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Transition Sarasota Wins $10,000 Grant from Florida Blue Foundation for GivingTuesday Funds will be used to strengthen programs, whose goals are reducing waste to benefit food access. Contact Name: Rebecca Brey Contact Email: exec@transitionsrq.org Contact Phone Number: 9202863070 Today, Transition Sarasota announced winning a charitable contribution in the amount of $10,000 from Florida Blue Foundation for their 2020 Giving Tuesday program, Florida Gives, now in its fourth year. The funds will be used to strengthen programs, whose goals are reducing waste to benefit food access. In honor of Giving Tuesday, Florida Blue asked their community to nominate a nonprofit by sharing about why they are their favorite online. Five organizations were then randomly selected and Transition Sarasota was one of those five. This donation aligns with Florida Blue’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts to address food access in the community. Ryan S. nominated Transition Sarasota with the following statement “Their nonprofit has brought me hope and purpose in a year that served me a lot of question marks. At the core of their grassroots work, they serve as a passionate advocator for local growing, consumption and consumerism in my beautiful city of Sarasota, Florida. Their team acts as a mitigator for local food waste, as volunteers give their time and field labor to rescuing excess produce from local farms and create the actual link for that recovered healthy food to to be donated to food banks.” Transition Sarasota’s Suncoast Gleaning Project has been gleaning (collecting leftover produce after commercial harvest is complete) from 7 different farm partners over the past 10 years. 2020 may have brought it’s challenges but it was no match for this small but mighty program. Suncoast Gleaning Project had their highest donation yield to date, meanwhile hunger needs have been at record breaking levels. In a year where putting fresh fruits and vegetables in the hands of diverse communities was crucial, Transition Sarasota was thankful to have been able to help. These efforts add to a national goal to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030, set by USDA, EPA, and FDA. Currently an estimated 30-40% of our food supply is wasted, costing over 218 Billion dollars. Of that, 43% is estimated to happen at the consumer level, right in our homes. Understanding food date labels, meal planning, using leftovers, and regularly monitoring the fridge for items about to turn are all ways to help fight food waste. About Transition Sarasota--Transition Sarasota is a non-profit organization of the greater Transition US movement, committed to developing community-driven solutions for our local food system. Who’s vision is a sustainable, just, and thriving local food system. They proudly serve Sarasota, Manatee Counties and surrounding areas, advocating for local growing, sourcing, and economic benefit. Transition Sarasota’s signature initiatives are the annual Eat Local Week and the Suncoast Gleaning Project. Learn more at: www.TransitionSarasota.org About Florida Blue Foundation-- “Florida Blue Foundation is a trade name of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, Inc., and is a separate philanthropic affiliate of Florida Blue, Florida’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield company. Founded in 2001, the mission of the Foundation is to help people and communities achieve better health. The Foundation strategically allocates grants toward philanthropic, community-based solutions through its focus areas and programs that focus on health solutions in the health care system, multicultural and growing populations, and critical issues of affordability, access and quality.” --Learn more at: http://clicks.weblinkinternational.com/ls/click?upn=2vLz-2BccvG2sCqUyCoj6YZNprtBTc6RYl6PRoN93Jiu4lPTl9zeSUyfpAjaVlhRfk9blaFrFBOFB7TGR43LNzQg-3D-3DKL8I_FQC2LT8GxayrM161hhHVAvMj-2BxELwhZ6JXx-2F9NPRX5eoazOEswajMZEnyIqRRQWATlItTe3GYzwPmqDS516KyuvMU-2BHxIltNcrYwAjtTSdL9-2F0GL5Gf1QRd2BH7PzLVZ-2B-2BD8-2FZAEl4Ob3RnUuSxmMBb4fX80Y9myN6ff8W0-2FDYFX-2BBmKXZDJqxn-2FhmqJQ3JPdd6QMvUV0N2lPmzElPgzqKGsewx0oWLA4saL1MeWdak-3D