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Join the Giving Tuesday Movement!
December 1st, 2014

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two days for getting deals. Now, we have Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. This year, onTuesday, December 2, 2014, we are part of a call to action that will change the calendar and help make history. We are celebrating a day dedicated to giving – when charities, families, businesses, community centers, students, retailers and more will all come together for Giving Tuesday –a movement to celebrate giving and kick-off the holiday giving season.

Simply Recipes will match any donations up to $4,000 on Giving Tuesday!

We invite you to join the movement this December 2:

  1. Donate to Food Literacy Center!
  2. Encourage your friends and family to give.
  3. Help us promote Giving Tuesday! Here is some sample language:

Giving Tuesday is about ordinary people coming together doing extraordinary things. Join the movement by giving the gift of food literacy education on December 2 and donate today. Gifts on Giving Tuesday will be matched up to $4,000 by Simply Recipes!

Kat’s Story

“My favorite part of food literacy is eating! It gives me a nice nutritious snack”, Kat exclaims. Kat is in 5th grade at Capitol Heights Academy, a public charter school in Oak Park and has been in food literacy class for 2 years. Kat enjoys the variety of fresh produce we offer in class, but like many kids her age she has strong opinions on food and prefers particular flavors over others.

While listing her favorite foods such as her mom’s mac and cheese and green beans, Kat interrupts herself, “And salt & vinegar chips! I can’t believe I forgot salt & vinegar chips” she says laughing, “I love salt & vinegar chips!”

In food literacy class we try to reinforce positive choices children already make, such as eating a peanut butter sandwich. We ask them to make minor changes such as using whole wheat bread or adding apple slices instead of jelly because apples have fiber and vitamins and jelly has a lot of sugar.

When a classmate mentions pickles, Kat’s eyes light up.  She can’t contain her curiosity and interrupts, “Wait, what are pickles made from?” After learning that pickles are just cucumbers pickled in vinegar she interjects, “I’m going to ask my mom to make pickles.”

Kids develop distinct tastes at a young age, for instance Kat loves vinegar! The more fruits and vegetables children taste, the more healthy flavors they can choose from to satisfy a craving. Now that Kat understands what pickles are, she has a healthy alternative to her favorite food. Food literacy class armed Kat with new pickled vegetables to try, like onions and beets, two foods she didn’t use to like.

After one year of food literacy education, 71% of K – 5 students knew which foods would give them lasting energy for school. The healthy habits students learn in food literacy class impact not only their health, they allow them to better focus in the classroom.

Low intake of vegetables in childhood is linked to health problems throughout the life span, including allergy, asthma, heart disease and diabetes. So every time Kat chooses a pickle over the empty calories of a bag of potato chips, she’s fueling her body and building healthy habits for life.

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