Thankful Writer Counts His Blessings
Learn about Pilot Light's & Food Animal Concerns Trust's Giving Tuesday campaigns
Counting My Blessings
“I’ve got plenty to be thankful for, I haven’t got, a great big yacht, to sail from shore to shore. But I’ve got plenty to be thankful for.”
That’s a lyric that Irving Berlin wrote as the Thanksgiving song in the 1942 movie Holiday Inn (better known for introducing the song White Christmas to the world). It pops into my mind every year when this holiday rolls around.
And I do have plenty to be thankful for. My wife Barb and Sami the cat and relatives and friends. The city of Chicago, which I love and whose problems I want to help solve. The amazing view from this apartment we stumbled into 10 and a half years ago.
This year has added to the list. Last spring, I undertook a career shift that could have been wrenching, but the result was this newsletter, and I want to thank everyone who has subscribed, shared a kind word, contributed content, or given me feedback. I believe Local Food Forum hasn’t come close yet to reaching its full potential, but I will be thinking hard during these grayer and colder months, when there aren’t multiple farmers markets to bounce around every week, to figure out the way forward.
I will be celebrating this holiday of gratitude with so much local food. A turkey from Jake’s Country Meats, sweet and white potatoes from Nichols Farm and Orchard, apples from Nichols and from Ellis Family Farms, pumpkin from Three Sisters Garden, cranberries from DeGrandchamp Farms, gold cauliflower and celery from Los Rodriguez Farm, onions from Froggy Meadow Farm and LeFevor Farm, cabbage from Jacobson Family Farms, and a gorgeous apple pie from Verzênay Patisserie (made with Ellis apples).
So to all of our local farmers and farmers markets and retailers and farm-to-table restaurants and local food entrepreneurs and advocacy organizations and food access advocates and everyone using food as an economic development tool, I wish you a joyous, healthy and delicious Thanksgiving.
Your Donations Go Far With These Food Nonprofits
As a service to our local food community, Local Food Forum is sharing end-of-year fundraising appeals from nonprofits that do great work promoting a better food system. Today learn about Pilot Light and Food Animal Concerns Trust, and consider making a donation.
All materials that follow were provided by the nonprofit organizations. If you would like us to include your nonprofit appeals, please email bob@localfoodforum.com with a 1-3 paragraph summary, a link to more information or a donation page, and a graphic promoting your campaign (if you have one).
[Note: This service is provided free to our amazing nonprofits, and is not paid advertising.]
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Pilot Light is a chef- and educator-founded nonprofit that uses a game-changing approach to introduce food education and its benefits to students. In their model, Pre-K–12th grade teachers are provided with the support and resources (lessons, food, chefs) they need to integrate food education into instruction in core subjects.
Through hands-on cooking demonstrations and lessons, Pilot Light brings a sense of connection and excitement into classrooms. Through food education, students become more engaged in their core learning in math, science, and language arts while they learn to appreciate one another. In 10 years, Pilot Light has grown from working with 30 students in one Chicago elementary school to reach more than 20,000 students in 58 schools — primarily on Chicago’s South and West sides.
We are entering a season of holiday gatherings. Often those gatherings are around a table full of special dishes, demonstrating the power of food to connect us to those we love, our community, and our treasured memories.
So this Giving Tuesday, November 30, Pilot Light has partnered with Unison Home, a Chicago-based company that makes beautiful, timeless and modern products for the home. Fifty percent of all Unison Home purchases made on Giving Tuesday will be donated to Pilot Light, and everything ordered that day will arrive in time for Christmas (except furniture and larger items).
Shop here on November 30 (not sooner!) to set your table for a memorable season of sharing and gratitude while supporting food education for Chicago students. Or if you prefer to make a cash donation, please click here.
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This Giving Tuesday, help us give the gift of humane farming by supporting farmers and their animals, and making healthy and safe food available for all.
When so much attention is given to what divides us, generosity brings people together across races, faiths, and political views. Giving Tuesday is next week, on November 30th. It is a global day to celebrate giving and generosity in the interest of making our world a better place.
FACT’s goal this year is to raise an amazing $12,500 for our programs. This is made possible by three of our Board members who have generously offered to match the first $6,250.
Now is your chance to make TWICE the impact!
We are very grateful to have your support of FACT. It is because of our dedicated and generous community that we can become closer to our vision: All food-producing animals will be raised in a humane and healthy manner, and everyone will have access to safe and humanely produced food. Thank you!
Also, don't miss FACT's free screening of the movie, Kiss the Ground, which people are calling “The Most Important Film You’ll Ever Watch” -- plus a Q&A on December 8 with special guest speaker, Don Smith from Kiss the Ground. Sign up on Eventbrite.