience during that time. He also shared more gruesome details about the site which I will spare you. It's hard but important to witness. 

Then we went to the museum. A former high school where the Khmer Rouge took people to interrogate, torture and kill. Walking through the buildings there are room after room with hundreds of photos of people that were taken when they arrived. Of the 20,000 people sent there, only 12 survived - 4 of whom were there answering questions and selling books they wrote about the experience.

After all of that, what can you do to lift your spirits? Go to Walk Street - a temporary pedestrian only zone that stretches over a mile along the riverfront. Grilled meat and seafood, matcha soft-serve ice cream, vendors, performers and hundreds of people walking, eating and hanging out. I walked all the way to the night market where I ordered "friend" noodles with pork (that's what the menu said) and got a huge, delicious portion for only $2.50. There are mats all over the ground for people to sit and eat their food. It was a wonderful way to see the resilience of the Cambodian people all while soaking up some culture and getting my steps in. 

Feel Good Friday - California Association of Food Banks

As Thanksgiving approaches and many of us are preparing to spend time with family, friends, and food, I want to highlight an organization focused on food insecurity, the California Association of Food Banks.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Oakland, California, the mission of the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) is “to end hunger in California”.

According to information on their website, although California produces nearly half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, over 5 million people in Californian face hunger on a daily basis. One out of every four of those people is a child. The team at CAFB believes that “having enough to eat is a basic human right, and that ending hunger in our state is both essential and possible.” Here’s what they’re doing about it.

CAFB works with a network of 41 member food banks around the state to build their capacity and make them more effective. They also provide more than 200+ million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables which is recovered from California’s fields, transported to the member food banks, and distributed to people in need. Details about this program are in this 3-minute Farm to Family video. 

Another area of their work is connecting people to the state’s food stamp program, CalFresh. Only 70% of eligible households get CalFresh, meaning 2 million qualified people are not receiving these nutrition benefits. CAFB partners help nearly 30,000 households apply for CalFresh benefits every year.

CAFB also improves public policy around food bank support, disaster resilience, child nutrition, CalFresh, food waste and poverty. Their legislative partners work to pass state bills and secure state funding that will help to end hunger and alleviate poverty in California. Finally, there are special initiatives such as improving food access for farm workers and preparing for and responding to disasters such as wildfires.

If you’d like to help the California Association of Food Banks achieve their vision of “a well-nourished and hunger-free California, where all people have enough food to lead a healthy life”, there are many ways to do so. Volunteer at one of the member food banks, make a donation, and amplify their work on social media. Like the CAFB Facebook page and follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Feel Good Friday - SPOON

For many people in the United States, the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday means friends, family and food. It’s a good time to reflect on what you’re grateful for, and it’s also a good time to highlight an organization focused on child nutrition, SPOON.

Established in 2007 by Cindy Kaplan and Mishelle Rudzinski and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, SPOON’s mission is “to nourish children who are highly vulnerable to malnutrition by empowering their caregivers around the globe.” 

Their work is focused on children with disabilities, and those living outside of family care because these children are much more likely to experience malnutrition than their peers. SPOON approaches this issue in three ways which you can learn about in this short video or by continuing to read below. 

The first step is training for caregivers such as community health workers, nurses and social workers. Topics include nutrition, feeding and disabilities. This training has been provided across 17 countries and there are also self-paced, online courses available to help the program scale.

Once training has been completed, the caregivers can access a digital health app called Count Me In. The app includes educational content and assessment tools. It helps service providers track mealtime, growth, and anemia for children in their care and makes recommendations for intervention when needed. 

Finally, data from SPOON’s work around the world is shared with their partners and used to advocate for inclusive polices, services and investments for all children.

The impact of this work is impressive. Last year, SPOON trained 352 people in 8 countries, who worked with over 13,000 children. For children being monitored with the Count Me In app, 35% saw an improvement in growth, 40% had a drop in anemia rates, and 82% experienced improvement in rates of safe feeding positions.

If you’d like to help SPOON increase their impact around the world, there are many ways to do so. Volunteer your time, donate your money and share their message on social media. Follow SPOON on Facebook and on Instagram @spoonfoundation.

Feel Good Friday - City Harvest

Thanksgiving is next week and I’ve got food and family on my mind. That’s why I want to spend today’s Feel Good Friday talking about an organization dedicated to feeding hungry New Yorkers, City Harvest.

Founded in 1982, the mission of City Harvest is “to end hunger in communities throughout New York City.” They do this through food rescue and distribution, education, and other innovative solutions. This one-minute video gives a great overview.

Before we talk about the work, let’s talk about hunger in New York City. According to statistics on the City Harvest website, 1.5 million New Yorkers are struggling to feed themselves right now, including one in four children. Food insecurity has surged 36% since the beginning of the pandemic. 

This is where City Harvest comes in. Every day they have a fleet of 26 refrigerated trucks on the road, rescuing 300,000 pounds of nutritious food from donors such as farms, restaurants, grocers, and manufacturers. This food is then delivered to hundreds of soup kitchens, food pantries and other community partners in all five boroughs across New York City. To date, City Harvest has rescued and delivered more than 1 billion pounds of free food!

Nutrition education programs are focused on teaching people how to prepare delicious, nutritious meals and shop for healthy foods on a budget. While in-person workshops are still on hold, you can sign up for a virtual class or access recipes and video tutorials here.

Additional programs include: Mobile Markets, where community members gather in farmer’s market settings to receive fresh produce and participate in cooking demonstrations; Healthy Retail, which helps corner stores increase fruit and vegetable sales; and Plentiful, a mobile app available in nine languages that people use to locate food pantries near them and make reservations to pick up food without waiting in lines.

If you like what City Harvest is doing to feed New Yorkers, help them out by supporting their work. If you live in New York City you can volunteer your time. The rest of us can make a donation and amplify their message on social media. Like the City Harvest Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @CityHarvest (while it still exists) and Instagram @cityharvestnyc. #WeAreCityHarvest 

Feel Good Friday - The Hunger Project

The Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. makes me grateful for friends, family and food. It’s also a reminder that this is a great time to highlight an organization fighting hunger. That why today’s Feel Good Friday is focused on The Hunger Project.

 

Founded in 1977, The Hunger Project (THP) is “a global, non-profit, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger.” They work in 23 countries on a mission “to end hunger and poverty by pioneering sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption in countries throughout the world.”

 

Of the 690 million people around the world chronically undernourished, 60% of them are women and girls. That’s why all of THP’s programs are built on the same three pillars:

 

1.     Start with women

2.     Mobilize communities

3.     Engage local government

 

The foundation of their work is Vision, Commitment, and Action workshops that take place at the village-level. Here people create their own vision for the future and commit to a 3-month project that uses local resources to achieve the vision. THP provides these leaders with skills trainings in literacy, numeracy, nutrition and local laws. Then they organize people into self-help groups so they have a stronger voice. Finally, THP partners with local governments to hold them accountable to the people and to lobby for state and national law changes.

 

The work doesn't stop there. While the name of this organization is The Hunger Project, they recognize that “ending hunger starts with people.” That’s why they have programs that address: hunger, poverty, gender equality, environment, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, local democracy, empowering girls, education, self-reliance and social cohesion. Whether that’s providing women with access to microfinance, preventing electoral violence in Bangladesh or promoting sustainable farming practices, all of these programs rely on an innovative, holistic approach that meets local challenges and opportunities.

 

The work of The Hunger Project reaches 16.5 million people worldwide in 13,600 active communities. There are 464,000 women participating in leadership trainings and the ripple effect of their work reaches into their families and communities. Read details on THP’s impact here.

 

If you would like to make your own impact by supporting the programs of The Hunger Project, you can do that with a donation and by amplifying their work on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @HungerProject.

 

I wish you and yours a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving.

Feel Good Friday - Action Against Hunger

Another Friday in the middle of a pandemic but there is always something to feel good about. Today that's the work being done by Action Against Hunger.

The COVID-19 crisis and resulting unemployment has highlighted the need for food assistance in the US, but we're not the only country where people are suffering from food insecurity. Worldwide, over 800 million people go to bed hungry each night and 5,000 children die each day from hunger-related causes. Here's what Action Against Hunger is doing about it.

Founded in 1979, Action Against Hunger is "a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger." As explained on their Facebook page,  "we save the lives of malnourished children. We ensure everyone can access clean water, food, training and effective healthcare. We enable entire communities to be free from hunger."

In 2018, Action Against Hunger served more than 21 million people in 47 countries. They employ nearly 8,000 people, 95% of whom are working in their own communities.

Programs include: screening and treating children for undernutrition; improving the access of vulnerable communities to food, income and markets; strengthening infrastructure to provide clean water, safe sanitation and good hygiene; and providing emergency response to populations affected by natural disasters and armed conflict.

Action Against Hunger is also responding to COVID-19 by restricting travel for their employees, having field teams take precautions to prevent spreading the virus and promoting access to safe water and healthy hygiene. Last year, their Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs reached 8.9 million people.

The best way for you to support the work of Action Against Hunger is with a donation. 93% of your contribution goes directly to people in need. You can also make a donation directly to the COVID-19 Relief Fund. I realize there are many people and organizations in need right now so if you're financially tapped out, show some social media love by liking the Action Against Hunger Facebook page and following them on Twitter @acfusa.

Feel Good Friday - Alameda Food Bank

Thanksgiving is less that a week away and I've got food-related organizations on my mind. That's why I'm focusing today's Feel Good Friday on one close to home, the Alameda Food Bank.

The website explains their history and mission: "Founded in 1977, the Alameda Food Bank is a non-profit organization that helps Alameda residents in need by providing nourishing food in a compassionate and respectful manner with the support of dedicated volunteers and local partners."

In the 30+ years the Alameda Food Bank has existed, it's gone from 2 volunteers serving 35 recipients a month to over 160 volunteers serving 5,000 people a year! That's 7% of the island's residents. If you live in Alameda and need food assistance, you can read up on the eligibility requirements and food bank locations here.

The Alameda Food Bank volunteers work hard to distribute more than 1.3 million pounds of food on an annual basis. Over 900,000 pounds of that food comes from community partners, such as local grocery stores and community gardens across the island.

Volunteer opportunities include picking up donations from community partners, helping clients shop for their shelf stable and produce items or washing and sorting donations. You can find out more and sign up here. If you need convincing, watch this video of volunteers explaining what they love about the time they spend volunteering.

If you don't have the time to volunteer but still want to support the Alameda Food Bank, you can drop off a turkey for the 2019 Turkey Drive or make a donation of food or cash. Stay in the loop year-round and promote their work on social media by liking their Facebook page.

Whether you spend it with family, friends or all of the above have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Feel Good Friday - No Kid Hungry

We're less than two weeks away from Thanksgiving, a U.S. holiday that people celebrate with family, friends and food. That's why today's Feel Good Friday is focused on an organization working to end childhood hunger, No Kid Hungry.

No Kid Hungry was launched in 2010 as a national campaign of the nonprofit organization Share Our Strength. Their promise is that "every single child in America has the food they need to grow up healthy and strong."

The No Kid Hungry website outlines some startling facts about hunger. More than 11 million children in the U.S. live in food insecure homes, meaning their families don't have enough food for every family member to lead a healthy life. That's equivalent to 1 in 7 children.

No Kid Hungry has a variety of programs to tackle this problem.

Examples include:

• providing guidance to educators on maximizing healthy school breakfast programs so that every child gets the nutrition they need
• working with local organizations to launch and operate free summer meal programs and funding mobile meals trucks
• helping schools secure resources for after school meal programs
• teaching parents and caregivers how to shop for and cook healthy, affordable meals
• researching the issue of child hunger and sharing resources and best practices
• advocating with government agencies to strengthen programs for children's nutrition

Since they started in 2010, No Kid Hungry has provided over 1 billion (yes billion) meals!

If you want to be a part of the solution, and have something to talk about with these celebrity supporters, there are many ways to get involved: donate, attend a fundraising event, or contact your representative and advocate for kids! As always, share the social media love by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @nokidhungry.

Feel Good Friday - World Central Kitchen

If you've been paying attention to news of Hurricane Dorian and associated relief efforts, you may already be familiar with today's Feel Good Friday organization, World Central Kitchen.

Founded in 2010 by celebrity chef Jose Andres, the motto of  World Central Kitchen (WCK) is,"wherever there is a fight so that hungry people may eat, we will be there."

WCK has been in the news a lot recently because one of the services they provide is disaster relief. Responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, WCK is making sandwiches while waiting for access to Abaco and Grand Bahama islands. Their website explains how their relief efforts work. "By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of food trucks and emergency kitchens, WCK provides freshly made, nutritious meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. Last year they responded to 13 disasters around the world.

Once immediate disaster response needs have been met, WCK provides several long-term programs. Food for thought has built over 140 improved cook stoves and cooking equipment for schools and community kitchens. Sink to Stove has provided over 500 school chefs with food safety and sanitation training. Ecole des Chefs is a 5-month culinary arts program that prepares aspiring chefs to work in commercial kitchens. The 40+ graduates have all been placed in internships and 60% of them have been placed in jobs when their internships ended.

Finally, there is Plow to Plate, a program aimed to "increase food security in Puerto Rico by providing funding, training and networking opportunities to smallholder farmers and businesses that support local agriculture." This program has awarded $910,000 to 55 grantees and works with over 500 volunteers on partner farms.

If you like what you see you can support the work of WCK by volunteering, dining and dashing (if you live in DC) or making a traditional donation. As always, stay in the social media loop by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @WCKitchen.

Feel Good Friday - GreenToGo

Today's Feel Good Friday is about an innovative takeout container program in North Carolina called GreenToGo.

If you watched the PBS News Hour this week, like I did, then you've seen the story on GreenToGo. For those of you who missed it, you can watch it here or read the summary below.

GreenToGo is a project of Don't Waste Durham that was launched by Crystal Dreisbach and Amy Eller last summer after a successful crowdfunding campaign. Their goal is to reduce the number of single-use  disposables going into the landfill. As explained on Twitter "GreenToGo is the East Coast's first returnable, reusable takeout container service. We're a subscription-based model making it easy to #SkipTheTrash."

It works like this:

1. Become a member ($25/year for one box)
2. Go out to eat at one of the 25 participating restaurants in Durham
3. Check out a box for your take-out or leftovers
4. Rinse and return your box to a participating restaurant or drop off station
5. A team of volunteers picks up the containers, then washes and sanitizes them in a commercial dishwasher before redistributing the boxes back to the restaurants.

With 507 subscribers and over 1500 uses, GreenToGo is already making a big impact. A Duke University study found that "one GreenToGo container replaces the need for on average 1,000 disposable takeout containers"! If San Francisco can find a way to share electric scooters, certainly we can get on board with this idea.

If you live in Durham, you can sign up for the program here. The rest of us can show our support and follow new developments by liking the GreenToGo Facebook page and following them on Twitter @GreenToGo_Life.

Feel Good Friday - World Wildlife Fund

Since April is Earth Month, we're keeping Feel Good Friday focused on the environment by highlighting the work of World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

World Wildlife Fund, with the recognizable giant panda logo, is the world's leading conservation organization. Since 1961 they've been fulfilling their mission "to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth."

As summarized on their website, "WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by more than one million members in the United States and close to five million globally. WWF''s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature."

Their work and goals focus on the six areas below. Clicking on the links will provide very detailed information as to why it matters, what WWF is doing and how you can help. For those of you who like a snapshot - here it is:

• wildlife conservation -  ensure the world's most iconic species, including tigers, rhinos and elephants, are secured and recovering in the wild
• climate - create a climate-resilient and zero carbon world, powered by renewable energy
• food - drive sustainable food systems to conserve nature and feed humanity
• forests - conserve the world's most important forests to sustain nature's diversity, benefit our climate and support human well-being
• fresh water - by 2025, the health of the world's major basins is improving or maintained
• oceans - a resilient ocean sustains marine life and functioning ecosystems that support rich biodiversity, food security and sustainable livelihoods

In practical terms these goals transform into projects such as transforming the global rubber market by producing rubber without clearing forests, studying and protecting the Tuul river in Mongolia and conserving snow leopard habitat.

Since 85% of WWF's spending is directed to worldwide conservation activities you can feel good about making a donation. You can also show your support by adopting an animal, joining WWF for some conservation travel or buying and wearing some apparel.

If you'd rather show your support via social media, take an animal trivia quiz then post your results on the WWF Facebook page and on Twitter @World_Wildlife

Feel Good Friday - StopWaste

It's the first Feel Good Friday of 2018 and we're making StopWaste our new year's resolution!

I recently moved to Oakland, in Alameda County, and saw a billboard for this organization at a BART station. "StopWaste helps Alameda County's businesses, residents and schools waste less, recycle more and use water, energy and other resources efficiently." Those are resolutions I can get behind!

Beginning in 1976 with the founding of the Alameda County Waste Management Authority, the organization expanded in 1990 after voters approved a measure to create the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board. While these names may be long, their definition on the website is short: "a public agency reducing waste in Alameda County".

They provide many resources for business and schools, but I'm focusing on what they do for residents. There are guidelines for recycling everything: hazardous waste (including electronics, batteries, and medicines), food scraps, plant debris, and construction debris. I've learned that there's a drop off center close to my house that will accept the paint left by the previous owners! (Too bad the previous owners didn't know about it.)

There are also tons of resources dedicated to preventing waste that can be used by everyone, no matter where you live. Links to stop your junk mail, reduce packaging waste, and tips on how to make your home more green and create sustainable gardens.

The billboard I saw was related to food waste and for good reason. "Nearly 40 percent of all the food produced in the United States goes to waste, and of that, 95 percent ends up in landfills or combustion facilities." In Alameda County, "food scraps and food-soiled paper are the largest single item" in the waste stream comprising 35% of what's thrown away.

If you want to see your own impact you can take this 10-minute food reality check and then visit http://stopfoodwaste.org for guidelines on how to plan, store, eat and compost your food. They've got recipes, shopping lists and videos. I'm eager to get their advice on celery that's lost its crunch.

Whether or not you live in Alameda County, you use this info to make changes to reduce waste in your life. How do you stay in the know? Bookmark the website, like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @stopwasteorg.

Happy New Year!

Feel Good Friday - Daily Table

For today's Feel Good Friday we're heading to Massachusetts to see how a former president of Trader Joe's is using his experience to run a non-profit grocery store in Boston.

Daily Table has been providing healthy, affordable food in the Dorchester neighborhood since June, 2015. What's the big deal? Some statistics from their website explain the need: 48.8 million Americans live in food insecure households, 34% of American adults over the age of 20 are obese and 80 billion pounds of food is wasted in the US each year. That's the big deal.

Doug Rauch founded Daily Table to address these issues. As they explain on their website, "At Daily Table we believe that delicious, wholesome and affordable food should be available to all. We are on a mission to help communities make great choices around food by making it easy for them to choose tasty, healthy, convenient and truly affordable meals and groceries. And we do this in a respectful manner that honors our customer, engendering dignity."

Daily Table is able to meet this mission by partnering with like minded community organizations, a variety of funders and over 50 local food suppliers.  They procure and sell "wholesome, nutritious food that is excess or overstocked from grocery stores, food suppliers, manufacturers, restaurants and growers". This is all done in a retail setting that looks (to me) a lot like Trader Joe's.

In addition to food sales, Daily Table offers free cooking classes, online recipes and guidelines on how you can buy enough food for three meals a day for an average of $45/week!

You can learn more about the organization by reading this article from the Christian Science Monitor or checking their FAQ page. Depending on where you live and what you do, you can get involved by supplying food or volunteering. And no matter where you are, you can show your support for Daily Table by making a donation and liking their Facebook page. Yum!

Feel Good Friday - Touch*A*Life

We spent last Feel Good Friday in San Francisco, California. So, in an effort to provide variety, today we go to Siem Reap, Cambodia!

Touch*A*Life is, as stated on their website, "an international humanitarian organization that embodies the principle of loving kindness to serve the world's poor and displaced." The organization was started in 2004 by Mavis Ching after being inspired by a man in Indonesia who had been feeding the poor for over 30 years. You can read more about her and TAL's beginnings here.

While Touch*A*Life keeps some basic medical supplies on hand to distribute and connects people with other aid organizations, the main program of TAL is their Free Meal Program. From the first batch of 52 egg sandwiches, they now serve almost 6000 vegetarian meals a month to people living in and around Siem Reap. The program is "driven by the belief that people in need deserve, and would welcome, a helping hand that also lifts their spirit."

In this 3:24 minute video, Mavis explains the origins of TAL and you can see many of the children and volunteers involved with the program. If you are planning a trip to Cambodia, you too can be a volunteer! If Angkor Wat is not in your future, you can support the children of the area with a donation.

There are lots of photos posted on the website and you'll find the most current ones by liking the Touch*A*Life Facebook page.

Feel Good Friday - La Cocina

Two things I enjoy are hearing stories of people doing what they love and food. (Mmmm, food.) That's why today's Feel Good Friday organization is La Cocina!

Formed in San Francisco's Mission District in 2005, La Cocina's mission "is to cultivate low income food entrepreneurs as they formalize and grow their businesses by providing affordable commercial kitchen space, industry-specific technical assistance and access to market opportunities."

Rental rates at La Conina's kitchen are $15/hour, versus a more typical $45, and provide people who are running informal businesses out of their homes an opportunity to scale up. As they explain on their website, "We focus primarily on women from communities of color and immigrant communities. Our vision is that entrepreneurs gain financial security by doing what they love to do, creating an innovative, vibrant and inclusive economic landscape."

Kitchen space isn't the only thing La Cocina has to offer. There is also an incubator program that helps women create self-suffcient businesses in the food industry. Participants go through a 4-step process:

1. Application and enrollment.
2. Pre-incubation, focusing on business areas such as marketing and finances as well as the product.
3. Incubation, which includes technical assistance and mentorship for their business along with access to the kitchen.
4. Graduation.

The program works! Statistics from the video below state that, "In 2013, La Cocina businesses generated 4.1 million dollars in revenue and created 155 jobs."

Those of you in the Bay Area may recognize some of the current participants and graduates. You can check this map to find a La Cocina business near you or visit their kiosk in the Ferry Building.

No matter where you live, you can learn more and meet some of the women involved by watching this SFGovTV video Quick Bites: La Cocina or visiting their press page. They also have a Facebook page to like and you can follow them on Twitter @lacocinasf. As for me, I'm inspired to go eat some food from the La Cocina participants. See you next week!

Feel Good Friday - SF-Marin Food Bank

Happy Feel Good Friday!

I hope everyone enjoyed Feel Good Thursday yesterday, more traditionally known as Thanksgiving. In between your free trips to the park or the stores today, take a moment to learn about the year-round work done by Feel Good Friday subject, the SF-Marin Food Bank.

At a time of year when most of us come together to eat and celebrate, it's easy to forget that "one in four residents faces the threat of hunger each day". Therefore, the mission of the Food Bank, as stated on their website, "is to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin."

Statics show they're having a huge impact. 25,000 volunteers each year help distribute over 47 million pounds of food to the community, 60% of which is farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. That's over 147,000 people served per week!

They have programs focused on children, seniors, and helping people access California's food stamp program. 70% of the food they collect goes to supply other organizations you know like Glide, St. Anthony's and Project Open Hand. 

If you want to support the work they do, there are many ways to give your money. You'll be happy to know that 96% of donated resources go directly into programs, meaning "for every $1 you donate, we can distribute $5 worth of food." You can also donate food or your time. 

Learn more about their work by watching short videos and stay in the loop by liking their Facebook page or following them on Twitter @SFMFoodBank. The rush for Thanksgiving turkeys is over, but the need for food still exists. I'm grateful to the SF-Marin Food Bank for helping to meet that need. #FeelGoodFriday