ASG Friend, Read the Heroes for Hunger February/March Highlights

Hello Friends,

Food donors often ask, "What time of the year is hardest for pantries?" My answer is always the same: February. In late February/early March, food from holiday food drives has mostly been distributed, donations are down due to post-holiday spending fatigue, and usually the weather is cold (though not this year) so people are less likely to go out to the grocery store. Plus it's a prime time for the flu, viruses, and colds to set in, which also makes people less likely to shop. As a result, pantry shelves are noticeably emptier.

All pantries supported by A Simple Gesture get a delivery of food in February. We planned it that way to help pantries get past the late winter slump and push through until spring. Thank you for doing your part—whether that's filling a green bag, volunteering, supporting our program with a financial gift, or spreading the word about ASG—to help make sure children and families get through the rough winter months with the food they need to thrive.

Everything we do is because of you. Thank you for your generosity, compassion, time, and dedication as we all work to #EndHunger—in February and all year long.

PS: Our 2022 Impact Report is ready. Scroll down to see some of the amazing results we all accomplished this year!

Fun & Free: Don't Miss Hope Fest 4 Hunger 2023

2023 marks the fifth year of Hope Fest 4 Hunger, a free multicultural dance festival to benefit A Simple Gesture and Greensboro Urban Ministry. Held Sunday, February 19 from 2 pm to 4 pm, Hope Fest 4 Hunger will feature a welcome by Mayor Nancy Vaughan, Lauren Coleman of WFMY News 2 as anchor, and the following dance groups: Souls of Beauty, Triad Hindu Temple, One Spirit Native American group, Walsh

Kelley School of Irish Dance, Dance Project, Sapphire Studio Competition Team, Orgullo & Alma Latina, Corazon Gitano Spanish dancers, and Suah African Dance Theatre. Plus there will be 20 exciting baskets for raffle prizes and silent auction items. Remember, admission is free, as is parking downtown on Sundays. The event is held at the beautiful Carolina Theater. Last year's event raised over $30,000! Click here to learn more and make plans to join the fun.

Ready to Run? A Simple Gesture Partners for Valentine Race

Billed as "quite possibly the most fun you will ever have running a race," the Valentine's Massacre Marathon Relay happens this Sunday at Country Park in Greensboro—and A Simple Gesture has been selected to be the official nonprofit partner for the race! Runners will have the chance to donate food, sign up to be food donors, and learn more about A Simple Gesture (both locally and our national chapters), all while creating a tailgating tent city through a large segment of Country Park and enjoying the race. Runners participate in teams or solo. The event is expected to sell out, so if you're interested in participating, register now: https://www.massacremarathon.com. Want to come out to cheer on the runners? The race starts at 10 am!

Fantastic First: Food Waste Solutions Symposium Set for March

Greensboro's first Food Waste Solutions Symposium will be held on Wednesday, March 22, from 1 pm to 6pm at the North Carolina A&T Farm Pavilion. Join us to hear from local speakers (including our very own Laura Oxner, Director of RePurpose) about the collaboration across sectors to make sure food isn't wasted and that excess food gets to people in need. The event will feature the food recovery work at our local colleges and universities, along with local businesses, nonprofits, and the city of Greensboro. Attendees will participate in small table discussions, panels, and a student poster competition. Watch for details!

Cheers for Choices: BackPack Beginnings Expands Weekend Food Options

One of A Simple Gesture’s major food pantry partners is BackPack Beginnings, which offers a shopping-style food pantry and weekend food bags for students across Guilford County, among other services. Until recently, the only option for weekend meals for HeadStart and elementary students has been kid bags, which include individual, kid-friendly, ready-to-eat foods for one small child for the weekend. However with the increased need for food in the community, BackPack Beginnings now offers families the choice between a kid bag or a family bag, which includes assorted groceries such as rice, full-size cereal, jars of peanut butter, beans, and vegetables. This allows each family to determine what best fits their needs. Last year through your generous donations A Simple Gesture provided 164,078 pounds of food for children and families served by BackPack Beginnings, food that went into weekend meals like these.

Major Impact: Highlights from Our 2022 Impact Report

Wondering what we achieved together in 2022? Look no further! Here's a quick overview of our 2022 Impact Report. To view the full report, click here.

We collected the most food ever—480,377 pounds of food. That's an incredible 600,471 child-sized meals, valued at $831,052.
We now pick up food from 4,500+ households across Guilford County.
We've added LOTS of new partners—Northwood Community Center, High Point Community Clinic, The Fresh Market, and Whole Foods, to name just a few!
We surpassed 2 million meals donated since A Simple Gesture started in 2015.

Sending a few extra-special thank-yous to:

Carol Cerra and her neighbors for collecting food for the Burns Hill Community Pantry.
Truliant Federal Credit Union on Battleground Avenue for hosting a food drive.
Hartley Drive YMCA and Culp for hosting Share the Love food drives this month.
Sternberger Elementary for inviting families to sign up to be ASG food donors.
Southwest Elementary for hosting a special cereal drive, which will include a domino-style chain reaction with the cereal boxes—watch for the video on social media!
Our beloved anonymous food donor, who doesn't drive so she periodically calls and asks us to meet her at Walmart—where she has carts filled with food for local families.
The Nido & Mariana Qubein Children's Museum for welcoming A Simple Gesture during the MLK day of service. Thanks, too, to the volunteers who helped out that day.
YOU, for filling a green bag, volunteering to drive, sorting food as it's delivered, making a financial gift, and telling your neighbors about A Simple Gesture. Thank you for being part of the ASG community!

Knowing Our Neighbors: RePurpose Joins Triad Local First

Triad Local First encourages residents to think local, buy local, and be local to support our small businesses. RePurpose is one of the organization's newest members, spreading the word about the many benefits of food recovery in our community. Learn more here.

New RePurpose Partner: Welcome, Sprouts!

Located at 3357 Battleground Avenue in Westridge Square, Sprouts is one of RePurpose's newest food recovery partners. The store has already donated hundreds of pounds of perishable food to local nonprofits. Thank you, Sprouts!

Welcome, Sheri!: National Expansion Forges Ahead

Our newest staffer is a familiar face around the office and behind the scenes: Sheri DuPuis has been volunteering with A Simple Gesture since 2020 as a social media volunteer, a driver, and a food donor. Now Sheri has officially joined our team and will spearhead efforts to set up new ASG chapters along with updating the website and social media platforms. Welcome, Sheri!

On the Lookout: We're in Need of a Large Cart on Wheels

If you or your employer have an unneeded mail cart, laundry cart, or something similar that you could donate, please contact [email protected]. Thanks!

Hear From Our Sustainers: Be a Hero for Hunger

"I'm used to filling my green bag each month, so it makes sense to send a financial gift each month as well. I know my donation is used to expand this program so more children and families get the food they need."—anonymous financial donor

Thank you to this anonymous donor and to all of our monthly sustainers. A gift of $5, $10, $20, or $50 each month is a huge help to us. Learn more about monthly giving at asimplegesturegso.org/donate.