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Good evening! I just wanted to share what organizations I am donating to and what personal, individual actions I am trying to make with my Chasing Full Plates humanitarian mission.
While hunger is by far not a NEW problem- it is a new passion of mine and unless I am a wizard and single handedly solve world hunger (good problem to have) I am under the impression that there will always be hungry people to feed. If it within my power- my hope is that when we are all old and grey- we can look back and see that Chasing Full Plates has fed millions of people.
But for now- it’s my job to get the ball rolling. I am just a lady with internet access trying to make a difference one post at a time. I am hoping that the small daily actions I take today, tomorrow and the next day build the momentum that it takes to feed millions…but that big number had to start with one. In the future- my methods will likely change, maybe the organizations I donate to will change…but for now…for today- here is the plan.
Hands On Action
- I am looking into local thrift stores to find storage for small local food pantries. You might know them as blessing boxes. I will be starting by keeping one up and running at my job (at a child’s playplace) and in my neighborhood. I am starting here as I am present enough to keep up with these boxes and give a personal helping hand. Once these are up and running I want to either build or find more to help out more neighborhoods in the community.
- I am planning and slowly collecting supplies to have an abundant garden in the spring- NOW. I am hoping to be able to grow enough to feed not only my family, but families in my community as well.
- I have a Facebook page Chasing Full Plates where I plan to keep my community members updates on where the local food banks, events, and local deals are for more affordable groceries. I will also be posting actionable steps community members can take themselves when I can.
- Adopt a family- when I can I will cook double meals and adopt a family. While I am not rich- I can make double portions and provide families in the area a hot meal when I can.
- I am emailing local food banks trying to see how I can best spend my time volunteering. I am also emailing and reaching out to see how I can help provide Thanksgiving dinners to some people in my community.
- Spreading awareness- by posting about my cause, actionable steps, and more. I am hoping the more it comes up in conversation, the more people feel inspired to take action.
Monetarily
I have dedicated that my TikTok page (@chasingdayzero) from this point forward is entirely dedicated to Chasing Full Plates. Every cent will be put to work feeding my community- locally, nationally, and globally. 10% of any profit/income I personally make will also be added to the pile. That means from my silly little paychecks from my side hustles, to future book sales, social media income, etc.
This is how that will be dispersed:
- 40% Local Impact (Idaho): Supporting food banks, community gardens, and hosting free community potlucks.
- 30% National Impact: Donating to Feeding America and Meals on Wheels.
- 25% Global Impact: Donating to the World Food Programme and Action Against Hunger.
- 5% Local Animal Shelters: Because our furry friends deserve full plates too. (Minidoka Animal Shelters)
I’ll share monthly Impact Reports — even if it’s just my personal donations — so you can see exactly where every dollar goes.
And just to be clear: you don’t need to send me money to make a difference. If you have the means, please donate directly to your local food banks or trusted organizations. My goal is simply to turn my corner of the internet into something that feeds more than it scrolls -so your time watching, sharing, or engaging is part of the solution.
Lastly, The Stone Soup Story
A group of travelers arrived at a village carrying an empty cooking pot.
They went door to door asking for food, but no one was willing to share with them.
So, they went to the river and filled their pot with water. They dropped a large stone in the water and placed the pot over a fire.
One of the villagers walked by and saw the pot with the stone inside. “What are you doing?” she asked.
The travelers replied, “We are making stone soup, which tastes wonderful. We would be happy to share it with you, but we are in need of a little garnish to improve the flavor. Do you have anything to spare?”
“Why, yes, I think I know just the thing!” said the villager. She returned home and gathered some carrots to add to the stone soup.
Another villager saw the travelers cooking the stone in the pot and he asked what they were making.
“Stone soup,” they replied once more and again they offered to share some if the villager would add an ingredient.
The villager gathered some potatoes and onions to bring for the soup. Along the way a few other villagers saw the man who told them about the soup. They wanted to enjoy the delicious meal, too of course, so they gathered their own ingredients to add to the meal.
Villager after villager came to add to the soup until the entire village contributed something and gathered around the fire.
The travelers thanked the villagers for their contributions and removed the stone from the pot (for it is impossible to eat a stone).
Everyone enjoyed a delicious bowl of soup, which tasted just a little bit better since they all had a hand in making it.
End of the day…
No matter what I do- it will never be enough. But I am going to do it anyways.
My goal is to spread joy, kindness, and entertainment…and hopefully I can feed my neighbors along the way. I wanted to share the stone soup story as well. It such a great reminder that even when we feel that we don’t even have enough for ourselves…when we come together and put all our out “too little” together- we have more than enough to enjoy.
Let’s go fill some plates. <3
-KR