Party and Give Back

Dalai Lama said: the meaning of life is to be happy! This aligns with findings of researchers who say: when you give back you receive joy. For concrete instructions, follow these 3 steps by engineers at Google. The list includes logging 3 moments of gratitude from your day, and will help introduce happiness to your daily life.

Living in a stressful city like Washington, D.C. can drain us of energy and fog our memories of joy. This is why we need to get out of our daily routines. Disco Soupes help us do just that! With all the positive feedback we’ve been getting, we asked one volunteer to share their experience from the event. This is what she had to say:

“In August, my husband and I attended a Disco Soupe event to support Say No to Food Waste in Washington, DC. At the event, we cleaned and prepped vegetables to be made into soup for the hungry. The produce was donated to this event, rather than where it would have been heading – to a landfill. It was older, bruised, vegetables that many of us would most likely throw away. From this less-than-perfect produce, we processed over 600 lbs of vegetables that headed into soup pots, to be cooked and distributed to those who are hungry in the DC area.

The event taught us that good, edible, food can be harvested from not-perfect vegetables by simply cutting away the bruised parts. The communal process of preparing the vegetables with complete strangers also strengthened our belief that there are good people out there who care about taking care of others. It was uplifting to see so many people from different walks of life coming together to help those in need.

This event had a lasting effect on how my husband and I purchase and consume food in our home. We used to do our food shopping once a week. We would buy all of our food on a Sunday and then, on the coming Sunday, throw away all the food we didn’t consume before we went shopping again. It was a dreadful cycle of over-consumption and waste.

Now, we shop more often and buy less when we go. Heading to the store two or three times a week allows us to buy more fresh food and to waste less. We are much more aware now of the value of food, our consumption patterns, and are also finding clever ways to ensure all of our food gets used. Say No to Food Waste first inspired us, then educated and changed us, and today we are happier and healthier for it!”

If you are curious about the event and wish to experience it for yourself, join us tomorrow at Bread for the City from 6-9PM. It will be an unforgettable evening of volunteering, giving, community building, and being happy! If you attended past events and want to share your experience send us an e-mail at: saynotofoodwaste@gmail.com.

Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!
Hokuma

The change you want to see is YOU

Who hasn’t thought of changing the world, or at least impacting history in a memorable way? Many of us have grand ideas of change we want to see and make. But, the likeliness of us making those huge changes in a short time span is slim. Putting too much strain on ourselves and being weighed down by big dreams can be paralyzing. We might give up even before embarking on the journey.

The solution to that is: start small and start with yourself! As the world is made up of many individuals, many friendships and many communities, influencing one can have a ripple effect on the others. This is exactly what happened to me and how the journey of Disco Soupe DC materialized. I first heard about the amazing events through Tristram Stuart, author and founder of non-profits that addresses food waste and food security, through Feeding the 5k, The Pig Idea and The Gleaning Network.

Tristram was kind enough to connect me to social entrepreneurs and visionaries that took Disco Soupe events to another level. Some of these guys are even Gangsters and belong to a cool social entrepreneur network called MakeSense. One thing led to another and soon I was organizing Disco Soupe DC events in USA. Every city has its own group of activists that want to share their time, talents and ideas to help reshape their city into a small ecosystem of sustainability, love and understanding.

Organizations such as the DC Time Bank and The Sanctuaries provided the support and talent to make Disco Soupes amazing! And the networks Tristram introduced me to, jump-started a revolution in the nation’s capital! Today I am happy to share a feature of our event in a National Geographic video that highlights explorers, such as Tristram, who are changing our world for the better! I’m also happy to announce that on November 20th we will host the third Disco Soupe DC!

If you haven’t been to a Disco Soupe DC, or enjoyed the previous one and want to continue the party, then join us! Details will be coming soon. Follow them on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Change is possible guys, it starts with you!

Much love and many hugs,
Hokuma

Pictures and Survey

Dear Friends!

There are fresh new pictures from our second Disco Soupe DC event!
If you want to learn more about it and the organizations that took part, be sure to download the directory!

And if you were one of the lucky guests to attend the event, please fill out this quick survey and let us know what you thought! We strive to make each Disco Soupe DC better than the last and your input will help us achieve this goal.

Together we’ll build and sustain this amazing community that lowers food waste, helps people in need and celebrates art! Thank you for all your support!

Much love,
Hokuma

Disco Soupe DC – Success!

620 pounds of food from Mexican Fruits and MOM’s was to be thrown away. That was until Say No To Food Waste stepped in and decided to find a better home for these produce – in the hands of clients who are homeless and hungry. To celebrate this, we invited volunteers to help us chop and bag the produce for clients of two local non-profits, Bread for the City and Food Not Bombs.

About 60 volunteers, local musicians and poets came together. Our volunteers were from all backgrounds, races and religions. Some were in the corporate sectors, others in the non-profit, and a few, were still studying. There were also those who were looking for jobs, and this platform proved to be the perfect place to network!

But beside the success of doing good, feeding those who are hungry, and saving the planet’s resources, many volunteers were moved by the atmosphere that surrounded them. A feeling of community, sharing our talents and strengths to achieve one common goal- a better world.

Yes, it is difficult to achieve. And yes, people think you are overly naive or crazy to even think such a utopian world exists. For those who think that, I hope you come to our next Disco Soupe DC, because you will find yourself with a new feeling. One of hope and possibility. And even if it lasts for a few hours, being in that moment opens doors to unlimited possibilities. A world of magic.

I want to express my deep gratitude and thanks to all the organizations and artists that came to the event: The Sanctuaries, DC Timebank, Get Lucid!, and Basswood, To National Geographic for being there to film the evening and help push this taboo topic into the mainstream. And of course, my dear friend Tristram, of Feeding 5k, for taking time from his busy schedule to join the event. He said this was the best Disco Soupe he’s been to, and I couldn’t ask for a better reward!!

Organizing such events isn’t easy, but they are worth all the time that goes into them. I’m thrilled to see the community of #foodwaste conscious individuals grow in the DC area. Let’s get the word out to even more people, let’s have Disco Soupes every month or every week, until they’re no longer needed!

Thank you to all who took part! You are amazing!

With much love and many hugs!
Hokuma

Disco Soupe is the answer

I have some good news – there is a solution! But there’s also bad news – we got an obesity problem that keeps getting worse.

A recent BBC article stated that the number of obese individuals has surpassed 2.1 billion. That’s more than individuals facing hunger! Sadly, new research shows that: “Not only is obesity increasing, but no national success stories have been reported in the past 33 years. Urgent global action and leadership is needed to help countries to more effectively intervene.”

Seems that the world around is truly becoming one of, haves and have nots. Unfortunately, finding a solution to both problems is difficult, but not impossible. We just need stronger communities. Ones in which individuals don’t shy away from getting together with friends, and find in-person interaction more rewarding than text or Facebook messaging. Or, as the new ad on the left shows (spotted by me yesterday), a world where kids prefer their friends rather than their TVs.

So regarding the good news, I have a solution! More Disco Soupes DC! Yes, an event that not only helps address the have and have nots issue, an event that not only links surplus food from supermarkets to people in need, but one that makes getting together fun!

With only a small 3 hour commitment, with live local music and upbeat environment, this is the solution to the obesity problem (ok, one of the solutions)! Healthy food, a fun atmosphere, a feeling of belonging and making a difference! What can be better? I’m not sure, you tell me.

But to make this a reality for all, we need more individuals talking about such grassroots initiatives. Too many times I witnessed brilliant ideas get overlooked because they didn’t come from a famous or popular source. So my challenge to you, dear reader, is to help find amazing local organizations, companies and events that help address vital issues locally and globally, and support them! Join them, spread their message and help build a better world!

Yes, you! You can help create a better world. Just give it a try. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is. =)

With much love!
Hokuma

Disco Soupe DC Style

For all those that came out and supported the FIRST Disco Soupe DC – THANK YOU!!
We had a blast, saved food from landfills and fed more than 200 homeless individuals.
If you missed the first event, but would like to join for the future ones drop me a line –
saynotofoodwaste@gmail.com.

Enjoy and share this video to help build our DC Disco Soupe community!

Disco Soupe DC Directory

About a week ago the Disco Soupe revolution took over DC!

It was a magical time that brought together organizations which positively impact the DC-MD-VA (DMV) area on issues of hunger, food waste, and sustainability.

To help us all stay in touch as we prepare future events, I created a handy Disco Directory with contact information for the organizations that participated.

I look forward to seeing and working with all of you! And if you’re an organization helping make a difference in the DMV area and would like to help organize future Disco Soupe events, feel free to send me a message through our contact page.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week!
Hokuma