Friday December 16, 2011

Foodtrainers' Favorite Charities

We're in the midst of holiday mayhem. Everyone needs tipping (though we're still unsure if the Scroogey mailman makes the list), then there are the parties where we try to avoid overeating and overwine-ing, not to mention the family time; always joyful, wink wink. This year we are appreciative to be able to focus on the silliness of it all. In a way, we're lucky to have the stress over giving the right present, the worry about what to wear, and even the anxiety over holiday weight gain (which is only an average of 2 lbs, by the way).

We're not anti-gifting, but we want to talk about our favorite small charities where anything you can give, be it money or time, would really make a difference.

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Cycle For Survival

Foodtrainers client and friend Jen Goodman Linn started the non-profit organization Cycle for Survival while battling sarcoma, a rare and often fatal cancer. Cycle for Survival is an annual, multi-city, indoor relay-style team cycling event that raises money in support of lifesaving research on rare cancers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

After 6 years of fearlessly fighting, Jen passed away this summer. Team Foodtrainers will be cycling in her honor at the event this February and plan, as her parents put it, "to stomp on cancer".

If you or someone you love has been affected by rare cancers including pancreatic, brain or any pediatric cancer, join our stomp by donating to Team Foodtrainers this holiday season. If you are in San Francisco, Chicago, NYC or Long Island, you can also get involved by riding!

Beyond doing something wonderful, you will be contributing towards us making fools of ourselves. For every $1000 we raise, a Foodtrainers team member will make a dance video. We can guarantee sprinklers, worms, running men, and a Dougie our two. It may not be pretty, but it'll be fun.

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Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch

If you are passionate about sustainability, or about eating seafood, consider a donation to Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program. Nearly 75% of the world's fisheries are fished to capacity, a scary fact considering how reliant we are on the oceans.  The nonprofit (and amazing Aquarium) aims to raise consumer, business and restaurant awareness. We've blogged about our love for their iPhone App that helps us make prudent fish selections at our favorite restaurants, but that's just a drop in the ocean of all the good they're doing.

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Just Food

Whether you're a full-fledged CSA-buying locavore or an occasional farmers market going, wanna be-locavore, Just Food needs to be on your radar. Just Food is a non-profit that connects NY communities with local farms and food producers. Some of their projects include City Gardens, Community Food Education, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. Support Just Food by shopping in their store , or by hosting a Harvest Dinner to help raise awareness. If you're doing the latter, don't forget to send your favorite nutritionists an invite.

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Soles 4 Souls

As important as food is, shoes don't fall too far behind. How many "just in case" pairs of barely used running sneakers do you really need? Make good use of them without even hitting the gym by donating them to Soles 4 Souls, an international disaster relief organization started in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Get involved by donating new or barely worn sneakers. Shoe stores all over the country act as donation locations.

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Snacks for a Cause

We are so grateful for our clients, who often feel like an extended family. Giving to others is wonderful, but sometimes you need to be charitable to yourself, too.  We're combining the two: give yourself the gift of healthy snacking over with our Snacks for a Cause. We will donate 100% of the profits to charity.

Our Snacks for a Cause is a holiday necessity, whether you're traveling, hosting, or relaxing. Keep hunger at bay with these healthy snacks. If you're in the NYC area, you take care of the last minute packing, we'll have the snacks couriered to your home.

Snacks for a Cause includes:

• ChickPz roasted chickpeas (healthy crackerjacks)
• Sheffa savory bars (bars don't have to be sweet)
• Chia seeds (a must for travel as they help you "go" away)
• GG bran crispbreads (see chia parentheses)
• Barney Butter (almond butter packs)
• Eboost (airplanes are germy places)

Get yours in our online store today.

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Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to our clients and colleagues. If you miss us or miss feeling great, we're booking January appointments.

And not to worry, we have some tricks up our sleeve you'll hear about in early January. 

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