Fresh Produce Drive

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Fresh Produce Drive
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Fresh Produce Drive to Feed the Hungry at the Farmer's Market by Nalo Farms at Windward Mall - Volunteers needed!

Honolulu, HI August 29, 2012

Starting on August 8, 2012, Wednesday shoppers, farmers, vendors, and community members have been able to drop off fresh produce at the FarmerÕs Market by Nalo Farms at the Windward Mall (2:30-7:30pm) to help feed the hungry in their community. Look for the Give It Fresh Today (GIFT) table at the top of the escalators on Wednesdays. In partnership with Aloha Harvest, the food has been brought to local organizations such as Family Promise of Kailua, the Kaneohe Seventh Day Adventist Church, and Hope Chapel Olomana. Aloha Harvest is a non-profit organization that picks up quality, donated food and delivers it free-of-charge to social service agencies that help feed the hungry and homeless.

Click here to lean more bout Give it Fresh

Give It Fresh Today is a volunteer-run organization collecting FRESH produce donations at farmer's markets for organizations that feed the hungry. Since January 2, 2010, Saturday morning shoppers, farmers, vendors, and community members have been able to drop off fresh produce at the KCC FarmerÕs Market to help feed the hungry in their community. The food collected has been distributed to Unity Church of Hawaii, the Institute for Human Services and to many more organizations through a partnership with Aloha Harvest. The program has expanded to include the Tuesday night KCC Market, as well as the Blaisdell Market on Wednesday evenings. GIFT volunteers have collected thousands of pounds of fresh produce for the hungry at farmer's markets and educated hundreds of people in the community about keeping fresh produce from going to waste, and helped to support programs that feed the hungry with nutritious, locally-grown produce! Extra purchases at the farmer's markets help to support local agriculture and small businesses.

Shoppers are encouraged to buy a little extra and to donate their excess! Home gardeners are invited to share the bounty of their gardens as well as their seeds. When you drop by the GIFT table, there is a SeedShare box, where the community is invited to bring excess seeds, and to take donated seeds for their own gardens. There is also a BagShare, where the community is invited to drop off extra reusable bags or to grab a bag to reuse at the market.

 In the first few weeks, the Kaneohe community has fully embraced the concept. Both our local shoppers and local farmers are enthusiastic about feeding our local community. Volunteers have collected a total of 270 pounds of fresh produce for the hungry at the Windward Mall Farmer's Markets. Dean Okimoto and Wendy Gady of Nalo Farms are "very excited about the opportunity to support our local community in this way." Animation Magic and Little People Hawaii have partnered with GIFT to store some supplies for volunteers from week-to-week.

Vivian Best, Founder of Give It Fresh Today, is hoping for a local base of Windward volunteers so that the program can continue to provide healthy food to organizations that feed the hungry and hopes there will be enough volunteers for the Sunday markets (10am-2pm) as well. Vivian Best is a teacher at Kahala Elementary and volunteers her time and effort to organize this community project at 4 farmerÕs markets on OÕahu. She has inspired a group in New Jersey to start a GIFT table as well. She spoke about GIFT at TedxHonolulu in November 2011, and the talk can be found online at: http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxHONOLULU-Vivian-Chau-Best-A

Photos from the first night can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151141087652069.496593.374354382068&type=1

To get involved, drop by the table at KCC, Blaisdell or at the Farmer's Market at Windward Mall by Nalo Farms, send an e-mail to giveitfreshtoday@gmail.com or call 282-0053.

Additional comments from the community:

Community volunteer Diane Blastic says, "I like vegetarian donations. And the first time a woman who had been homeless told me there were months at a time where she wouldn't have fresh fruit or veggies, I realized that GIFT gives people nutrition they need and want."

Community volunteer Jon Guerin says, "GIFT collects food for the hungry, supports local farmers, and is a way for everyone to make good use of their extra food. GIFT is a 100% volunteer organization with no administrative or egotistical overhead. GIFT is a program with integrity that has a very positive impact on the community."

Community member, Carmen Golay says, "There is a connection between what we put in our bodies and how our mind and emotions work. Fresh good food is not only a human right, but nutrition can help people overcome many barriers and challenges in life. We are what we eat."

Vivian Best Founder, Give It Fresh Today
giveitfreshtoday@gmail.com
250 Ohua Ave Apt 6A
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808)282-0053
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