At NestFresh, we are proud to be part of our community and we are excited to share guest posts from some of the wonderful people that are doing great work building strong and healthy communities. We are proud to partner with these people and organizations. Today’s post is from Mag Strittmatter, Executive Director of The Action Center. The Action Center’s mission is to provide an immediate response to basic human needs and promote pathways to self-sufficiency for Jefferson County residents and the homeless.
When it comes to non-profit food pantries and food rescue, NestFresh is a dynamic “food rescue” partner. Over the past year and a half, the Action Center has benefited from the generosity of NestFresh in helping us achieve a goal of feeding our hungry neighbors in the greater Denver community. The Action Center’s mission is to provide an immediate response to basic human needs and to promote pathways to self-sufficiency. Food is that most basic of human needs; we can’t begin to address the latter part of the mission statement until we have addressed the first half. Through the food rescue efforts of the Action Center and other feeding agencies in the metro area, we have received tons; yes literally, tons of eggs from NestFresh.
Here is why this matters. The Action Center’s food pantry is one of the busiest in the Denver metro region, distributing between four to five tons of food every day to hungry neighbors. More than a year ago, we adopted USDA’s My Plate nutrition guidelines that put an emphasis on fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein sources for a well-balanced diet. We take this to heart when providing food for up to 150 households daily. That is why rescuing servable fruits, vegetables and protein sources from the food supply chain is so critically important. These families rely on organizations such as ours to provide food staples that are nutritious, that won’t exacerbate existing illnesses such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes.
The egg has long been hailed as a perfect protein source; packed with riboflavin, folate, vitamins B6, B12, D, and E, and iron, phosphorus, and zinc. Empty calories provide little or no nutritional value, and at best, act as fillers. This is especially true for children. Imagine trying to focus on homework when you haven’t eaten in days or your last meal consisted of a moldy piece of bread and a bowl of vegetable broth. This is where NestFresh has made such a difference. Through the gift of donated eggs, NestFresh is assisting us and other pantries across the country in providing nutritious protein sources to hungry adults AND children.
Something as simple as an egg does make a difference. Not sure? I invite you to visit a local food pantry and see for yourself. Thank you, NestFresh for allowing food rescue efforts to have access to your excess.
NestFresh would like to thank Mag and the rest of the team at The Action Center for all that they do! To learn more about their work or how to become involved, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.