Hello Friends, Inflation is hitting everyone hard. As the price of food and transportation increases, families on tight budgets are suddenly turning to food pantries. One of our partner pantries told me that they’ve seen a 30% increase in families who have never used a food pantry before.     Pantries are facing challenges themselves. Food banks like Second Harvest are struggling to get even a fraction of the food they usually distribute, leaving pantry shelves bare.   The good news is that we live in one of the most caring and giving communities I've ever seen. I am always blown away to find that, when we know that families in our community are struggling, we dig deep and give a little more. It happened when A Simple Gesture started in Guilford County in 2015, just a few weeks after Greensboro/High Point was named the Hungriest City in the Country. It happened in April 2020, when almost half of our neighbors (47%) reported being food insecure. And it can happen again, as inflation gobbles up bigger chunks of families' incomes. This spirit of giving really is a miracle like no other.   If you are able, please consider ways that you can help lift the burden from another family this summer:  Give a green bag every month–or give more than one bag! Ask a friend or neighbor to give. We have door hangers that you can distribute around your neighborhood; contact our office to request some. Donate money to our food fund that helps pantries buy food that they are critically low on, such as meat and baby formula.  Volunteer to drive. As gas prices go up, we get fewer volunteers. We would love your help! Volunteer to help at a pantry. Many of our partners need help stocking shelves and checking expiration dates to make sure all food gets used. Connected to the food industry? Get involved with RePurpose to make sure wholesome prepared food isn’t wasted. Together we can make sure that Guilford County children have the food they need to grow and learn. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a part of this miracle of community.

Summer Series: Feeding Not Wasting Look for the upcoming RePurpose learning and discussion series called: "RePurpose—Food Is a Solution," led by RePurpose Director Laura Oxner. The series will focus on how our community is maximizing prepared and perishable food resources. Upcoming sessions include: A visit to the completely sustainable bakery business, Maxie B's, to hear how owner Robin Davis started her journey with just one procedural change. Learning more from Dr. Vicki Foust, our climate scientist, who will delve into the mysteries of anaerobic digestion and how it could be the key to handling food waste. A visit to Gallins Farms, an industrial composting company servicing commercial and residential sites in Guilford County. The first session is tentatively scheduled for June 28 at noon, topic to be announced. Click here to sign up!

Sending a few extra-special thank-yous to: Wesley Memorial School, which collected both food and money for A Simple Gesture with their Super Hero Dash (so cute!!!) Students at Penn’s Wharton School (led by Claire Oxner) for choosing A Simple Gesture as the focus of their social media impact project High Point Moose Lodge, which raised funds and food for ASG at their hot dog lunch Tri-City Christian School, which collected over 2,000 pounds of food to help stock pantries for the summer Kellin Foundation, which joined our Corporate Kindness program Revolution Academy, for collecting 2,000+ pounds of food to help feed hungry children and families Carolina Container, High Point Yoga Studio, and RHA Health Services, which are conducting summer stock-up food collections Phoenix Academy, for hosting a summer food collection at all three of its campuses Realtor Bethany Fields, who hosted a Free Shred Day and collected food for ASG All-A-Flutter Butterfly Farm, for helping us get the word out about A Simple Gesture and collecting food during Hunger Awareness Month YOU, for filling your bag, being a driver, volunteering at one of our partner pantries, making a financial gift, telling friends about ASG, liking and sharing our posts on social media, or forwarding this newsletter to a friend who you think would like to get involved. Thank you!

Free Money: Vote With Your Target Circle Points Are you a Target Circle member? Visit https://www.target.com/circle to cast your votes for A Simple Gesture. Each vote gives us a larger piece of the donation pie. Hurry, voting ends June 30!

Service Hours: Students, Get Your Hours With ASG Summer is a great time to load up on service hours. A Simple Gesture has two options that might work for the students in your life: Driving or helping a driver during Saturday pickups Spreading the word about A Simple Gesture. We have door hangers that invite people to sign up. Distribute these in your neighborhood or in other neighborhoods and log your time. Contact our office for more information.

Food Recovery: You Can Help Food recovery is booming. As this image shows, in one weekend Laura recovered over 2,000 pounds of food that otherwise would have gone to the landfill. But she can't do it alone! Consider being a driver for RePurpose (ages 18+). Drivers pick up food at local grocery stores and businesses and deliver it to community organizations serving meals. The next driver training will be Thursday, June 23 at 1 pm. Contact Laura to sign up.

Do the Deductions: Perks for Volunteers Tax season may be over, but are taxes ever really finished? Keep your receipts for next year so you can cash in on these money-saving deductions: The cost of the food you put in your green bag is tax deductible. Volunteer drivers can deduct mileage for picking up food and delivering it to pantries and nonprofits. Businesses that donate perishable food to RePurpose can get a deduction. Talk to your tax professional or check out IRS publication 526 for more information.

Great Grads: Thank You to Katie Danis and Jamie Danis Long-time social media volunteer Katie Danis graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill last month as an Honors Laureate with Distinction in both her Biology and Medical Anthropology degrees. And long-time fundraiser Jamie Danis, who has been making and selling wooden trivets to benefit ASG for several years (and is Katie's brother), graduated as Salutatorian at Weaver Academy on June 3. Jamie received the Ingram Scholarship and will attend Vanderbilt University to study biomedical engineering. A huge heartfelt thank you to both Katie and Jamie for their incredible contributions to A Simple Gesture. We can't wait to see what they do next! From Our Sustainers: Your Gifts Keep ASG Running Here’s why A Simple Gesture sustainer Rose Gaiser gives a gift each month: “Grateful! Grateful is the reason I support ASG. Being grateful translates to 'joy in giving' and it is joyful, fun and rewarding to fill the monthly green bags full of food. Just as important, it is joyful to send a monthly check to support ASG administratively, so they can continue and expand this meaningful ministry.” Thank you 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.

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