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Positively SPF: 14-Year-Old Scotch Plains Girl Organizes Food and Personal Hygiene Drive - TAPinto.net

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Positively SPF: 14-Year-Old Scotch Plains Girl Organizes Food and Personal Hygiene Drive - TAPinto.net

Positively SPF: 14-Year-Old Scotch Plains Girl Organizes Food and Personal Hygiene Drive - TAPinto.net

Posted: 28 Jun 2020 10:00 AM PDT

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ -- Anushka Dalal, a 14-year-old rising freshman at the Wardlaw+Hartridge School, conducted a charity drive over the last two weeks benefiting the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation and the VA Lyons Women's Trauma Unit & PTSD Ward. Anushka collected over two carloads of food, snacks, and personal hygiene items for distribution to both organizations.    

The Emmanuel Cancer Foundation provides free, in-home support for families in New Jersey facing pediatric cancer. The Women's Ward at the VA is designed to help the Women Veterans acclimate from their time in the military back to civilian life. There are programs offer to guide them in coping with issues that may have arisen while serving their country as well as dealing with family and everyday issues.

"My family and I noticed that in the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, there were many organizations helping those who were impacted. As more time passed, it seemed like there was less talk about helping," Anushka said. "I had an urge to do something that would benefit the families and individuals being affected. I decided that now would be the best time to help."

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Scotch Plains deputy township manager Margaret Heisey guided her and shared organizations that needed help.

"I chose the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation and the VA Lyons Women's Trauma Unit and PTSD Ward (Men and Women), because their missions resonated with me the most. More importantly, I would be able to know exactly where my food drive donations would go and how they would benefit the people in need," Anushka said.

After speaking with the coordinators, Ms. Barbara Kopel of the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation and Ms. Janet Blaes of the VA Lyons, she was sure that the donations would be going to the right causes.

"I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to give back in this time of need. I learned more about these wonderful organizations and how they tirelessly work to better the lives of veterans and families that have a child with cancer," Anushka said. "Throughout this entire process I learned most about coming together, because anyone can help by themselves but it's when you come together as a community, that really makes an impact."

She is pictured with Barbara Kopel, Senior Regional Director of the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, and Janet Blaes (Scotch Plains Volunteer of the Year, 2016), who works with the Veterans at Lyons.

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#NourishColumbus fighting food insecurity in the Chattahoochee Valley - WTVM

Posted: 28 Jun 2020 03:56 PM PDT

"We grow the vegetables and the donors and participants in #NourishColumbus, which is what we're calling it," said Chandler Collins, the Director of Development for the Columbus Botanical Garden. "They can make a donation to the garden for this particular program, we will then donate the vegetables to Olivia and Olivia will use them."

DOC Confirms Partial Food Strike at Penitentiary - Centralia Chronicle

Posted: 28 Jun 2020 10:29 AM PDT

Some inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary are going on a "limited" food strike to protest practices at the prison, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections confirmed Saturday.

"Corrections is monitoring limited food refusal activity at the Washington State Penitentiary," Communications Director Janelle Guthrie said.

Guthrie said five out of the prison's 14 units began the strike Monday.

A Tri-Cities TV station reported Friday the protest was started to bring attention to what the inmates perceived as poor practices regarding COVID-19, according to two anonymous family members of inmates.

That report said complaints revolved around the inmates not seeing proper use of personal protective equipment by food handlers and not receiving proper gear themselves. There was also concern about food being shipped from other prisons where cases of the novel coronavirus spiked, including Coyote Ridge Corrections Center.

Guthrie said the DOC suspended all food and textile production at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Franklin County.

"The department shifted food production to the Airway Heights Corrections Center food factory and supplements with food from external vendors," she said.

The Spokesman-Review reported on June 11 that the Coyote Ridge center had more than 100 cases of the coronavirus, which was the day the food processing switch was announced.

Two prisoners have died from the virus there, the DOC reported. The latest death came Monday and was announced Wednesday by the DOC.

The department also reported on Wednesday a total of 153 confirmed cases of the virus since the pandemic began among its staff and prisoners at Coyote Ridge.

Some inmates from Coyote Ridge are also reportedly being shipped to the Airway Heights facility after testing positive because it has a larger medical facility.

Guthrie said all food service staff are wearing appropriate protection gear at the Walla Walla center.

"We respect the rights of individuals to voice their concerns and encourage them to do so in a way that respects and protects the safety and security of other incarcerated individuals and our staff," Guthrie said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this year concern about the ease with which the virus could spread through prisons and jails.

The Washington State Penitentiary has confirmed four cases of the virus since the pandemic began. Two staff members and two prisoners have had the virus, according to the DOC website.

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Rural food banks face additional challenges amid COVID-19 - WDIO

Posted: 28 Jun 2020 03:21 PM PDT

Packaging all of this food requires the help of volunteers, but as a result of COVID-19, the food bank said they not only need more volunteers, but also, new volunteers.

"We have always relied on a great army of volunteers who are primarily 65 and up and with the CDC guidelines, we have had to limit our volunteers to healthy people under the age of 65," Estee said.

Fortunately, Estee said the Farmer's to Families Program has helped fill a void amid a drop in donations.

"I think you can really see the need as people come to the distribution points of these Farmers and Families boxes. There are people coming who have never asked for help before," Estee said.

But, Estee said getting the food to where it needs to go has been expensive for the food bank which serves the rural areas of International Falls, Cass Lake, Walker, Grand Rapids, Brainerd, Milaca and Mora Minnesota.

"Providing food in rural areas has always been tough because people are so spread out and so isolated," Estee said.

Funding from the state has helped the food bank so far this summer, but Estee said the food bank hopes additional funding will help them into the fall.

"We're really going to see the need increase this fall and we need to be ready for that," Estee said.

As Second Harvest North Central Food Bank continues to feed Minnesota's rural communities, Estee said they hope to see more volunteers and donations.

"People tell us often that without the food, they would not be able to pay for their rent or their medicine," Estee said. "I think that people stay in their homes and they stay healthier because of the food that they've been able to get."

Those interested in volunteering at Second Harvest North Central Food Bank can find more information about that here and those interested in donating can find more information about that here.

Fort Pierce church donates $40,000 worth of food to Treasure Coast Food Bank - WPEC

Posted: 28 Jun 2020 02:42 PM PDT

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