Hi Readers! I’ve really enjoyed writing for this wonderful site over the past few years but, the time has come for me to leave the TakePart family. Although I will not longer be a Takepart.com blogger, I will continue to be a reader and supporter. And now here’s a oldie but goodie video I’d like to share in honor of my last post.

Feel free to keep up with me on the web at giuliarozzi.com.

wild turkey by stevevoght, Flickr Creative Commons

Since I wrote last year about tips for a sustainable thanksgiving meal, much has transpired in the food movement. We now have a First Family that regularly toils in their backyard to grow and harvest organic produce. The hit documentary, Food, Inc. was released this past year and is now in the running for an Academy Award. I had the pleasure of working on the Social Action campaign for the film which has given me the privilege of learning much from amazing food activists who are working daily in fields, offices, schools and boardrooms daily to help to build a more just and sustainable food system. Read the rest of this entry >>

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and while many of us envision a table overflowing with a delicious feast, unfortunately the dinner table won’t look the same for the one billion people around the world who suffer from hunger.  So, this holiday season SocialVibe is inviting you to help fight hunger and provide meals for those in need with their new Thanksgiving Feast application on Facebook.

For each virtual food item that you and your friends bring to the online table, real meals will be provided to real people by the UN World Food Programme.

Read the rest of this entry >>

The November 30th deadline for the Going Green Film Festival is fast approaching so if you want to enter your eco-friendly film, do it it now. The Going Green Film Festival’s motto is: REthink. REplenish. REcommit. This is the only festival of its kind to focus exclusively on green filmmaking, from production to content! Check out the trailer:

Going Green Film Festival Trailer from David Dibble on Vimeo.

Films are being considered in 3 Main Categories:

*GREEN PRODUCTION, where a film’s production worked to lessen the carbon footprint left on the planet. (any genre of film)

*OUR PLANET, where the film’s topic covers third world issues, ecology, nature or the environment; and

*HYBRID/ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, where the film features a hybrid vehicle, bicycle, electric scooter or public transportation (any genre of film).

Prizes include: $2000 from Chipotle, Hybrid Bikes, Tree Planted in Your Name, Fuji Film, Movie Magic Suite Software, Showbiz Software, Super 8 Production Facilities and more.

The festival will take place April 2-4, 2010 in Beverly Hills CA.

photo by Frankie Roberto, flickr Creative Commons

It’s time to forget the inaccurate stereotypical image of America’s hungry as long lines of mostly homeless men, winding down the block from a church’s soup pantry entrance, waiting for their daily meal. The times have changed, drastically. The ongoing economic recession has slowly started to show limited signs of recovery on paper and on Wall Street, but these developments haven’t reached millions of Americans. We live in an era with a 10% official national unemployment rate, coupled with rising costs of living and stagnant wages. Those shouldering the burden of this economic crisis are barely surviving. For many, they can’t even afford basics for survival, such as food. Read the rest of this entry >>

kafka4prez's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

I’ve always admired Jane Goodall’s steadfast commitment to environmental conservation and protecting endangered species, and on a recent appearance on The Daily Show the good doctor discussed her efforts to pass that mission on to future generations.  Roots and Shoots connects youth from around the world and provides them with the resources to create positive change for humans, animals and the environment.

Check out the clip from the show below to learn a bit about the program, Dr. Goodall’s new book, Hope For Animals In the World,  as well as her candid take on animal rights extremists. Read the rest of this entry >>

henrymdiaz's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

As Veteran’s Day comes to a close we should pay special consideration to homeless veterans and encourage the Obama administration to continue pursuing new efforts to end homelessness among veterans.  No one should have to live with out a home, and it’s shameful that those who have committed their lives to serving the country often do not receive support and assistance when they need it most.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, one out of every four homeless people in America is a veteran and over the course of the year roughly 336,627 veterans experience homelessness.  The new report also reveal that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are falling into homelessness earlier than those who served in Vietnam, which makes it clear that new approaches are vital to address the needs of returning troops.

Read the rest of this entry >>

PoliticsOnline is starting a social-activism Web site called Hope Plus, a virtual global community for those who want to take action and make change.

BBC News reports:

Founder Phil Noble was interviewed by UK e-democracy newsletter E-Government Bulletin about the plans for the site. ‘The idea is to create a world online Peace Corps or a global eBay for caring,’ Mr Noble told the newsletter. The concept was in part inspired by Mr Noble’s previous work with the BBC. He was a key advisor to the now defunct BBC Action Network, a nationwide portal for community activism. ‘I’d been throwing out the idea for a global network… and the consensus was - now was the time,’ he told E-Government Bulletin.

Noble has invited Barack Obama and Bill Gates to support the venture, which is scheduled to launch in December at the International Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. So far it seems like a promising project, especially if Noble can get those two big-names on board. Stay tuned for more on Hope Plus.