Orsy. What a man he is. Orsy is the owner/operator (??) of the orphanage at the Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries. We got his name from Peggy at Clinica Esperanza and visited the orphanage on Wednesday.
Sidenote: All of the people we have talked to and worked with on the island are so connected. It’s as if they know that there is so much work to be done that they need each other. And they all have different specialties and strengths that aid the local population so well. Bottom line is that I’m thoroughly impressed.
Anyway, we arrived at the orphanage a little before 10am. A little boy came and opened the gate for us and when I asked him where Orsy was, he shouted across the yard, “Papi, the gringos are here for you.” (Being the only Spanish speaker in the group meant I had a personal, internal chuckle before I translated for everyone else.) We were invited in and immediately the kids started playing with us. Edwin found Blaine and the two of them read books for the next hour or so. Ben and I colored and played soccer with Orsito and Bella. Megan and Leslie were instantly taken by the baby of the orphanage, Diana. In total, Orsy has 14 kids living at the orphanage. His family lives there full time, as well, which adds his two children. Along with his wife, Orsy is assisted by three women who are hired to cook, clean, and help supervise homework/play time. Honestly, this place was a well-oiled machine. The kids knew the rules and were incredibly well behaved. They all had different stories, but a lot of them were there with siblings and seemed grateful to have a home like that in which they could live. Around 11:30, Orsy got the kids ready for school and we all piled in a 15-passenger van. If you did that math, there were 14 kids, Orsy, and the five of us all in this van. At some point Orsito tapped my shoulder and said, “your neck is sweating.” Thanks for that, Orsito. The brutal honesty of ten-year-olds crosses every cultural barrier.
After dropping the kids at school, Orsy took us to the grocery store along with his kids and the baby, Diana. He had made a list of food they would need for the week that fit in with our budget. At the end of the trip, we had stocked them up with a full trunk of food to feed the kids for the next few days.
When we got back to the orphanage, we talked and played with the youngest kids who don’t yet go to school. I asked if any of the kids nap, and Orsy replied, “They don’t anymore, but I still do.” A man after my own heart. Next thing we know, we are being summoned into the big dining room for a traditional Honduran lunch of rice & beans, plantains, pork, and salad. Hands down, my favorite meal of the trip.
We have been fortunate enough on this trip to encounter people who are receptive to our help and who have been invaluable in making our dreams realities. Ben’s post is up next about the last day of our trip so check back soon!
Good morning from Roatan, Honduras! The Impact team has assembled in Honduras and we are getting things done already! Yesterday, we visited Ms Peggy at Clinica Esperanza. She runs a first-world clinic in a third-world country and charges $3 per visit, including all medicines needed. We didn’t know what to expect, but we were blown away by her vision, passion, and determination to bring health care to the island. Peggy directed us towards the Roatan Daycare Center in the middle of the island. We taxied to the daycare center and assessed their needs. We learned that their food supply is strictly through donations and they receive no aid from the government or the parents of the kids. It was absolutely heartbreaking to go into their pantry and see minimal basic food staples. After visiting the supermarket next door, we were able to amply stock their cabinets with rice, sugar, flour, cornmeal, cereal, and oatmeal. Somehow, we found ourselves on the floor playing with the kids, reading to them, and letting them play with our phones and cameras. A truly unforgettable experience.
Today, we are getting a later start. This afternoon, we will be visiting an orphanage and an after-school program that Peggy recommended. Everyone on the island that we have encountered is so happy and grateful for us being here. Thank you all for your continued support. We would not be here feeding these children if it weren’t for your encouragement and dedication to our cause. Stay tuned for more pictures, announcements, and updates throughout the week!
Welcome to the new ImpactFoods.com! We have a fantastic new website that Blaine has been working very hard to put together. Among other things, it’s going to highlight different things that we have going on directly on the homepage, making it easier for you all to keep up with us! Thanks, Blaine, for taking our website to the next level!!
Really, this upgrade to our site is an indicator of our progress as a company. All of us feel as though we are on the brink of greatness. With our continued participation in the Celebration Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, we have expanded the Impact Foods family greatly. Our presence at the Taste of Dallas food festival allowed us to network with other small Dallas food companies and to chat with new IF fans. This Sunday, we leave for Honduras on our first hunger trip, delivering food to the children. The most important thing to remember, though, is that without you none of this would ever have been possible. So, thank you for helping us continue to grow and prosper!
So here it is! Explore our new website and let us know what you think. We look forward to seeing you all at our events this weekend and throughout the summer!
Intern Molly, here! It’s been a full week with Impact and it really is amazing what we can do when we work together. Ben and I (plus Mom and Dad Hurt) spent Sunday in the kitchen making what I calculated to be over 160 pounds of granola. That’s an adult man’s weight in granola that we made in 7 hours! It was my first time baking granola, and I was so impressed with the way the process works. Our kitchen could not run with one person alone – even though Ben has tried to be a hero – and that really is a big metaphor for our product and our mission.
Looking back on the blog, it was almost exactly one year ago when Blaine and Ben announced their first account – Eatzi’s on Oak Lawn. Today, our granola is on shelves of stores all over Dallas and in parts of Houston and Austin. We are so excited about our expansion and growth, but we realize it could not have been done without the support of our friends, family, and the wonderful people who have taken a chance on our product. With that, we are thrilled to announce our newest wholesale account, Corner Market on Greenville in Dallas! We are a huge fan of the Market – and Society Bakery — and we can’t wait to see our granola on the shelves of the bistro next door!
In the next few weeks we will be continuing to keep the ball rolling. We have plans for in-store samples, farmer’s markets, and perhaps a little website makeover… But IMPACT Foods is all about the kiddos, and we will never forget that. We have plenty of amazing things in the works, so make sure you check back with us regularly!
“Let’s make it happen.” These were Ben’s first words to me, written on an Impact Foods notecard and tucked into the book Delivering Happiness (more on that later). I am one of two summer interns for Impact, here to help do just that – make things happen. Some may say that my placement in this position is an obvious example of nepotism at its finest, and I won’t argue with that. But the important piece to this puzzle is the cause. Miss America contestants have been saying it for years, “I want to end world hunger.” It may seem like a lofty goal, but together, we can make it happen.
All too often, people see products like Impact granola with the goal of ending world hunger and think to themselves, What’s my $5 going to do? They need more help than I can give. This logic is flawed. A series of small steps come together to make great strides. Each bag of granola represents one child that will get a full day of food, like we so often take for granted. A whole case of granola is the equivalent of a small classroom of children that will eat today. Eatzi’s, our partner and fantastic support system, orders about 10 cases of granola every month, allowing its customers to feed all of the children from a small village 3 solid meals each. Ideally, Impact granola will be in stores nationwide and in pantries across America, eradicating the daily hunger that hundreds of thousands of children face.
One of my favorite bands is the Beatles, with a particular liking for John Lennon. At this point in the summer and in working with Impact Foods, one song has been in my mind and one line in particular. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. At the risk of sounding like a certain civil rights activist, We have a dream (I capitalize “We” because this project and this goal deserves it). We can make this happen. We can make an Impact.
The holidays were a great time for us, and we have been spreading our mission in retail stores throughout Texas. As a result, we were able to feed 1029 children today through the World Food Programme.
The World Food Programme does work all around the world. They’re involved in emergency relief as well as ongoing hunger work. We are especially moved by the work they do in schools, where they provide in-school meals and take-home rations to children who are enrolled. Ultimately, this helps promote sustainability as children are encouraged to stay in school.
We haven’t been fortunate enough to visit and feed children in person, but we’re lucky to have a great partner in WFP. Here is a quick video that shows the WFP in action.
This is such important work to us. Today is a good day, 1029 children are eating. A great start toward ending world hunger.
One of our friends bought 60 bags of Holiday Blend granola yesterday. After he had packed it all up into a suitcase to bring to his office this morning, he sent us a picture of the bag, accompanied by a text message. “Ever wonder what a suitcase full of 150 meals for hungry kids looks like? Impact Foods granola, it’s the best kind of luggage there is.”
To me, there are two important things to take away from this:
1. The Holiday Impact Program is truly a success. Like many of the people who have bought granola this holiday season, our friend is giving a bag to each of his colleagues at the office. The best part? He’s doing it anonymously. We love that – giving the gift of impact, anonymously. To me, this is the essence of the holiday season. Lots of children will eat because of a gift he gave his colleagues today.
2. Our friend either has a hard time counting, or a hard time not eating our granola. 60 bags means 180 meals. What happened to the other 10 bags? In the end, it all works out. Everyone has told us that the holiday blend is delicious. And even though our friend cheated by eating 10 bags of this stuff on his own, those delicious bags of granola still mean meals for hungry children.
Jokes aside, we have been fortunate to be able to help family, friends, and strangers give the gift of impact this holiday season. Even though we are toward the end of the holiday season, we still have some bags available, and we’re planning to do another big batch this weekend. If you’d still like to order, we can guarantee that orders placed by 5pm central on Friday, December 17 will be shipped out on Monday morning, December 20. UPS ground can reach many places in the US in time for Christmas. If not, we’d be happy to expedite shipping to you for granola to arrive by Christmas.
To place an order, go to www.impactfoods.com/holidays. Remember, we have both the Holiday Blend and the Original Blend available online. We think both are delicious and addictive. For those with nut allergies, the Original Blend is still sure to put you in the holiday spirit, it is still a gift of impact.
My favorite time of year is approaching. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – a time for family, football, and food. Recently, it’s been a lot of food, since my dad has developed a passion for cooking over the past few years. Christmas with my family looks very similar – a turkey flanked by variations on carbohydrates. We are fortunate to have things for which to be thankful every year – health, happiness, family, the important things (the meal is always delicious, as well).
Equally, if not more important, is giving. I was taught at a very young age the importance of service and philanthropy. My family participated in serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless, buying Christmas gifts for children who might not otherwise receive gifts, and giving the gift of impact to one another in lieu of material items.
These are the things that have inspired what we are calling the Holiday Impact Program. For each bag of granola that you give as a gift, we feed a hungry child for an entire day. It is a unique and simple gift for your family and friends this holiday season, an opportunity for you to “give the gift of IMPACT.”
We’ve made it even better – we just finalized a “Holiday Blend.” We kept the same great flavors as the original blend and added dried cranberries, pecans, and cinnamon. We ran a b
atch over the weekend in the oven and came home smelling like the holidays. It is dangerously delicious.
There is enormous potential for this program to impact lives, with your help. Today, we ask you to join us in the fight against hunger. There are several ways in which you can participate:
Purchase granola for your family and friends. It makes a great stocking stuffer or simple gift for friends. You can purchase them online.
Give a bag to each of your employees, clients, or co-workers. This is a way for your organization to fight hunger together. Contact us to discuss large orders.
Tell others about this program. With your help, we can create an impact. Feel free to include this flyer, which explains the Holiday Impact Program in detail.
This program is extremely important to us. As they say, it is truly better to give than to receive. We happen to believe that giving the gift of impact is even more fulfilling.
Bags of the Holiday Blend and Original Blend are available for purchase through the Holiday Impact Program page.
I Just donated $33 for these NYC Children in celebration of Tim Ferriss’s 33rd birthday!!!! Join me. The donation is tax-deductable and Tim will match all donations up to $50,000. Tim Ferriss is the man for doing this…now let’s do our part.
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