Thursday, December 12, 2013

Volunteering at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen


Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen serves more than 1,200 meals every week day, but they wouldn't be able to without the help of their volunteers.  



Produced by - On the Leesh Productions
Featuring: Rev. Glenn Chalmers, Yvonne Cassidy, Joyce Sturges, Shirley Temple-Cooke, Donna Brennan, Nicholas Perriello, Barbara, Joseph, David, Jay, Elizabeth, Karoline, George, Mathieu, Nadia,  and Guests of Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen
Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Shot by: Amanda Blohm, James McGann and Alicia Arinella
Edited by: Amanda Blohm and Alicia Arinella
Music by: Buick Audra
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Special Thanks: Yvonne Cassidy, Jordan Rubenstein, Rev.Glenn Chalmers, Joyce Sturges, Shirley Temple-Cooke, Donna Brennan, Nicholas Perriello, Barbara, Joseph, Jay, David, Nadia, George, Karoline, Mathieu, and everyone at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, and Dennis Arinella

For more information on What You Can Do, please visit:
Facebook - www.Facebook.com/whatyoucando
Twitter - www.Twitter.com/whatyoucando
Website - www.whatyoucando.com
Blog - www.whatyoucandoseries.blogspot.com
Vlog - www.youtube.com/unstoppableminute.com
Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/1minette

For more information on On the Leesh Productions, please visit:
Website - http://www.ontheleesh.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/ontheleesh
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/ontheleesh
Blog - http://www.ontheleesh.blogspot.com

For more information on Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, please visit - 
Website - www.holyapostlessoupkitchen.org
Facebook - www.facebook.com/holyapostlessoupkitchen
Follow them on Twitter - www.twitter.com/HolyApostelsNYC

For more information Buick Audra, please visit:
Website - www.buickaudra.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/buickaudramusic
Twitter - www.twitter.com/buickaudra
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Elizabeth Harrison: Portrait of a Guest of Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen


In this "Portrait of a Guest," Elizabeth Harrison discusses her experience with being homeless and how Holy Apostles has helped to get her back on her feet.



Produced by - On the Leesh Productions
Featuring: Elizabeth Harrison
Directed & Shot by: Alicia Arinella
Edited by: Amanda Blohm & Alicia Arinella
Music by: Buick Audra
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Special Thanks: Yvonne Cassidy, Jordan Rubenstein, Rev.Glenn Chalmers, Elizabeth Harrison and everyone at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, and Dennis Arinella

For more information on What You Can Do, please visit:
Facebook - www.Facebook.com/whatyoucando
Twitter - www.Twitter.com/whatyoucando
Website - www.whatyoucando.com
Blog - www.whatyoucandoseries.blogspot.com
Vlog - www.youtube.com/unstoppableminute.com
Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/1minette

For more information on On the Leesh Productions, please visit:
Website - http://www.ontheleesh.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/ontheleesh
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/ontheleesh
Blog - http://www.ontheleesh.blogspot.com

For more information on Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, please visit - 
Website - www.holyapostlessoupkitchen.org
Facebook - www.facebook.com/holyapostlessoupkitchen
Follow them on Twitter - www.twitter.com/HolyApostelsNYC

For more information Buick Audra, please visit:
Website - www.buickaudra.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/buickaudramusic
Twitter - www.twitter.com/buickaudra

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Monday, December 9, 2013

How You Can Help Worcester County Food Bank

Are you from Central Massachusetts?  Do you wanna help the Worcester County Food Bank?  Jean McMurray, Executive Director of the Worcester County Food Bank explains how you can help combat hunger in your community.




Produced by - On the Leesh Productions
Featuring: Jean McMurray
Directed & Shot by: Alicia Arinella
Edited by:Amanda Blohm
Music by: Buick Audra
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Special Thanks: Jean McMurray, Naomi Reville, and everyone at The Worcester Country Food Bank, and Dennis Arinella

For more information on What You Can Do, please visit:
Facebook - www.Facebook.com/whatyoucando
Twitter - www.Twitter.com/whatyoucando
Website - www.whatyoucando.com
Blog - www.whatyoucandoseries.blogspot.com
Vlog - www.youtube.com/unstoppableminute.com
Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/1minette

For more information on On the Leesh Productions, please visit:
Website - http://www.ontheleesh.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/ontheleesh
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/ontheleesh
Blog - http://www.ontheleesh.blogspot.com

For more information on The Worcester County Food Bank, please visit:

Website - http://www.foodbank.org
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An Introduction to the Worcester County Food Bank

The Worcester County Food Bank has been working to help fight hunger for over thirty years Recently, Jean McMurray, Executive Director of Worcester County Food Bank, sat down with What You Can Do to discuss the organization and the current face of hunger in Central Massachusetts.  



Produced by - On the Leesh Productions
Featuring: Jean McMurray
Directed & Shot by: Alicia Arinella
Edited by:Amanda Blohm
Music by: Buick Audra
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Special Thanks: Jean McMurray, Naomi Reville, and everyone at The Worcester Country Food Bank, and Dennis Arinella

For more information on What You Can Do, please visit:
Facebook - www.Facebook.com/whatyoucando
Twitter - www.Twitter.com/whatyoucando
Website - www.whatyoucando.com
Blog - www.whatyoucandoseries.blogspot.com
Vlog - www.youtube.com/unstoppableminute.com
Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/1minette

For more information on On the Leesh Productions, please visit:
Website - http://www.ontheleesh.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/ontheleesh
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/ontheleesh
Blog - http://www.ontheleesh.blogspot.com

For more information on The Worcester County Food Bank, please visit:
Website - http://www.foodbank.org
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Help Fight Hunger with Worcester County Food Bank

Are you looking for a simple one minute way to help fight hunger?  The Worcester County Food Bank makes it easy by offering a sample letter to send to your representative.  Watch this to learn more.




Produced by - On the Leesh Productions
Featuring: Jean McMurray
Directed & Shot by: Alicia Arinella
Edited by:Amanda Blohm
Music by: Buick Audra
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group

Special Thanks: Jean McMurray, Naomi Reville, and everyone at The Worcester Country Food Bank, and Dennis Arinella

For more information on What You Can Do, please visit:
Facebook - www.Facebook.com/whatyoucando
Twitter - www.Twitter.com/whatyoucando
Website - www.whatyoucando.com
Blog - www.whatyoucandoseries.blogspot.com
Vlog - www.youtube.com/unstoppableminute.com
Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/1minette

For more information on On the Leesh Productions, please visit:
Website - http://www.ontheleesh.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/ontheleesh
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/ontheleesh
Blog - http://www.ontheleesh.blogspot.com

For more information on The Worcester County Food Bank, please visit:

Website - http://www.foodbank.org
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Friday, December 6, 2013

Spotlight on Hunger: WYCD Interviews the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, in Trenton New Jersey



This holiday season, What You Can Do is teaming up with Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen to help raise awareness and fight hunger in New York City. As 1 in every 5 New Yorkers face hunger, Holy Apostles plays a crucial role in providing food, support and hope to people in need.  

The What You Can Do team is based in New York, so we have the opportunity to collaborate with many organizations inspiring change throughout our city. Since fans watch What You Can Do from around the world, we thought this holiday season would be a good time to highlight different perspectives on hunger. More than 49 million Americans face hunger today, with over 15 million of that number being children. 

 We interviewed representatives from food banks and hunger organizations across the country and in Canada, asking about involvement in their communities, services they offer, trends they are seeing in their communities etc. 

Our fifth spotlight is on the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, a hunger relief organization based out of Trenton, New Jersey.

 An interview with Dennis Micai, Executive Director for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.





WYCD:  Please tell us a little about your organization and the community that you serve.

 TASK has been meeting the needs of the hungry in the Greater Trenton, NJ area for more than 30 years. We provided 210,000 meals over the past year. In addition to our main site at 72 1/2 Escher Street, we have six satellite sites - 3 in Trenton, 2 in Hightstown and 1 in Princeton. In addition to our meal programs, we have an Adult Education Program, two arts programs (A-Team with traditional artists and SHARE with performing artists, writers, and musicians), a fully equipped computer lab, an on site social worker and various programs throughout the year for children. More details may be found on our website: www.trentonsoupkitchen.org.
WYCD:  How long have you been in operation?

TASK has been in operation since 1981.


WYCD:  If you offer a variety of services, which ones are the most popular and why do you think that is?

Obviously, our most popular program is our feeding program. However, the AEP and Arts Programs are also hugely popular.


WYCD:  Have the overall numbers of visitors changed in the last few years?

Our meal counts have consistently risen over the past several years to an all-time record of 210,000 (8% increase over prior year) in the FY year ended June 30.


WYCD:  Has the demographic of your visitors changed over the last several years?
(Are you seeing an increase in certain age groups, races, economic status, genders or the marital status of people needing your services?)

Our demographic has changed. We see more seniors, more young families, less homeless people (as there has been a concerted effort in Mercer County to house the homeless). In addition, we have seen more young males from outside the Trenton area coming to the city for services.


WYCD:  What are the most prevalent issues in your community, and do you feel that this reflects the current trends around the region?

 The most significant issue in Trenton is safety. Crime has increased since the layoff of more than 100 police officers due to budget cuts. In addition, a poor school system, lack of jobs, and unaffordable housing continue to be major issues.
WYCD:  If you have volunteers, are you finding more people involved in helping out, and does it fluctuate throughout the year?

 Our volunteer base remains stable at approximately 3,500 per year.


WYCD:  Do you have special requests for the types of food/meals that you provide?

We encourage people to donate money instead of food. Since we are members of the local food bank, we can purchase food at 15% of retail, therefore we can access 7 times the amount of food that someone purchasing at retail could. We are also always in need of personal hygiene products that we distribute to our patrons.


WYCD:  What are easy ways that your community can help out your organization even if they only have one minute of time to give? What if they have one hour to give?

 If time is limited to 1 hour or less, the best way to help is to make a financial donation. We also always appreciate those that join us in advocating for the needs of the hungry.


We want to send many thanks to Dennis and his team at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen for sharing their insight on hunger in the Greater Trenton area with us.  As we strive to end hunger as a nation, they help show us how cities across the U.S. are making a difference in their communities. By finding ways to take action, one minute at a time, we can help erase hunger in our neighborhoods and even around the world.


If you want to learn more about their work, you can visit the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen website at:
http://www.trentonsoupkitchen.org
@TASKsoupkitchen


If you want to learn more about Holy Apostles in New York City, you can visit their website at:
http://www.holyapostlesnyc.org
@holyapostlesNYC


To join What You Can Do in the mission to help change the world, one minute at a time,
please visit us at:


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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Spotlight on Hunger: WYCD Interviews the Ottawa Food Bank, in Ontario Canada.



This holiday season, What You Can Do is teaming up with Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen to help raise awareness and fight hunger in New York City. As 1 in every 5 New Yorkers face hunger, Holy Apostles plays a crucial role in providing food, support and hope to people in need.  

The What You Can Do team is based in New York, so we have the opportunity to collaborate with many organizations inspiring change throughout our city. Since fans watch What You Can Do from around the world, we thought this holiday season would be a good time to highlight different perspectives on hunger. More than 49 million Americans face hunger today, with over 15 million of that number being children. 

 We interviewed representatives from food banks and hunger organizations across the country and in Canada, asking about involvement in their communities, services they offer, trends they are seeing in their communities etc. 

Our fourth spotlight is on the Ottawa Food Bank, a hunger relief organization based out of Ottawa, Ontario in Canada.   
An interview with Samantha Ingram, Communications Coordinator for the Ottawa Food Bank.




WYCD:  Please tell us a little about your organization and the community that you serve.

The Ottawa Food Bank is the central warehouse and distribution centre that fundraises and food raises to provide food for 140 community food banks through the Ottawa community. Through those community food banks we feed, on average, 48,000 people per month – 37 per cent of whom are children.

The community food banks range from large downtown shelters to small church basement food banks. They also range from grocery hamper programs to soup kitchen type formats. 


WYCD:  How long have you been in operation?

The Ottawa Food Bank began in May of 1984. This coming year is our 30th anniversary. It’s bittersweet that we’ve been around this long – when food banks first began, it was believed they would only have to be a temporary measure. 30 years later, the need for food support is higher than ever, and it appears to continue to rise.


WYCD:  What types of services do you provide to your community?

The Ottawa Food Bank’s service is food (and other grocery products). We provide food to those in need in our community. We do have a number of programs within this to ensure people receive what they need.
  • Our Community Harvest program is our main source of fruits and vegetables. We partner with local farmers who donate their produce or their land, and we help with the harvest.
  • Our KickStart and After 4 program is how we get food to school aged children in schools during the school year, or through summer day camps when school is out of session.
  • Food Aid is our program to provide ground beef to people. We are one of two food banks in Canada who offer this. We fundraise so we can purchase local beef.
  • Our Baby Supply Cupboard is our program where we ensure we have the necessary supplies (diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, etc) for mothers and fathers who need a helping hand.
For more programs, please take a look at our website.


WYCD:  Have the overall numbers of visitors changed in the last few years?


I’m unsure of the 2013 numbers, but in 2012 the need for food support in Ottawa went up approximately 5 per cent.


WYCD:  Has the demographic of your visitors changed over the last several years?
(Are you seeing an increase in certain age groups, races, economic status, genders or the marital status of people needing your services?)

Our largest demographic is single-parent families and the working poor. This has been our largest demographic for quite a while. These people try their very hardest, but at the end of the month it is difficult to stretch their pay cheque. Once all the bills are paid, groceries tend to be put on the back burner. The Ottawa Food Bank is here to help them make ends meet when they fall on hard times.


WYCD:  What are the most prevalent issues in your community, and do you feel that this reflects the current trends around the region?

 The need for food support in Ottawa does reflect that of the country. Food Banks Canada puts out a report every year that breaks down the need for food across the country. If you wish to look into it, it is called the Hunger Count Report.
WYCD:  If you have volunteers, are you finding more people involved in helping out, and does it fluctuate throughout the year?

We have a wonderful community of volunteers – approximately 3,000 people helped us last year. That equated to the number of work hours of 12 full time staff members. Without our volunteers we would not be able to do what we do.

The interest of people volunteering definitely rises during the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year) and it falls a bit in the summer.


WYCD:  Do you have special requests for the types of food/meals that you provide?

We appreciate all donations, but we really do try to encourage our donors to make healthy decisions. Opt for whole wheat, low sodium, etc options when giving non-perishable donations.
WYCD:  What are easy ways that your community can help out your organization even if they only have one minute of time to give? What if they have one hour to give?

With one minute you can easily make a secure donation online, or text to donate! Text “Hungry” to 45678 to make a one-time $5 donation. At the Ottawa Food Bank we can make your dollar go far. We can turn $1 donated into $5 worth of food; we have excellent food industry partners, bulk purchasing power, and great operational efficiencies that make that possible.

If they have an hour or more, email us at volunteer@ottawafoodbank.ca and see what opportunities we have. Or keep an eye on our online volunteer tool for events where we need volunteers. You can register and sign up online!


We want to send many thanks to the Ottawa food bank for sharing their insight on hunger in the Ottawa region with us. As we strive to end hunger as a global community, they showed us how cities in the U.S. and across the border face a rising need for food support. By finding ways to take action, one minute at a time, we can help erase hunger in our neighborhoods and around the world.


If you want to learn more about their work, you can visit the Ottawa Food Bank website at:
http://ottawafoodbank.ca
@OttawaFoodBank


If you want to learn more about Holy Apostles in New York City, you can visit their website at:
http://www.holyapostlesnyc.org
@holyapostlesNYC


To join What You Can Do in the mission to help change the world, one minute at a time,
please visit us at:


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