twitter for food

The Secret Of #twitterforfood

Giving.

That's the secret.

To Give.

The pinnacle of human kind, the highest calling, the peak of our existence is giving. Giving of ourselves, our talent, our time, our tenacity. To give our resources, our money, our emotions, our passion, our love - to someone in need. It's the core of every major faith. It's the essence of what we teach our children. It's the best we can do or be.

The opposite of giving - isn't taking - it's receiving. Misunderstanding this is what has put the world off kilter today; the misguided idea that we need to take what we can get and keep what we take, for who will take care of me but me? This thought that there isn't enough to go around is a marketing ploy. The doctrine of scarcity is self fulfilling. If we all saw ourselves as givers instead of consumers, there would always be enough.

This isn't pie in the sky, or a pipe dream - it's how the universe works. Always giving. And receiving.

The secret of #twitterforfood is also the secret of life - realizing that being a giver is the most important trait one can have. If enough gain this realization, enough will actually be enough.

Simply,

Tim

Get Your Twitterforfood "i skipped a meal" Badge for February 2010

Thanks to everyone that joined in #twitterforfood and skipped a meal to donate the savings to fund local and global hunger relief on 2/2/10. Over 500,000 impressions went out to create awareness for the issues of hunger!

Here's the February "i skipped a meal" badge for your website or blog:

As usual, you can just copy this graphic or you can use this code to embed the graphic with a link into your website!

<a href="http://www.twitterforfood.com"><img src="http://enklings.typepad.com/iskippedameal0210.gif"/></a>

Thanks again all who joined in this month.  I Loved to see this tweet this morning from @FoodBankCENY:

Thanks to everyone who participated in #TwitterforFood yesterday - we will be able to provide over 200 meals to our communities!

Awesome!

As always, twitterforfood.com and @hungernomore are available all month to highlight what your food banks and organizations are doing during the month. It's free promotion! Email me at: twitterforfood@gmail.com.

simply,

Tim 

Welcome the Community Center of St. Bernard to #twitterforfood

Even though it has now been more than four years since Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005, the devastation in St Bernard Parish remains overwhelming. Entire blocks of homes and businesses still stand empty and derelict, marked for destruction. There are no hospitals here now, and the population is only about half of what it was before the disaster. Yet the rate of child abuse in St Bernard Parish is up by 150% compared to pre-Katrina values, and the rate of elder abuse and neglect has risen by an incredible 335%.

As they undertake one of the most daunting disaster recovery efforts this nation has ever seen, the people of St. Bernard have very practical needs. They need laundry facilities so they can keep themselves and their children clean. They need phones so they can maintain contact with family members scattered across the country. They need internet connections so they can find information about rebuilding their businesses and their homes. They need a centralized location for services so they can receive donated supplies and assistance easily and with dignity. And they need a place to come together to enjoy a hot, nutritious meal and share their ongoing frustrations and successes with their neighbors. The Community Center of St Bernard is dedicated to providing hurricane survivors with the recovery resources they need in a safe and all-inclusive setting.

Free Services Available from the CCSTB:

• Local and long-distance phone service
• Fax send and receive
• Computers with internet access and technical assistance if needed
• Wireless Internet Access Point (WiFi)
• Distribution center for food, clothes and toiletries
• Performance space for local musicians and artists
• Computer classes
• Space for neighborhood gatherings, community meetings and support groups
• Satellite office space for other agencies
• Laundry facilities (coming soon)
• Community suppers
• Dinner–dances, holiday celebrations, and other family–oriented gatherings

(from the Community Center of St. Bernard website)

Remember, Tuesday 2/2/10 is the next #twitterforfood event, skip a meal and use the savings to fun great organizations like the Community Center of St. Bernard!

Simply,

Tim

#twitterforfood 2/2/10 - Skip a meal to fight hunger!

The need is so great around the world to feed the hungry.  With the disaster in Haiti and so much world focus on the less fortunate, this is a great time to introduce #twitterforfood to your family, friends and co-workers.   

#twitterforfood is a monthly event on Twitter where thousands of us skip just one meal and use the savings to fund local and global hunger relief. In this small way, we can identify with those that have no food security and also band together through social media to take a stand against hunger around the world.

In talking with food banks and hunger organizations across the globe and in my home town, I know first hand that the need is up and donations are down all resulting from the decline in our world economies. Won't you help them on February 2nd and join me and 1000's of others in skipping a meal and raising awareness, acknowledgment, action and accomplishment in this effort to eliminate hunger?

Just post to your twitter account that you are joining in #twitterfood 2/2/10 to fund local and global hunger relief.  You can put a link to this site so people can click on the hunger links here or put a link to your favorite hunger organization.

Please join us!

Simply,

Tim

#twitterforfood on Blogtalk Radio with Megan Schiebe

Check out Tim from #twitterforfood on Blog Talk Radio with Megan Schiebe:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/megan-schiebe/2010/01/24/twitter-for-food-with-tim-blair

15 minute conversation about #twitterforfood.

Simply, 

Tim

Welcome the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to #twitterforfood

The Regional Food Bank has been helping to feed the poor and hungry in our communities since 1982. It is the only organization of its kind in northeastern New York. The Food Bank collects large donations of food from the food industry and distributes it to charitable agencies serving hungry and disadvantaged people in 23 counties. From Plattsburgh to Newburgh, in urban, rural, and suburban communities, the Food Bank provides nearly 20 million pounds of food a year to over 1,000 agencies.

The mission of the Regional Food Bank is to alleviate hunger and prevent food waste.  We work toward this mission by ensuring that all products available for donation reach the Food Bank and are distributed judiciously to our member agencies; by practicing responsible stewardship; and by actively participating in the community to increase awareness of hunger and poverty. (from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York site)

Remember, February 2nd is the next #twitterforfood event!  Skip a meal with thousands on Twitter and use the savings to fund great organizations like the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York!

Simply,

Tim

Haiti Update from the World Food Programme as of 1/15/2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for US$279 million to feed 2 million people and provide logistical support for a 6-month Emergency Operation in response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti....read the whole story here.

Donate to the desperate need:

The World Food Programme - or you can text "FRIENDS" to 90999 to give $5 to the relief. 

Simply,

Tim

Donate To Haiti Relief

 As of this morning, it looks like tens of thousands of people have died in the Haiti earthquake.

Here's a partial list of links to reputable organizations to donate for Haiti relief:

World Food Programme - you can text "FRIENDS" to 90999

Red Cross - you can also text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief in Haiti.

Oxfam America

UNICEF

International Medical Corps

Doctors Without Borders

Simply,

Tim

Welcome Lord's Pantry of Downingtown to #twitterforfood

 The Lord's Pantry of Downingtown, PA has been in operation for over 40 years and is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3). Since it's inception, the Lords's Pantry has been, and remains 100% volunteer. We currently serve 672 registered families a four to five day supply of food which includes non-perishables, meat selections, fresh vegetables and dairy products when available.  We also recognize that our families need paper products, and therefore, we encourage donations of these items in order for us to supply them to the families.

All of our families qualify for the food they receive based on their income of 150% of poverty.  The local churches support the pantry and are very important to us, but we recognize that hunger and poverty are community issues as well.  We believe that our supporters are critical to sustain, and more importantly, expand the effort before us.

We encourage you to call us or stop by for a visit.  Good and cost efficient work is being done in Downingtown!  We welcome your support, ideas and assistance. (from the Lord's Pantry of Downingtown website)

Check out the Lord's Pantry of Downingtown's Facebook Page.

Also some great photos, reviews and info here: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/lord-s-pantry-of-downingtown

Remember, Tuesday, February 2 is the next #twitterforfood event.  Spread the word to skip a meal an fund great organizations like the Lord's Pantry of Downingtown!

Simply,

Tim

Get Your January 2010 I Skipped a Meal Badge from #twitterforfood

Thanks to everyone that joined in #twitterforfood and skipped a meal to donate the savings to fund local and global hunger relief on 1/5/10. What a great day!

Here's the January "i skipped a meal" badge for your website or blog:

As usual, you can just copy this graphic or you can use this code to embed the graphic with a link into your website!

<a href="http://www.twitterforfood.com"><img src="http://enklings.typepad.com/iskippedameal0110.gif"/></a>

Thanks again all who joined in this month.  January is a month of new beginnings and I was so glad to see many new tweeters.  Overall, we had around 600,000 twitter impressions, which was great, but we need that to exponentially grow over the next few months to reach our goals!

It was also great to get noticed by Causecast and The Huffington Post this month! Thanks so much to @ericaliepmann for writing the editorial!!

As always, twitterforfood.com and @hungernomore are available all month to highlight what your food banks and organizations are doing during the month. It's free promotion! Email me at: twitterforfood@gmail.com.

simply,

Tim