Signal Hill Chapter NSDAR of Barrington awards conservation group
During a recent meeting of the Barrington-based Signal Hill Chapter NSDAR, the grass-roots organization Mindful Waste was awarded an NSDAR Conservation Award for its tireless efforts in education and repurposing of potential wasted food at area schools.
The award is significant, in that awards by NSDAR in the area of conservation to private groups are extremely rare, especially to two recipients at the same time.
MindfulWaste.org, founded in 2015 by Jennifer Kainz and Renee Blue, works with Barrington area schools in educating students about capturing unopened foodstuffs like milk, fruit, cheese, etc., that had previously been trashed after lunchtime. Perishables are sorted, checked to make sure they have not been opened or otherwise compromised, and are forwarded to area food pantries for quick distribution. Children learn about food insecurity in their community, and those in need benefit from redistribution.
By teaching children early about food responsibility, the organization hopes to instill lifelong habits of awareness of food waste and potential redistribution to the less fortunate. Signal Hill has partnered with Mindful Waste in the past on Earth Day recognition events, and continues to assist with food insecurity issues at one area school.
Signal Hill raises funds throughout the year and distributes to 501(c)(3) organizations, whose missions support DAR's mission of education, historic preservation, patriotism, conservation and Native American issues. The chapter was founded in 1972, and is dedicated to preserving history, promoting patriotism, conservation and historic awareness in our community, and securing America's future through better education for children. Membership is established through approval of documentation of direct lineage from an American Revolutionary War patriot.
For information, contact Jacqueline Marcus at J9Marcus@aol.com, or visit the chapter's website at http://www.ildar.org/chapters/signalhill.
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