Donating eco-food at the holidays

© Photos by Patricia Dines, 2012 

Seeing the food donation barrels come out for the holidays made me pause and remember to be grateful that I have enough to eat. Unfortunately, many people in this country do not – including the "working poor," who support so much of the structure of our community. Also impacted are their families, as well as many of our culture's elders, who are living out their golden years on limited incomes.

So I thought to myself that maybe this year I wanted to send some money to the Redwood Empire Food Bank. 

But I hesitated, wondered why, and realized that it was because my money probably wouldn't be used to buy them organic food. 

I rolled my eyes at myself. Really? I know that any food would be appreciated, and I'm glad for the work REFB does. 

Still, I listened to my own heart too. Yes, I'm not personally excited to give people mainstream food that I know probably has toxics and a lot lower nutrients.

But then I realized – I can buy them organic food and put it into one of these bins!  Well, duh! So I found the organic form of the packaged staples that REFB says folks need most (and got them at good sale prices) then put them in the barrel. Yay!

So that felt good. But still I wondered, “Is that the best I can do?” 

Just then my calendar rolled up with a notice for the Ceres Community Project Annual Holiday Party, being held at their new Sebastopol building. Oooo, I love the work that this nonprofit does, so I was glad for the chance to get an update and look for ways that I can support their activities. 

Announcing my Ask EcoGirl Theme Pages!

Because I've designed this blog to be a more informal space, I'm going to be mostly keeping it separate from my more formal print columns and articles. Therefore I won't be publishing a post for each print article I publish, including my Ask EcoGirl columns. 

However, you can get easily notified of my print articles (which are mostly on eco-topics) by signing up for my low-volume Articles Announcement List at www.patriciadines.info/EList.html. (It's just 1 to 3 emails a month.) I also post these notices on my website's What's News page. 

And, if you want to get email notices when I post new blogs, just enter your email in the box to the right.

>> In this post I want to let you know about another convenient way you can peruse my high-quality and inspiring print eco-columns and articles: My Ask EcoGirl Theme Pages!

Here, I've gathered my more formal pieces into topic groups, so that it's easier for you and others to find the articles that meet your specific needs, when you need them. 

My pieces are written as always in a cheerful, accurate, and useful style – so that you can more quickly move into action and getting results, while having fun along the way. I believe that taking eco-action can feel inspiring and rewarding!

On my main Ask EcoGirl Themes Page, you will see links for these topic areas: Food and Agriculture, Jobs and Economy, Energy and Transportation, Toxics and Health, Healthy Home, Being an Eco-Smart Consumer, Eco-Citizenry, Effective Activism, Greening Your Holidays, and Shifting Our Thinking. 

I'll continue to update each of these Themes pages as new articles of mine are published, so they will stay current.  

I also invite you to look for ways to share these links with others in your personal or work worlds, as helpful resources for them. For instance, you might post the link to a specific theme on your Facebook page or website. Then people can access my quality print articles in that topic area on an ongoing basis.

I hope you find this helpful, and I welcome your feedback. 

Thanks for your interest!

Blog content (c) Copyright Patricia Dines, 2012. All rights reserved. Links are encouraged! My content is also available for reprint, but please contact me for permission first. Thanks!

The holidays bring Indigenous' warehouse clothing sale

With the return of the winter holiday season comes one of my favorite events: the Indigenous' Annual Holiday Warehouse sale, which this year is on Dec. 6, 7, and 8.  

And I post this only as a fan sharing a secret insider treat!

I love this company's long-term deep commitment to making clothes that are beautiful and high-quality while also being respectful of both the earth and the artisans that craft the items. The folks at Indigenous really have been pioneering that path, braving the challenges to show us what can be done. 

Usually you can only get their clothes in stores or online. But once a year, for three days, they open the doors of their Santa Rosa offices and offer a wide range of samples and other extras for 60-70% off retail. (It's mostly women's clothing and accessories, but there are some nice selections for men.)