Project Open Hand and Marathon Matt are thrilled to announce Home Run 13.1, a half marathon training program to prepare YOU for the Giant Race on September 16th.

Home Run 13.1 will launch on Sunday, July 1st at 9:30AM. The training program  offers THREE fun, fitlanthropic options to train for the Giant Race Half Marathon and support Project Open Hand:
 
• Pay To Play – Simply pay the $130 registration fee and 10% of your fee goes directly to Project Open Hand
• Fundraise $500 for Project Open Hand – Your Home Run 13.1 registration fee ($130) is waived and you can join the program for FREE, but you are asked to raise $500 for Project Open Hand. You will be provided a fundraising webpage and fundraising support.
• Fundraise $1000 for Project Open Hand – Your Home Run 13.1 registration fee is waived and you can join the program and train for free. AND YOU GET A FREE ENTRY INTO THE HALF MARATHON ONCE YOU RAISE $1,000 (or more) FOR PROJECT OPEN HAND!

The Home Run 13.1 Training Program includes the following:
• 2 weekly professionally coached run workouts (Wednesday @ 6:30PM, Sunday @ 9:30AM)
• A sporty technical training shirt
• A twice weekly email newsletter supporting your training.
• A comprehensive training schedule
• Snacks!
• Clinics/Seminars with Marathon Matt partners
• Team social events (bar nights, team dinners, etc.)!

Start Date: Sunday, July.1, 2012 at 9:30AM
Training: 11 weeks of training (7/1 – 9/16) 2 workouts per week (Wed. Nights@ 6:30PM and Sunday Mornings@ 9:30AM)
-Wednesday night run workouts @ 6:30PM launch from Golden Gate Park (adjacent to Lincoln/9th)
-Sunday morning runs @ 9:30AM launch from Golden Gate Park unless specified otherwise in the schedule/newsletter.

Click here for more details and online registration-Home Run 13.1 Program Details & Online Registration.

QUESTIONS/CONCERNS? EMAIL MARATHONMATT@MARATHONMATT.COM

Interested in volunteering and supporting Project Open Hand at the fair? Project Open Hand will NOT receive funds raised from Folsom unless we meet our volunteer requirements, so please help us continue to provide vital meal & nutrition services to the homebound/critically ill in San Francisco.

Volunteers are needed ALL DAY from 5:30am – 9:00pm at various shifts including, but not limited to:
Donation Collection at Gates
Volunteer Hospitality
Event Security
Recycling
Event Breakdown

Click here to sign up to volunteer today.

It’s no time for a siesta, we’re ready for a fiesta! Join us on Friday, May 4th at The LookOut for a Cinco De Mayo Celebration. It’s time to showcase the very best of Mexican and Latin American cultures with music, dancing, a beer bust, $4 well drinks, raffle, and much more – all to benefit Project Open Hand’s meal and nutrition services.

2)   PROTECT YOUR HEART – significant amount of folate and magnesium
• Lentils contribute to heart health in their soluble fiber and in the significant amount of folate and magnesium. 
• One cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of the recommended daily allowance for folic acid, which protects the artery walls and prevents heart disease.
• Magnesium lowers resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.  And studies show that a deficiency of magnesium is associated with heart attack.

3)   STABILIZE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR – full of complex carbohydrates
• The soluble fiber in lentils helps stabilize blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, lentils are full of complex carbohydrates that can help you…
– Control your blood glucose levels
– Control your cholesterol levels
– Control your appetite
– Lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes 

4)   HIGH IN PROTEIN
• With 25% protein, Lentil is the vegetable with the highest level of protein other than soybeans. Protein is important to support normal growth and development.

5)   IMPORTANT MINERALS AND ANTIOXIDANTS
• Lentils are a good source of important minerals like iron, magnesium, and zinc.  Iron deficiency causes anemia while zinc is one of several nutrients necessary for fending off infections. 
• Lentils also provide antioxidants such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C, which bind with and destroy free radicals, reducing oxidative damage to cells.  Lentils also have a high content of tannins, phytochemicals that prevent cancer growth, making them a good addition to any diet.

CAUTION: Lentils and Purines
If you have kidney problems or gout, you may want to limit or avoid intake of purine-containing foods such as lentils.  Since purines can be broken down to form uric acid, and excess accumulation of purines in the body can lead to excess accumulation of uric acid.

Lentil Soup

1 cup dried lentils
2 cups water
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, sliced 1 potato, diced
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cups broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
1) Wash lentils, and drain well.
2) Place the water in a large saucepan over high heat, and bring to a boil.  Add the lentils, and stir once or twice.  Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes.
3) Place the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and celery, and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
4) Add the lentils and water, and then add the remaining ingredients. Cover, and simmer about 1 hour.  Serve hot.

From: Positive Cooking by Lisa McMillan, Jill Jarvie and Janet Brauer.

Lentils and Rice

1/2 cup lentils, washed
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
1) Put the lentils in a pot and fill with enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, until not quite tender.  Drain and set aside.
2) Wipe out the pot, put in the broth and salt, and bring to a boil.  Add the rice and lentils, and then reduce to a simmer.  Cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let rest 10 minutes.  Stir in the parsley and serve (optional)

VARIATION:  To use brown rice follow the same directions, except cook for 35 to 40 minutes in step 2.

From: 1,000 Lowfat Recipes by Terry Blonder Golson

I write to you today to share important information about Project Open Hand.

I’m sure it is no surprise to you that Project Open Hand, like many other nonprofit organizations, has been under enormous pressure over the last several years to keep up with the growing number of people needing our services.  In fact, we have stretched our meal production by 10% in the last year due to an increase in client need.  In addition, food prices have reached record highs and the cost of fuel for our delivery vehicles continues to be a real concern for us.  Fortunately, despite these challenging times, we have never missed a meal delivery, never turned a client away and never implemented a waitlist for our services.

Earlier this year, we reduced our operating budget in an attempt to curb escalating costs, but unfortunately, our efforts to cut costs in this difficult economic climate have not been enough. As we approach the end of our fiscal year on June 30 we anticipate a deficit of approximately $725,000 of a $9.8 million budget. 

Thanks to exceptional planning by our Board of Directors and staff, we have reserves that will cover our financial shortfall this fiscal year.  However, spending down reserves is not a solution for the long-term.  Action must be taken now to ensure that we can continue to provide meal, grocery and nutrition services to all current and future clients and to make certain that we are here for the community in the long run.

To address our budget deficit in the short-term and ensure we have balanced budgets in the upcoming fiscal year and beyond, we are implementing two changes at Project Open Hand.

Over the course of the next few months, we will work with medical providers to identify our HIV clients with the greatest health issues.  For those clients determined by medical providers to be most critically ill, there will be no change of service.  Clients with chronic conditions who are in better health will be asked to choose to either receive our daily nutritious prepared meals, or a weekly visit to our grocery center where they will receive healthy foods to prepare themselves.

This modification of services to our HIV program will potentially see significant cost savings for Project Open Hand. But, we would never look to balance our budget by programmatic changes alone.  The majority of cuts to our budget will be through a staff reorganization that will include the elimination of positions, along with reducing overhead costs wherever possible.

These changes will be implemented to secure the long-term future of Project Open Hand.  We are taking the necessary steps to become a stronger and more efficient agency – an agency that stretches every dollar that our donors entrust to us. We will continue to gather input and feedback from clients, volunteers, donors, government agencies, and supporters throughout the year.  I invite you to contact me at kwinge@openhand.org or 415-447-2300.

Thank you for the support you have shown Project Open Hand.  I am continually impressed by the courage of our clients, the selflessness of our volunteers, the dedication of our staff, and the generosity of people like you who come together to create a community of love and compassion – a community that brings healing nutrition to our neighbors in need. 

Thank you for all you do,

Kevin Winge
Executive Director

P.S. I would be remiss in my duties as executive director if I did not ask you to please renew your commitment to Project Open Hand so we can continue serving individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the critically ill and seniors.  If you have already made a gift, thank you very much.  Together we will continue to prepare and deliver “meals with love” to all who need them.

Interested in volunteering at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival for a behind-the-scenes encounter with all things sweet? Click here to support Project Open Hand by volunteering at this annual event!

Unhealthy school lunches, skyrocketing prices of healthy food, the affordability of fast-food and its pervasiveness in low-income and minority neighborhoods…these issues and more result in the rise of malnutrition, obesity, diabetes and heart disease in America.

According to a report by the San Francisco Food Security Task Force, adults living in poverty have more than twice the risk of diabetes than those living above the poverty level. The report also points to research that shows their variety in food options decreases, and they consume less expensive and less nutritious foods. The simple fact that healthy and affordable food is not equally available to everyone is an injustice happening every day on a local and global level.

Food justice is a movement that aims to ensure that ”the benefits and risks of where, what, and how food is grown, produced, transported, distributed, accessed and eaten are shared fairly.”  The movement aims to transform the entire food system to eliminate food inequalities. The movement requires a mental shift in the way we collectively view all aspects of food – from production to distribution to consumption. As with many seemingly overwhelming problems, it usually helps to start small. Thus, the most logical place to start is our own community.

That’s where Project Open Hand fits in. Since Ruth Brinker founded Project Open Hand in 1985, we have helped to fight food injustice in the San Francisco Bay Area by providing “meals with love” for those struggling with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and seniors. These are members of our community who may otherwise not have access to healthy food that provides the nutrients needed to heal, repair and strengthen bodies.

In 2011 alone, over 3,300 individuals with HIV/AIDS or other serious illnesses received food from Project Open Hand (about 1/5 of the total population of San Franciscans living with HIV/AIDS, according to the SF Aids Foundation).  We served 260 individuals who are homebound/critically ill, 380 individuals living with breast cancer, and 4,100 seniors received lunches in our Senior Lunch Program.  Additionally, 85,000 bags of food were provided in our Grocery Center.

We accomplished this with the support and help of our generous volunteers, donors, and community advocates. (Did you know over 125 volunteers are needed in the Project Open Hand kitchen every day?) But there’s still a long way to go.

Here’s a list of ways POH fights for food justice in the Bay Area – and ways you can get involved!

1. Donate: Donations come in all shapes and sizes – whatever you can give is warmly welcomed.
2. Volunteer in our Kitchen: Provide vital nourishment to people living with HIV/AIDS, individuals living with serious illness, and seniors.
3. Volunteer in our Grocery Center: Help us complete the tasks necessary to provide groceries for our clients.
4. Deliver Meals: Help us deliver meals directly to our clients.
5. Serve Senior Lunches: Serve lunch to seniors at one of our 26 sites around the Bay Area.
6. Volunteer at Special Events: Help us at one of our many fun special events!  

POH believes in food justice for all. Join us on our mission to strengthen and nourish some of our most vulnerable community members (as of 2009, the US Census estimates that 93,334 San Franciscans are living in poverty), to close the gap on food justice, and give everyone – regardless of race, class, sexual orientation or gender identity – access to healthy, nutritious food. Let’s serve justice together, one meal at a time.

Posted by Amber Ricchetti, guest blogger for Project Open Hand. Connect with her on Twitter: @Gldnamby

Event Timeline:
7:30-8:00am – Registration, Breakfast
8:00-8:30am – Chip Conley speaks
8:30-9:00am – Q&A and Emotional Equations Book Signing

Click here to purchase event tickets today before they sell out!

For any questions regarding this event, please contact Project Open Hand’s Special Events Coordinator, Kari Scheidt, at 415.447.2417 or email events@openhand.org

1. There are 36 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry, which is almost nine times the population of Ireland!

2. The phrase, “Drowning The Shamrock” is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the top of whiskey before drinking it. The Irish believe that if you keep the custom, then you will have a prosperous year.

3. When General George Washington’s troops seized Boston from the British on March 17, 1776, the word “Boston” was used as the password and “St. Patrick” as the reply.

4. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!

5. Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

We wish you all the luck of the Irish!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a delicious Irish Stew. Click here for the recipe!

The San Francisco Marathon prides itself on being a bit different from other races.  The race is more individual, the course is more challenging, and the terrain is more beautiful – an event referred to as “The Race Even Marathoners Fear”!  Raising money for Project Open Hand will make finishing this race even more exciting!

To join the POH San Francisco Marathon team, please click here and choose Project Open Hand from the list of partners, and register for the marathon!

Email events@openhand.org for more information.

Can’t make the race? Donate to our team’s fundraising efforts to support those in need in our San Francisco community.

For more information about the San Francisco Marathon, please visit www.thesfmarathon.com.

Click here to share your feedback!

 Please RSVP to: Hannah Schmunk, Director of Communications
 hschmunk@openhand.org or 415-447-2412.

Food service is an energy intensive operation, requiring gas to cook, electricity to cool, hot water to clean 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Project Open Hand launched a Green Solutions Initiative in 2005 with the intention of greening every facet of their operation.  Our goal was to lower operating costs as well as their impact on the environment. Steve Hunter, Director of Building Operations, states, “Not only do we desire to be a better environmental customer, consumer, and neighbor, but any money saved from greening our operations is money that can be used to purchase nutritious food for our clients.” 

Our headquarters at 730 Polk Street is a beautiful brick building constructed in 1920 with single-pane, steel frame shop windows on all exterior walls. While the windows complement the building’s overall aesthetic, they were inadequate for insulation and noise dampening. We researched window upgrades for several years, but replacement estimates ranged from $750,000 to over $1,000,000.  In addition to prohibitive cost, window replacement is a highly disruptive process that would require employees, volunteers, and clients to vacate for days or even weeks – a disturbance that is not feasible for an organization preparing 2,600 meals every day and welcoming 1,500 clients into their Grocery Center each week.

Fortunately, we found a retro-fit solution, providing all the benefits of window replacement at a fraction of the cost and with minimal disruption of food service operations. The Climate-Seal Thermal Series insert is a custom-fitted window insert that installs on the inside of the existing windows using magnets, creating an energy-efficient double-pane window while leaving existing frames and windows intact.

As part of our Green Solutions Initiative, Project Open Hand received a generous grant from the Hedco Foundation to fund the window inserts involved in the retro-fit upgrade.  The project will save more than $7,500 annually in gas and electric costs, with a return on investment in 12 years. Furthermore, with a reduction in energy use, we will also see an annual reduction in their production of greenhouse gases by tens of thousands of pounds.

Environmental Window Solutions, LLC, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was hired to custom design this unique system of energy-efficient window inserts.  The public is invited to view the retro-fit in progress on Wednesday, March 7th from 10-11am at our 730 Polk Street location.  We aim to complete this project by the end of March.

Summary of the project:
Our windows were inadequate for insulation so we found an energy-efficient custom-fitted window insert that installs on the inside of the existing windows using magnets, creating an energy-efficient double-pane window while leaving existing frames and windows intact. The project will save more than $7,500 annually in gas and electric costs and we will also see an annual reduction in their production of greenhouse gases by tens of thousands of pounds. ]]> http://www.openhand.org/event/unveiling-of-our-window-retro-fit-project/feed/ 0 http://www.openhand.org/event/unveiling-of-our-window-retro-fit-project/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProjectOpenHand/~3/U02zLR9q9oQ/ http://www.openhand.org/2012/02/06/cocktails-friends-and-a-friendly-competition-raises-funds-for-poh/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:19:18 +0000 hannah http://www.openhand.org/?p=4093 Continue reading →]]> San Francisco was abuzz Tuesday night at a friendly gathering, Tequila Cocktail Competition at Royal Exchange, that united local businesses and San Franciscans in order to raise funds and awareness for Project Open Hand and the community we serve.

We try to have a fun fundraiser of this type on a regular basis. They often sell out, and this one didn’t disappoint. “We even ran out of wristbands,” said Hannah Schmunk, our Director of Communications at POH. “The most amazing part of this fundraiser is that we didn’t have to spend a cent! Everything from the tequila to the venue was generously donated.” Admission to our fundraiser cost just $5 in advance/$10 at the door, and there were over 100 attendees which rose $605 for our services.

The price included four liberal samples of innovative drinks featuring Tres Agaves Tequila, which was donated by the company. Tres Agaves Tequila is award-winning, 100% agave tequila from Mexico. Their corporate offices are based in Oakland, our neighboring city across the bay. “We’ll probably go through six bottles tonight,” Jamie Chilberg from Tres Agaves estimated at the event. “We love to support the community – and even better if we can build awareness about good tequila at the same time.”

The competition took place at The Royal Exchange in Downtown San Francisco. Brian Trottier, Royal Exchange Manager, was the creative mind behind the concoctions. “Creating the drinks was a moment of panic that turned into inspiration,” he said. And he was particularly inspired by the Super Bowl XLVI (as well as the artisanal quality of the tequila).

Introducing the Cocktails:

1. Teq-Eli Manning: A delightfully tropical mango margarita with Tres Agaves Tequila.
2. Giant Killer: A sweet, spicy and minty margarita featuring Tres Agaves Tequila.
3. Pat’s Punch: A party mix of pomegranate liqueur, St. Germain, Lime Juice and Tres Agaves Tequila.
4. Tom Brady Collins: Tres Agave Tequila and a smooth Tom Collins blend.

At the end of the night attendees voted for their favorite tequila cocktail.

“This event was a great way to showcase exciting drinks, our friendly Royal Exchange staff, and a diversity of patrons,” said Sarah Hirshland, Director of Marketing for Royal Exchange. “The Royal Exchange is an old-fashioned pub in the city, and we like to give back by doing all sorts of fundraisers that support the city and local non-profits. We’re happy to help good causes like Project Open Hand.”

The man who connected the dots for our fundraiser was Kevin Blum, founder of SF City Dish, a local guide to the Bay Area’s best restaurant promotions, happy hours, and events. City Dish organizes and sponsors special events, and Blum saw this as a great opportunity to showcase local spirits and a historic pub while supporting a great cause. “Project Open Hand is tremendous, and this is a successful partnership.”

All of us at Project Open Hand are ever grateful for everyone who brought this night to life and made it a success. It was a win-win for all.

Now you’re probably wondering which cocktail won. It was a close call, but the people have spoken and…the Tom Brady Collins stole the show! So get a bottle of Tres Agaves Tequila, a yummy Tom Collins mix, and try making your own rendition.

And, stay tuned for next month’s fundraising mixer. Friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to be the first to hear about it. You won’t want to miss out on having fun while supporting a good cause!

Posted by Amber Ricchetti, guest blogger for Project Open Hand. Connect with her on Twitter @Gldnamby

Looking for a fun Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetheart?

Here are a few great ideas that benefit Project Open Hand’s meal and nutrition services:
1. Our Exclusive Valentine’s Edition Almond Butter: Butter for Your Lover

2. Compassion Blend – The perfect wine to share with your loved one on Valentine’s Day! By purchasing this wine, you provide 2 weeks’ worth of meals for someone in need.

3. 2012 Project Open Hand Calendar – Featuring a beautiful series of watercolors by local artist Gary Bukovnik

Click here to view other Project Open Hand Store items!

Join us on Saturday, February 4th for a FREE scoop of Open Hand FlufferNutter ice cream from our dear friends at Humphry Slocombe, makers of the weirdest, tastiest, and most charitable ice cream in San Francisco. The good people at Humphry Slocombe will generously donate 400 scoops to raise awareness and funds for Project Open Hand. Donations will be collected on site the day of the fundraiser, and HeardAbout will donate $1 for every scoop that’s redeemed (so make sure to come get your ice cream!).

Click here to claim your free scoop voucher!  They’re gonna go fast, because who doesn’t love a little fluffy, nutty goodness that supports a great cause?

We will be at Humphry Slocombe on Saturday giving out free samples of our famous, hand-crafted POH Peanut Butter. If you like it, you can buy a tub for just $4, and your purchase will provide a full meal for someone in need.  Hope to see you there!