Throughout September 2017 the Oldways Whole Grains Council is working to get more whole grains to more people – especially those who might not otherwise be able to afford them. At the center of our efforts is our U.S.-based Good Grains for a Good Cause giveaway.
But there’s so much more that can be done if we all pitch in. We encourage companies, organizations, and individuals to add their own creative efforts to our Good Grains for a Good Cause project. Most of the ideas below can be carried out in any town, city, region or country around the world.
For Companies
- Make your own whole grain donation to a local food bank or other food charity during September.
- Commit your company to a regular monthly donation of whole grains. Perhaps you’re already donating regularly – that’s GREAT! We want to learn more about what you’re doing.
- Organize your own local food drive among your employees and/or with the public. Not sure how to do this? You’ll find great tips here.
- Extra credit: If your whole grain products cost more than your refined grain products, explore how you can move toward parity in everyday prices, so that everyone can better afford to choose whole grains.
For Individuals
- Nominate your favorite local charity (U.S. only, sorry) through the nomination form on our website. We’ll put a link to it here, starting August 15, 2017.
- Make an individual contribution of whole grains to your local food bank, food pantry or soup kitchen. Too often, food pantries get leftovers from local stores, which usually means white bread and rice. You can make a difference.
- If you belong to a community service organization or worship community, organize a whole grain food drive during September. The step-by-step tips here will help.
- Talk with your child’s classroom teacher, and volunteer to do a half-hour presentation on whole grains during Whole Grains Month. Bring food samples, so kids can discover how tasty whole grains can be, and handouts they can take home to their families. You’ll find everything you need on our website, including handouts sample lesson plans/activities and even our fun Whole Grain Train song (Donating your passion for whole grains can be just as important as donating actual products!)
For Everyone
- Tell us how many pounds/kilos of food you donated during September (if you don’t know the weight, just tell us cases/loaves/boxes, whatever). We’ll be keeping a running tally of amounts across the WGC membership, and will regularly announce progress – and highlight participating companies, organizations and individuals – on social media.
- Sperad the word about your efforts on social media, to inspire your network of friends and followers to share whole grains during September (and every month!). Use the hashtag #WholeGrainsMonth.