Latest news with #fooddonation
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Here's how you can get into the California State Fair for free
If you were planning to head to the California State Fair starting this weekend, you can get in for free with a donation to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District's Giving Friday. A contribution of five nonperishable, non-expired food items per person, will earn a free, same-day admissions ticket to the State Fair. SMUD's Giving Friday at the Fair will take place Friday and July 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Friday. Fair-goers can find SMUD at the Main, Blue or Green entry gates. Tickets must be used by 3 p.m. that day. The fair runs from July 11- 27 at the Cal Expo Center, 1600 Exposition Blvd. Potential donation items include canned foods, dry pasta, rice, oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, cereals, soups, stews and peanut butter. High protein items are highly requested. SMUD partnered with the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services for this year's Giving Friday. The Sacramento Food Bank serves more than 320,000 people in the region monthly, with more than 200 neighborhood distribution sites throughout the county. 'Giving Friday represents the heart of what SMUD stands for — being there for our community, especially those facing food insecurity,' Farres Everly, SMUD's chief marketing and communications officer, said in a release. 'With rising costs impacting so many families, this partnership creates a simple but powerful way for neighbors to help neighbors while enjoying everything the State Fair has to offer.' Nineteen thousand pounds of food items were collected at the fair and donated to the Elk Grove Food Bank from last year's initiative. Previous efforts involved school supply collection and personal hygiene donations for different local nonprofits. Swag bags with souvenir surprises, induction cooking demos and energy-saving tips will also be available at all SMUD booths. There is another opportunity to grab a free admissions ticket on July 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Arden Fair Mall. SMUD will host an EV Ride and Drive event, where participants can earn a free State Fair ticket in exchange for test driving an electric vehicle. The admissions tickets from this event will be valid for any of the remaining fair days.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Shania Twain donating $25,000 to Second Harvest in Ottawa
Shania Twain performs at the Scotiabank Saddledome during the Calgary Stampede on Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. Canadian superstar Shania Twain is making a major donation to help feed families in need in Ottawa ahead of her Bluesfest show this month. Second Harvest says Twain is donating $25,000 through the Shania Twain Foundation, which will help the organization 'rescue and redistribute 75,000 meals' to people in the nation's capital. 'The $25,000 donation, which will be officially presented to Second Harvest at Shania Twain's concert at Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 on July 13th, demonstrates the commitment the Canadian singer makes to support the cities in which she performs,' Second Harvest said in a news release. Second Harvest is a 'food rescue' organization. According to its website, it acquires unsold surplus food from food businesses and redistributes that food to local non-profits across Canada. 'With nearly one in four households in Ottawa struggling to afford food, the need has never been greater,' said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest in the release. 'The impact of the Shania Twain Foundation's gift will go far beyond one organization. It will enable us to rescue more food and reach more communities through our non-profit partners in Ottawa.' The Ottawa donation is part of a broader commitment Twain made to donate to Second Harvest in five Canadian cities on her summer tour. 'Strong communities are built when we take care of each other,' said Twain. 'By partnering with Second Harvest, we're making sure good food reaches the people who need it most, right here in Ottawa. No one in Canada should go hungry when there's more than enough food to go around.' According to Second Harvest, Lionhearts Inc. is one of the partners in Ottawa that will benefit from the donation. 'We're thankful for The Shania Twain Foundation's support of Second Harvest, lifting even more people 'Up!' in the communities served by Second Harvest and partner charities like ours,' said Lionhearts Operations Manager Tristan Kuracina. Ottawa Bluesfest begins Thursday. Shania Twain is the headliner on Sunday, July 13.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Shania Twain donating $25,000 to Second Harvest in Ottawa
Shania Twain performs at the Scotiabank Saddledome during the Calgary Stampede on Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. Canadian superstar Shania Twain is making a major donation to help feed families in need in Ottawa ahead of her Bluesfest show this month. Second Harvest says Twain is donating $25,000 through the Shania Twain Foundation, which will help the organization 'rescue and redistribute 75,000 meals' to people in the nation's capital. 'The $25,000 donation, which will be officially presented to Second Harvest at Shania Twain's concert at Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 on July 13th, demonstrates the commitment the Canadian singer makes to support the cities in which she performs,' Second Harvest said in a news release. Second Harvest is a 'food rescue' organization. According to its website, it acquires unsold surplus food from food businesses and redistributes that food to local non-profits across Canada. 'With nearly one in four households in Ottawa struggling to afford food, the need has never been greater,' said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest in the release. 'The impact of the Shania Twain Foundation's gift will go far beyond one organization. It will enable us to rescue more food and reach more communities through our non-profit partners in Ottawa.' The Ottawa donation is part of a broader commitment Twain made to donate to Second Harvest in five Canadian cities on her summer tour. 'Strong communities are built when we take care of each other,' said Twain. 'By partnering with Second Harvest, we're making sure good food reaches the people who need it most, right here in Ottawa. No one in Canada should go hungry when there's more than enough food to go around.' According to Second Harvest, Lionhearts Inc. is one of the partners in Ottawa that will benefit from the donation. 'We're thankful for The Shania Twain Foundation's support of Second Harvest, lifting even more people 'Up!' in the communities served by Second Harvest and partner charities like ours,' said Lionhearts Operations Manager Tristan Kuracina. Ottawa Bluesfest begins Thursday. Shania Twain is the headliner on Sunday, July 13.
Skift
01-07-2025
- Health
- Skift
Why is it So Hard for Planners to Donate Food?
Despite laws that protect food donors and apps that simplify the process, planners keep hitting roadblocks with hotels unwilling or unable to donate food. If you ask planners who have tried to donate leftover food from their meetings, many will say they hit a wall when they brought it up to their host hotels. Either they say they aren't allowed to, or they don't want to do the extra work, or they're unaware that there's a law specifically protecting donors from liability. The Food Donation Improvement Act of 2023 and its predecessor, the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, passed in 1996, were designed to protect companies from liability for donations made in good faith to nonprofit organizations, if a recipient should get sick and sue. The IRS has even created incentives for businesses to encourage donations. Food waste is a 'very high priority' for more than half (55%) of meeting planners surveyed in 2024 by Astrapto, an events sustainability consultant. Yet, more than half (55%) of respondents reported that instances of venues initiating those discussions were 'scarce.' For many of those who do make the request, 'I get a flat out no every time I ask,' said Bonni Scepkowski, president, Stellar Meetings and Events.. 'Then I ask them to escalate and it's always 50/50. I try to explain that the Good Samaritan Act protects everyone, but they are still uncomfortable with it.' 'I find most convention centers have donation programs and almost no hotel has one,' said Dr. Aurora Dawn Benton, founder of Astrapto. 'It's important to ask about donation nuances. For example, plated meals are much less likely to be donated because of the time and effort that would be required to combine all of that into containers. It's an interesting balance because things like crudité and dip can be less wasteful if individually served; if they are not served that way, it's extremely unlikely they would ever be donated.' All the major chains have food waste initiatives in place. Marriott, for example, partners with Scholars of Sustenance. Hyatt has set a 2030 goal to reduce food waste per square meter across its managed hotels by 50%, compared to 2019 levels. In April, Hilton became the first signatory from the hospitality sector to sign the U.S. Food Waste Pact, a national voluntary agreement focused on reducing food waste in the U.S., co-led by ReFED and the World Wildlife Fund. There are also several apps that also simplify the process. The Food Rescue U.S. app, for example, connects donors with hunger relief organizations. All they need to do is fill out their information and scheduling preferences in the app and its 'food rescuers' will pick up and deliver the food to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Despite this, for many meeting planners it still comes down to the policies of the individual hotel. One hotel, for example, will not donate soup or oatmeal because they do not have the right kinds of containers, while another won't donate prepared vegetables, only fresh. 'So with all that complexity, you can see why sometimes people just don't bother,' said Benton. Start at the Source Planners can also make a difference by having a discussion up front about waste avoidance and overproduction. 'The amount of food that's wasted is criminal, but like all problems that appear simple, it's complicated,' said Teresa Ward, director, Plus4Group. 'The problems are with over-ordering and possible food contamination when it's left out in a buffet-style presentation.' Some hotels have a strict two-hour rule; after that, food can not be consumed. Ask your hotel about their food waste practices. The Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, for example, uses a food waste solution called Lean Path, which allows hotels to measure waste and avoid food overproduction; and Power Knot biodigesters, machines that, in a 24-hour period, can break down 5,000 pounds of food waste. As an industry, we need more of a holistic focus, rather than just discussing donation, said Benton. 'We put a lot of focus on recovery and diversion, and those are vital. However, the massive opportunity we are not focusing on is the prolific over-ordering and over-producing.'
Free Malaysia Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
CAP wants govt to introduce a Food Waste Act
CAP education officer NV Subbarow said Malaysia throws away about 17,000 tonnes of food every day, and more than 3,000 tonnes of it are still edible. (Envato Elements pic) KUALA LUMPUR : The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the government to introduce a comprehensive Food Waste Act to tackle the alarming rate of food wastage in Malaysia. CAP education officer NV Subbarow said such a law would enable Malaysia to address environmental, social and economic challenges related to food waste, while supporting its commitment to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 'Malaysia throws away about 17,000 tonnes of food every day, and more than 3,000 tonnes of it are still edible. That's why we need a dedicated law to reduce this wastage and encourage sustainable habits,' he said during an interview on Bernama TV. Subbarow said most Malaysians do not realise the scale of the issue, adding: 'We live in a country blessed with delicious food, but unfortunately, we often discard edible items without thinking, and this contributes significantly to national food waste. 'The only way to change this societal habit is through an effective law that encourages responsible consumption and educates the public,' he said. He pointed out that France passed a pioneering law in 2016 which bans supermarkets from throwing away unsold edible food, requiring them instead to donate it to charities. 'Malaysia can learn from such examples,' he added. Subbarow also welcomed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's recent directive for government departments to stop using imported goods, particularly food, at official events, saying it was a timely move that complements efforts to reduce waste and support local producers. 'We fully support the prime minister's call. Prioritising local produce empowers farmers and reduces the environmental cost of long-haul food transport,' he said. To help ease the burden of rising vegetable prices, he encouraged Malaysians to grow their own food, noting that many fruiting plants, leafy greens and herbs can be cultivated even in limited spaces like balconies or small backyards. He also cited a projection by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that global food demand may rise by 70% by 2050, driven by increasing consumer incomes in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. 'This further highlights the urgency for Malaysia to adopt a food waste law and promote self-sufficiency through home gardening,' he said.
