#hunger relief program

[touchaheartnews]

1,500 Osun Residents Benefit from Fidelity Food Bank Outreach

Over 1,500 residents made up of women, children, widows, and the elderly have benefited from the one-day feeding program organized by Fidelity Bank in Osun State.   The food bank project was held at St. Benedict Catholic Church, Osogbo, Osun State under the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiative created to reach out to vulnerable persons and reduce the effect of hunger in the…

[hollytanaka]

📌 Mutual Aid, Fundraisers, and Actions

a white heart "🤍" denotes GFM campaigns who have reached out to me via in my inbox

I will be updating this as frequently as possible with new information, campaigns, and forms of supporting displaced and vulnerable folks in Palestine, Sudan, DRC, Ukraine, and elsewhere.

Vetted GFM Campaigns 🤝

🤍 Donate to Khader and Ragheb - [€708 raised of €55,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Amira - [€5,118 raised of €20,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Fadi Ayyad - [$9,530 raised of $35,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Hani Al-Sharif [$445 raised of $50,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Mohammed Alanqer [€18,196 raised of €38,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Ahmed Alanqer [€16,338 raised of €35,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Kareem and Carmen [$6,971 raised of $50,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Walaa & her family [$3,405CAD raised of $50,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to the Shamaly family [$23,910CAD raised of $90,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Basel Ayyad [CHF1,828 raised of CHF60,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Ashraf Alanqar [€1,463 raised of €30,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Musab [€705 raised of €7,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Ahmed and his family [£5,253 raised of £30,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Alaa and her children [€2,995 raised of €20,000 goal]

🤍 Donate to Dr. Mohammed Aldeeb [€23,929 raised of his €30,000 goal]

Palestine 🇵🇸

Donate to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society - humanitarian org serving the health and welfare of the Palestinian people

Donate an eSIM for Gaza - helps Palestinians to connect to the outside world

Donate to Gaza Direct Aid - small volunteer-run program funding humanitarian aid in Gaza

Donate to Care for Gaza - supporting displaced families in Gaza

Donate to GazaFunds - find a struggling fundraiser to support

Sudan 🇸🇩

Donate to the Sudanese American Physicians Association - provides critical medical aid, food, and water

Donate to Sudan Solidarity Collective - provides direct financial assistance to civilian-led groups

Sudan Diaspora Network's Sudan Benefit Fundraiser - supports displaced Sudanese by providing medical equipment and food

Fight Hunger in Sudan: The Khartoum Kitchen appeal - feeds the hungry, up to 1,250 people daily, in the greater Khartoum area

Help Sudan- Sudan Relief Fund - helps people on the ground with immediate needs such as food, water, shelter and medication

Congo 🇨🇩

Donate to Focus Congo - partnerships with local grassroots organizations and access to resources necessary for survival

Support Friends of the Congo & the Basandja Coalition - provides food, delivers reporting, rescues children from the cobalt mines and supports diggers and miners demanding accountability, combats sexual violence and provides care for women’s health

Action Kivu - dedicated to repairing the harm done by years of violence and neglect in this region with focus on women and children.

Mutual Aim team fundraiser for Congo, Sudan, and Tigray - campaign collecting money that will be will be divided between the DRC, Sudan, and Tigray

Ukraine 🇺🇦

United 24 – main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine

Come Back Alive – provides support to service members in Ukraine

Prytula foundation – provides support to Ukrainian Defense Forces and affected civilians

Dzyga’s Paw – provides Ukrainian Defenders with high-tech equipment

[slyandthefamilybook]

since we now know that all those "my blog is safe for Jewish people" posts are bullshit, here are some Jewish organizations you can donate to if you actually want to prove you support Jews. put up or shut up

FIGHTING HUNGER

Masbia - Kosher soup kitchens in New York

MAZON - Practices and promotes a multifaceted approach to hunger relief, recognizing the importance of responding to hungry peoples' immediate need for nutrition and sustenance while also working to advance long-term solutions

Tomchei Shabbos - Provides food and other supplies so that poor Jews can celebrate the Sabbath and the Jewish holidays

FINANCIAL AID

Ahavas Yisrael - Providing aid for low-income Jews in Baltimore

Hebrew Free Loan Society - Provides interest-free loans to low-income Jews in New York and more

GLOBAL AID

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee - Offers aid to Jewish populations in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in the Middle East through a network of social and community assistance programs. In addition, the JDC contributes millions of dollars in disaster relief and development assistance to non-Jewish communities

American Jewish World Service - Fighting poverty and advancing human rights around the world

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society - Providing aid to immigrants and refugees around the world

Jewish World Watch - Dedicated to fighting genocides around the world

MEDICAL AID

Sharsheret - Support for cancer patients, especially breast cancer

SOCIAL SERVICES

The Aleph Institute - Provides support and supplies for Jews in prison and their families, and helps Jewish convicts reintegrate into society

Bet Tzedek - Free legal services in LA

Bikur Cholim - Providing support including kosher food for Jews who have been hospitalized in the US, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Israel

Blue Card Fund - Critical aid for holocaust survivors

Chai Lifeline - An org that's very close to my heart. They help families with members with disabilities in Baltimore

Chana - Support network for Jews in Baltimore facing domestic violence, sexual abuse, and elder abuse

Community Alliance for Jewish-Affiliated Cemetaries - Care of abandoned and at-risk Jewish cemetaries

Crown Heights Central Jewish Community Council - Provides services to community residents including assistance to the elderly, housing, employment and job training, youth services, and a food bank

Hands On Tzedakah - Supports essential safety-net programs addressing hunger, poverty, health care and disaster relief, as well as scholarship support to students in need

Hebrew Free Burial Association

Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services - Programs include early childhood and learning, children and adolescent services, mental health outpatient clinics for teenagers, people living with developmental disabilities, adults living with mental illness, domestic violence and preventive services, housing, Jewish community services, counseling, volunteering, and professional and leadership development

Jewish Caring Network - Providing aid for families facing serious illnesses

Jewish Family Service - Food security, housing stability, mental health counseling, aging care, employment support, refugee resettlement, chaplaincy, and disability services

Jewish Relief Agency - Serving low-income families in Philadelphia

Jewish Social Services Agency - Supporting people’s mental health, helping people with disabilities find meaningful jobs, caring for older adults so they can safely age at home, and offering dignity and comfort to hospice patients

Jewish Women's Foundation Metropolitan Chicago - Aiding Jewish women in Chicago

Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty - Crisis intervention and family violence services, housing development funds, food programs, career services, and home services

Misaskim - Jewish death and burial services

Our Place - Mentoring troubled Jewish adolescents and to bring awareness of substance abuse to teens and children

Tiferes Golda - Special education for Jewish girls in Baltimore

Yachad - Support for Jews with disabilities

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #14

April 12-19 2024

The Department of Commerce announced a deal with Samsung to help bring advanced semiconductor manufacturing and research and development to Texas. The deal will bring 45 billion dollars of investment to Texas to help build a research center in Taylor Texas and expand Samsung's Austin, Texas, semiconductor facility. The Biden Administration estimates this will create 21,000 new jobs. Since 1990 America has fallen from making nearly 40% of the world's semiconductor to just over 10% in 2020.

The Department of Energy announced it granted New York State $158 million to help support people making their homes more energy efficient. This is the first payment out of a $8.8 billion dollar program with 11 other states having already applied. The program will rebate Americans for improvements on their homes to lower energy usage. Americans could get as much as $8,000 off for installing a heat pump, as well as for improvements in insulation, wiring, and electrical panel. The program is expected to help save Americans $1 billion in electoral costs, and help create 50,000 new jobs.

The Department of Education began the formal process to make President Biden's new Student Loan Debt relief plan a reality. The Department published the first set of draft rules for the program. The rules will face 30 days of public comment before a second draft can be released. The Administration hopes the process can be finished by the Fall to bring debt relief to 30 million Americans, and totally eliminate the debt of 4 million former students. The Administration has already wiped out the debt of 4.3 million borrowers so far.

The Department of Agriculture announced a $1 billion dollar collaboration with USAID to buy American grown foods combat global hunger. Most of the money will go to traditional shelf stable goods distributed by USAID, like wheat, rice, sorghum, lentils, chickpeas, dry peas, vegetable oil, cornmeal, navy beans, pinto beans and kidney beans, while $50 million will go to a pilot program to see if USAID can expand what it normally gives to new products. The food aid will help feed people in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Yemen.

The Department of the Interior announced it's expanding four national wildlife refuges to protect 1.13 million wildlife habitat. The refuges are in New Mexico, North Carolina, and two in Texas. The Department also signed an order protecting parts of the Placitas area. The land is considered sacred by the Pueblos peoples of the area who have long lobbied for his protection. Security Deb Haaland the first Native American to serve as Interior Secretary and a Pueblo herself signed the order in her native New Mexico.

The Department of Labor announced new work place safety regulations about the safe amount of silica dust mine workers can be exposed to. The dust is known to cause scaring in the lungs often called black lung. It's estimated that the new regulations will save over 1,000 lives a year. The United Mine Workers have long fought for these changes and applauded the Biden Administration's actions.

The Biden Administration announced its progress in closing the racial wealth gap in America. Under President Biden the level of Black Unemployment is the lowest its ever been since it started being tracked in the 1970s, and the gap between white and black unemployment is the smallest its ever been as well. Black wealth is up 60% over where it was in 2019. The share of black owned businesses doubled between 2019 and 2022. New black businesses are being created at the fastest rate in 30 years. The Administration in 2021 Interagency Task Force to combat unfair house appraisals. Black homeowners regularly have their homes undervalued compared to whites who own comparable property. Since the Taskforce started the likelihood of such a gap has dropped by 40% and even disappeared in some states. 2023 represented a record breaking $76.2 billion in federal contracts going to small business owned by members of minority communities. This was 12% of federal contracts and the President aims to make it 15% for 2025.

The EPA announced (just now as I write this) that it plans to add PFAS, known as forever chemicals, to the Superfund law. This would require manufacturers to pay to clean up two PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. This move to force manufacturers to cover the costs of PFAS clean up comes after last week's new rule on drinking water which will remove PFAS from the nation's drinking water.

Bonus:

President Biden met a Senior named Bob in Pennsylvania who is personally benefiting from The President's capping the price of insulin for Seniors at $35, and Biden let Bob know about a cap on prosecution drug payments for seniors that will cut Bob's drug bills by more than half.

[9jacompass]

Catholic Relief Services International Fellowship Development Program 2023

Catholic Relief Services International Fellowship Development Program 2023

catholic relief services international development fellows program: The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is pleased to announce its International Development Fellows Program for the 2023/24 cohort. The fellowship program prepares dedicated global citizens to pursue a career in international relief and development work. CRS empowers Fellows to hone their skills and acquire practical work experience…

[undertheorangetree]

In The Woods Somewhere

Summary- Coriolanus does not intend on returning to the Capitol alone.

Warnings- MDNI 18+ DUBCON Female reader. TBOSAS spoilers technically. Reader is essentially Lucy Gray. Porn with plot. Toxic relationship. Possessive Coriolanus. Chasing. Biting. Restraint. Choking. Edging. Overstimulation. Fingering. Cunnilingus. P in V sex.

Author’s Note- Happy holidays! This is not our regularly scheduled programming but I have Hunger Games/Tom Blyth brain rot so here’s this monster. Please heed the warnings and link to the full fic on AO3 below

She knows the moment he looks up at her, rifle clutched in his hands, that he will not be coming north with her. Not anymore, not now that he has the one thing tying him to this place well in hand.

She isn't a fool. She knows that his feelings for her played only a small role in his agreeing to come with her but she had been willing to overlook that. When he had cupped her face in his hand and swore that he would join her, that they would escape Panem- and their collective noose- together, she had seen the hesitation there. Coryo was not a man built for nature, no more than he was built for the districts, but she loves him and so she had ignored it. Twisted it into something romantic and noble in her head, that he would give up all this, that he would leave behind everything for her. He had promised her earnestly and she had taken him at his word.

But with the look on his face now, some potent mix of elation and relief washing over him like a wave, she knows she never stood a chance.

"It's the gun," he says, and she hates the tone he uses. The way he almost breathes the words, the way he looks up at her with the ghost of a smile on his face. Had she had doubts about what the guns would inspire in him, the look on his face is enough to prove her right.

"The one you fired at Mayfair," she says with a nod, crossing her arms over her chest. It feels almost protective now, as if she can safeguard her breaking heart. "Spruce must have known about this place too. I guess it's not as secret as I thought. We hide that and you're free."

"No more loose ends."

The way he says it, his hands tightening on the barrel as he looks down at the rifle, makes her blood run cold. This is all he wanted, nothing short of a dream come true. She doesn't like it, her reaction just as much as his own, and she fights to push passed it. Tells herself that there is nothing wrong here, not really, that he is entitled to some semblance of excitement, but she can feel that unease gnawing at her gut. It feels like an omen. A warning.

She grins, hoping to seem more at ease than she truly is, and feels her nose scrunch up teasingly as she says, "Besides me."

It's the wrong thing to do. Immediately, he goes rigid, eyes darting up to look at her and she sees the distrust there, akin to a beaten dog. It wouldn't be as startling as it is if not for their conversation in the woods not even an hour before. He is willing to kill if backed far enough into a corner and is that not what she has just done? Reminded him of the power she held over him with this knowledge? Backed him into a corner? And just like that beaten dog, she can see that he is only a moment away from snapping at her with pearly white teeth.

"You wouldn't... tell anyone?"

She feels her eyebrows draw together, all attempt at joking gone. It hurts a little, what seems to be a complete lack of faith in her, and it's almost surprising. Almost. "Course not."

But would she? She doesn’t really know now. The fact that he believes she could, as if she could exchange his freedom for her own, feels like the final nail in the coffin. She could forgive his dislike of the idea of heading north, the relief on his face when he saw the guns. But what he said in the woods- three’s enough for me- and his distrust of her now… she doesn’t think she’s safe with him. All their talk of trust, of how he agreed it was worth more than love, thrown to the wind all for the sake of a duffle bag full of rifles. Because just as easily as those gun could buy her freedom, they could secure his own too. One small step toward returning to his life back in the Capitol. He was going to leave before killing Mayfair, she knew that. And if there’s no weapon linking him to the crime, he could. Because no matter how badly she wants to believe he wants a life with her, she thinks he wants his old one back that much more.

And she isn’t sure just what he is willing to sacrifice to get rid of all those loose ends.

She feels herself smile again, moving on autopilot to fetch the knife she knows is on the shelf near the door. It doesn’t reach her eyes but she isn’t looking at him, gripping the handle of the knife a little too tightly. “I think I’m gonna go dig up some katniss. There’s a good patch down by the lake, don’t know when we’ll come across it again.”

His suspicion only grows at that, lips parted and head tilted in question, and she knows she needs to go. Though his finger has not yet shifted toward the trigger, it hasn’t moved away from it either. He has been a Peacekeeper for no more than two months, but that was more than enough time to pick up all he needed to know about firing a gun. Even if his aim is shoddy, it wouldn’t take much effort to aim in her general direction and hold down on a trigger. She had said it herself, she is the only one left who knew the truth about Mayfair’s death- her murder. If he wanted to go back to the Capitol, he needed to be damn sure there wasn’t a chance of his time here coming back to haunt him. As it is now, she is the only thing standing between him and the Snow penthouse.

“Thought you said they weren’t ready yet,” he protests, that uncertainty still more than apparent.

She prays her smile doesn’t look as forced as it feels when her eyes flick up to look at his handsome face, doing what she can to seem nonchalant. “The world changes awful fast.”

She pulls the door open, the rain pounding against the porch outside, when he calls her name. Her grip on the knife tightens a hair more before she’s turning back to look at him, keeping her eyes wide and innocent as she tilts her head in question. She knows she hesitated, knows he caught her if the look on his face is anything to go by, but rather than let her panic consume her, she focuses on his eyes. The beautiful, brilliant blue of his eyes. That may be the thing she misses most about him, after all this.

“It’s still raining.”

As if a little rain is enough to stop her from saving her own life.

“Well, I’m not made out of sugar,” she grins, taking one last look at him before shutting the door, placing some kind of barrier between them.

Read the rest here :)

[themilfking]

It's the end of the year and I need to make some more charitable donations. Could you suggest a few good organizations?

Hey! Its so nice that you're willing and able to do this. I'll recommend some that I have personally used/donated to: Islamic Relief: I donate to their efforts every year. They're raising for Palestine, Yemen, Philippines, Afghanistan and so much more. I like their level of transparency, especially around the operational issues in getting aid to places like Palestine and how they prepare for such scenarios.

E-sims for Gaza: Israel has cutoff all internet, cellular, and landline services in Gaza. This has made communication in/out of Gaza extremely difficult and so Mirna El-Helbawi decided to set up this amazing program to get e-sims in the hands of journalists and people so they can maintain comms with the outside world. I have personally sent numerous e-sims and suggest Simly's app. Its super easy to use and you can have insight into when the e-sim is activated and used. Note: please read the instructions in the link before purchasing/sending the qr code. SAPA: The Sudanese American Physicians Association directly operates hospitals on the ground in Sudan. They offer essential/life saving healthcare services on the ground as well as an amazing hunger relief program. They're also very transparent and have been operating on the ground since the 90s.

Save the Children, Friends of the Congo, and World Food Program are some other great/trusted charities to donate to.

[onyourowndaisymae]

don't mind me... just thinking about the demon brothers slowly dropping the rest of their roster for you as they fall head over heels...

lucifer // mammon // levi // satan // asmo // beel (you are here) // belphie -- others coming soon, NSFW warning below, gn!reader

beelzebub, who doesn't have the capacity to get to know you in the way he should. it seems that every season of his life comes with heartbreaking turmoil, and he just has to get used to that feeling of emptiness in his stomach. first, with the celestial war, he lost lilith. now, as the exchange program began, he had to say goodbye to his twin brother for an entire year. he hopes you don't take it personally-- he just can't spare the mental or emotional energy to embrace your arrival like he should.

beelzebub, who can't thank you enough for the way you've repaired his family. he never would have suspected that you had been forming the pacts with his brothers to release belphie from the attic. a small, nervous part of him wonders if you had been nice to him just to get his pact, that you didn't mean all those things you said-- but he knows you. even if you had been lying, you did it for the right reasons. and after all, everything worked out, right? you're here, belphie's back, and the months since his twin's return have been nothing but happy. you have single-handedly stitched his patchwork family back together. beel can't find a way to show how important all you've done for his family really means, but he'll keep trying anyways.

beelzebub, who likes you a lot, actually. he's never been too keen romance. most of his interactions had been spurred on by the other party. he's been attracted to people who are kind yet self-assured, seeking him out first. all of his experiences in crushes, in romance, in bed, have all been a game of follow the leader-- not due to a lack of interest on his part, but because of trauma-ridden aloofness that caused him to focus on the things he still had. romance never topped the priority list... at least, not until it came to you. beel saw you as a member of the family for a long time, longer than he maybe should have. but there's something special about you. something about you that makes him love you differently than he does his brothers. he just wants to have you around, always, sharing meals and movies and glances across the dinner table that make his brothers squirm. he's finally found someone special in his life-- someone he's going to give romance a try for.

beelzebub, who has never been good at controlling his appetite. it hits him at the worst of times, constantly, gnawing at his insides until he can't ignore it. that was why he is stuck in this position. a hunger brews in him, all adrenaline from the latter half of the fangol game and lust, and-- fuck, he needs relief. water beats loudly against the tiles, disguising the deep growl in his throat as he tugs impatiently at his aching cock once, twice, listening hard to make sure no one else was still in the locker room. he listens until he couldn't anymore, until his hand began to move impatiently on its own, another growl rumbling in his chest before he relents and begins pleasuring himself. his mind wanders to you, on the railing of the bleachers, screaming your lungs out in support of his team, feet pounding against the metal steps as you jumped about. you were there for him, cheering for him, watching his every move. he imagines you creeping in to reward him after everyone else left, perched on your knees on the locker room floor, wide eyes watching him with so much love as you swallow his cock, plush lips wrapped around his shaft as you take him as far as you can. just the thought makes his cock throb in his hand. he didn't have long to finish himself off and head out, but his mind couldn't help but linger on the image a bit longer...

beelzebub, whose date night just got a whole lot better. the two of you had spent the evening at hell's kitchen eating your fill (or in beel's case, eating them out of stock) then coming back to the house of lamentation for a movie. but your hand began to wander during the movie-- not towards the snacks, which he offered you several times as your gaze began to wander, but to his upper thigh. your fingers creep in further, until you're brushing against the seam of his pants. he hardens at your touch, your gaze, the steady sound of your breathing next to him. he shoots you a curious look. he quietly warns you that yours fingers are touching him in a particular place-- surely you know that already? you nod. he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you onto his lap. his view of the screen may be obstructed, but it's obvious that the movie has fallen to the wayside for now. it's him that takes the initiative to guide your hips into a steady grind against his own, little gasps escaping yours lips as he watches you more intently than he ever did the screen. grinding turns to kissing and kissing turns to grabbing, his big hands grabbing at your sides, your ass, your thighs, spreading you open for him. his fingers slip past the waistline of your pants and begin to toy with your sex through your underwear. you begin to tug at his sweatpants, desperately reaching for his cock while rutting into his hand. his cock springs free-- fuck, he's massive-- and you whine for it. you tugged your pants off in a few hurried movements. he tries to warn you about needing more prep, but his words die in his throat as you whimper for it, tell him how much you need him. his eyes and mind both glaze over with lust as gathers your juices and scissors them inside of your entrance, reaching deeper and deeper as you grip his broad shoulders and moan. when you're ready, he lines you up over his cock and lets your sink onto his length. you're so tight and soft and his head is spinning. fuck. the drag of his cock through your insides makes him groan. he doesn't even realize he's pinned your back against the couch until you look up at him with wide eyes and murmur his name. he starts to pull back, but you repeat his name-- your tone is laced with lust, hands reaching for him to come closer, and he does. he hovers close enough to brush his lips against your ear and apologize. you're a strong human, right? you can handle a little roughness? his hips pull back then thrust roughly into you, making your vision blur for just a moment, before he begins a truly sinful pace. a new sort of appetite brews within him-- and you know he's never been good at resisting his gluttonous urges.

taglist for this series: @the-demonus-aunt // @scienceisfornerds // @hostilemakeover // @snow-fall1 // @kachan890 // @rphantom1 // @respitable

[skzooweemama]

Y/n tickling the members to get what she (or they, whichever gender you write for!) wants??

I feel like tiny fics of that would be sososoo adorable😫

Ty but you can ignore this if you want!😅

yesss this is my fav kind of tk stuff 😈😈

tiny fics it is!

plz excuse how long i've been gone- life kinda took me through the ringer in the last two months...

but i'm back for now!! and i wanted to say thanks for 100 followers! y'all are the best!!

i hope you all had a happy holiday season!! enjoy!!

~~~

Bang Chan:

chan was unaware that he was no longer alone until he felt a soft touch on his back that startled him so much he nearly screamed. he hadn't heard the door open while wearing his recording headphones, and now he was paying for it. whipping around in the chair, chan's racing heart was immediately calmed upon seeing you standing behind him. he sighed in relief as he pulled his headphones down to sit around his neck.

"jesus- you scared me..." chan groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"i'm sorry, channie. i didn't mean to startle you." you replied, smiling sheepishly. chan nodded, turning back to save what he was working on. "how's it going?"

chan hummed. "well, i can't get this chord progression right and the defaults on this program are pretty hard to change, so not too great..." he trailed off again, eyes focused on the audio files disguised as colorful bars on his monitor.

you nodded in understanding (even though chan's back was to you) and glanced at the clock on your phone. it was nearing 11pm and it was clear he wasn't gonna get much further without some sleep.

"do you maybe wanna call it a night?" you asked, your tone soft as your hands made their way to his shoulders. he holding a lot of tension there. again.

"is that why you're here?" chan shot back, causing you to roll your eyes.

"i'm just worried about you, baby. seriously, all you're doing right now is getting yourself worked up. wouldn't some sleep help?" you're still trying to be diplomatic, but here's your boyfriend, stubborn as always.

"you know how sleep is."

"alright, now you're just being difficult. c'mon, i made dinner." you say finally, going to grab his coat from the coat rack. of course, chan did not listen and is still typing away when you come back. "christopher bahng, let's go."

and yet again, he ignored you.

you groaned loudly and threw his coat down, now determined to get his butt up and out of this studio. for a moment, you play with the idea of giving him one last warning, but... it really has been too long since you've seen him laugh anyway.

“your funeral…” you mutter, reaching around the back of the chair to grab at chan’s sides.

“what are you- AH!!” he cried out as soon he felt your fingers on his ticklish skin and then broke off into his squeaky giggles. “wait!! nahaha!!”

“i’ll only stop if you agree to come home~" you singsonged, your fingers tickling anywhere you could reach as chan thrashed in his seat. you knew how ticklish he was, he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.

chan shook his head "no" for only a moment before he felt your fingers dig into his lowest ribs. "NAHAHA OKAY!!" he relented, giggling madly. you took your hands away as he caught his breath. "alright, lehet's... let's go home now."

you chuckled and pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. "that's what i like to hear!"

Lee Know:

sometimes eating really took too much energy. it was a complete hassle, especially now. you were so close to finishing a giant assignment for university and you were completely locked in. of course, this is the moment your stomach decides to inform you that it is empty.

the hunger pains hit you like a truck, and you groaned as your train of thought was completely derailed. a glance at the time told you that you had been working for hours, which must've been the reason why you were feeling ravenous.

after much deliberation, you decided that you were at a decent stopping point on your assignment, especially seeing as it wasn't due for another couple days. time to go find some food.

the hallway was pitch black when you finally emerged from your office. it had become pretty stuffy in the time you were in there and you took a deep breath as you made your way to the kitchen. it was dark in there as well, and you assumed minho had probably gone to bed awhile ago.

no matter! you were perfectly capable of making yourself something to eat.

at least, that's what you thought before you ended up standing in the refrigerator light, staring down all the options before you. it was much too overwhelming for your tired brain to handle and you ended up standing there for much longer than intended.

arms snaking around your waist and a nose burying itself into your neck was enough to snap you out of your haze.

"what're you doing, jagi?" minho purred in your ear as you grasped at the arms around you.

you leaned back into him. "'m hungry..." you sighed, shutting your eyes briefly.

minho huffed out a small laugh. "yeah? you should eat something. staring at the food won't do anything."

you groaned and turned towards him, wrapping him in an embrace of your own. "i'm too tireddd..." you whined.

"awe, you're too tired? my poor baby." minho hummed, and you could practically feel him smiling against your shoulder.

"don't tease me." you said, smacking his back lightly. "you should be making me food, though. i worked really hard today. i deserve it."

"do you?" he fired back, tone lilting and even more teasing now that you were getting worked up.

"yes! will you? please?" you pulled away from the hug just slightly to give him your best puppy eyes.

minho hummed like he was thinking. "i dunno... i'm kind of tired too..."

"minnn!" you whined once again, squeezing him tightly. as you did, your fingers dug into his sides just slightly, causing him to jolt in your hold.

"yah! don't do that!" minho cried out, suddenly desperate to escape from you.

you laughed as you realized what had happened and dug into his sides once again. "do what? hm?" he bit back a squeal and pushed at your shoulders. "if it tickles so bad, make me food~" you cooed.

minho's blushing face and red were illuminated by the light of the fridge. he looked so cute, but of course he still had to be sassy. "starve." he choked out, still fighting his own laughter.

you raised an eyebrow. "oh? if you won't make me any food, i guess i'll have to look elsewhere." you shrugged and gave him a devilish smirk, before diving forward to begin to nibble at his sensitive neck.

"AHH!! NOHO!!" minho laughed, shoving at your harder now. you held him fast and giggled into his neck at his reactions, which brought out his snorting and made you giggle harder.

the two of you stood in the soft light of the refrigerator, you tickling and minho laughing and trying to fight you off, until he finally relented and agreed to make you some food. he huffed and puffed and called you annoying, but you knew he didn't mean it. it was his fault that he was so sensitive, after all.

Changbin:

it almost seemed like the clock was moving extra slow to taunt you. when changbin said he'd be at the gym for a while, you didn't realize he would be gone this long. it had been nearly 3 hours! you couldn't imagine what he was doing that took so long. stray kids did have a big comeback tour soon, but usually that meant they'd rest in the weeks before they left. surely chan wasn't encouraging changbin to work out this much.

just as you were about to send a text to check in on him, you heard the front door open. moments later, changbin came around the corner and into the dining room where you were sat, doing some work.

"hi baby! how was the gym?" you greeted, beaming at him.

your smile faltered a bit when you took in his appearance. he looked tired and worried, with his brow drawn up and a far-away look in his eyes. you also noticed his hair was damp with sweat, meaning he didn't shower at the gym like normal.

he offered you a small smile and came over to kiss your forehead softly. "it was alright, nothing special." he patted your shoulder and turned to head down the hall. "i'm going to take a shower."

changbin was gone for a quite a while, and in that time you made dinner for the both of you and waited patiently for him to come out. the shower eventually stopped, but instead of him coming to investigate the smell of food like he usually would, you heard the bedroom door shut. you decided to give him some space and ate alone. after another hour, you decided to bring the food to him, just in case he was really too tired to come eat.

"baby?" you called into the bedroom before opening up the door all the way. "i have food for you! do you-," you cut yourself off as your eyes adjusted to the dim light in the bedroom.

changbin was sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, legs drawn up to his chest as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"oh my god." you whispered, quickly setting the food on the dresser and practically falling to the floor to take him into your arms. "bin, my baby, what's wrong?"

changbin leaned into your embrace and sniffled, choking back a sob. "the comeback- i don't look good enough- i can't-," he barely got the words out, but you understood immediately.

"oh bin, you're so beautiful and strong- you know all your fans admire you for it!" you cradled the back of his head as he leaned into you and kissed the side of his head. "i do too, of course i do... please don't think so negatively of yourself."

changbin nodded against your shoulder, hands fisted in the sweatshirt you were wearing. "i know, i know. 's hard sometimes."

you hummed in acknowledgement and moved so you could take his face in your hands. "it is, i have days like that too." you wiped at the tear stains on his puffy cheeks and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "but you help me out of them, yeah? so i'll help you too."

changbin nodded once again, flushing slightly at your actions. you giggled when he averted his gaze, trailing your hands down his neck and to his shoulders, and then to his chest. you gave him a teasing look and squeezed his pecs gently. he flushed a deeper shade of red, and bit his lip, swatting at your hands gently.

"you're so strong, my love. and so handsome. i can't help but feel you up~" you giggled, leaning forward to kiss his warm cheeks. changbin opened his mouth to say something, but instead a gasp came out when you ran your fingers over the ticklish spot on the side of his chest. "oh? are you feeling ticklish right now?"

changbin shook his head, intent on scrambling away from you. "bahaby, please!" he pleaded as you caught him in a bear hug.

once you had a good grip, you used your body weight to slow him down and dug into his weak spot with a fervor. changbin screamed immediately, throwing his head back and breaking into loud cackles right after. you laughed at his silly giggles and tickled him some more.

"do you promise to come to me next time you're feeling sad?" you asked once you thought he'd had enough.

"YEHES!!" changbin shrieked, still fighting you (but just barely). his face way flushed and more tears streaked his cheeks, but you knew these ones were good. you let him go, but not before drowning him in about a million kisses.

Hyunjin:

it had been about a year since you'd been able to go home to america, and honestly it was fine with you. sure, you missed your family and friends from back home, but you had made new friends here and met the love of your life. plus, your parents visited just last month. what was there to miss?

ah. that's right. american snacks.

korean snacks were good, but none of them were like what you had back home. none of them tasted like your childhood in the same way a good old bag of american cheetos did. sometimes you think you'd sell your body parts for just one taste of something overly processed from your home country.

when hyunjin ended up leaving for tour in the states, you knew this was your chance. while he was there, you sent him a list of snacks to bring back for you. and he did, arriving home about 9 weeks later with your goodies.

you tried your hardest to savor them, but unfortunately it was yet another good thing that was gone too soon. you were back to missing your snacks once again.

that was, until you came home one afternoon to see hyunjin with a collection of entirely new snacks.

"where did you get those?" you asked as soon as you laid eyes on the items.

"what, no hi first?" hyunjin snarked back at you, and you rolled your eyes.

"hi, baby." you said, not at all sarcastically. "where did you get those?"

hyunjin shrugged. "care package."

you looked at him dumbfounded. "from who?" as far as you knew, he had no american friends.

"your mom." he replied curtly, reaching to grab a small bag of oreo bites from the hoard.

"my mom?! and she didn't send anything for me?" you cried out dramatically, looking through the pile of packaging for any sign of a care package for you.

"it might've been addressed to me and you, but honestly i think i'll just keep it all to myself." hyunjin's voice was teasing, but his words made your blood boil. you leveled an icy glare at his stupidly handsome face.

"you better share." you growled, walking towards him slowly. he just shrugged and moved the pile closer to himself. "hwang hyunjin!"

hyunjin stuck his tongue out at you childishly. "make me~"

even though heat rose to your cheeks at his words, you still wanted those snacks. and maybe you wanted to humble your cheeky boyfriend just a little too.

"fine." you shrugged, giving hyunjin a devilish smile as you rounded the coffee table. you plopped down on the couch and tackled him onto his back, your hand immediately finding the familiar spot on his right side. hyunjin didn't put up much of a fight as you dug your fingers into the spot and burst into loud cackles. you cooed at him teasingly, moving so you caged him in beneath you. "aww, did someone wanna be tickled?"

"GAHAHA!! NOHOHO!!" he cried out, throwing his head back as more screams of mirth poured from his lips.

"no? are you sure? does that mean i can have some of the snacks?" you punctuated this question with a jab to his ribs on the left side, which had him gasping and reaching for your hands.

"WAHAHAIT!! AH- AHAHA!! PLEHEHEASE!!" hyunjin forced the words out between loud laughs, his hips bucking from beneath you. you leaned forward to see glistening trails of tears running down his cheeks. you didn't wanna kill him, so you let up on the attacks on his midsection in favor of scratching gently at his neck.

hyunjin was panting and squirming beneath you, soft giggles escaping him as he looked up at you with half-lidded, teary eyes. god, he was so attractive.

"so? are you done being a snack tyrant?" you asked, smiling down at him and dropping a kiss to his wet cheek.

hyunjin shivered when you accidentally scratched at the especially sensitive spot below his right ear, and nodded. "yehehes, yes i'm dohone!"

finally, you stopped your tickling and dropped a quick peck on his lips. "good! i've been craving cheetos like crazy." you chirped as you climbed off of him.

hyunjin sighed and watched you go searching through the pile. you were lucky he loved you so much. he didn't share snacks with just anyone after all.

Han:

"han jisung, i swear to everything that is good and holy, if you sing that song one more time, i'm going to freak out!"

"babyyyy! ed sheeran is so good! i can't help it!"

this had been an ongoing argument for most of the day. you just wanted some help decorating for christmas, and of course your wonderful boyfriend was more than willing to help. you expected a day of holiday music, a fire in the fire place, and maybe some hot cocoa. instead, jisung had officially ruined "shape of you" by ed sheeran (although, let's be honest, that song was pretty much ruined anyway). over and over and over again he sang the chorus. sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes in english, and sometimes poorly translated in korean. he said he needed the practice for when they translated their own songs, but that seemed like an excuse.

regardless, you were at your wit's end and you just needed him to stop.

"my love, you know i adore your singing, but please pick a new song. there are so many nice christmas songs!" you said, rooting through box after box in search of your christmas tree star.

jisung was looking through a box of his own and sighed loudly at your words. "fineee. it's just stuck in my head!" you shot him a look. "...but i'll find something else to sing..." he grumbled in defeat.

"good. ah!" you reached into the box and pulled out the shiny gold star. "found it. wanna put it at the top of the tree for me, ji?" jisung immediately perked up and nodded, grabbing the star from you and quickly scaling the ladder you had set up next to the tree. you laughed and stood behind him, grasping his waist when he wobbled a bit as he reached to set the star on top. "be careful!" you scolded playfully, giving his waist a squeeze.

jisung nearly fell of the later again when he felt the squeeze, clasping his hands over yours as he buckled over with a yelp. you giggled and took your hands off him as he climbed down.

"sorry baby, i didn't mean to tickle you~" you cooed, kissing his reddening cheek. jisung pouted a bit at you, but when you moved to grab his hips again, he ran back to the boxes to find the lights and ornaments.

the two of you spent another hour decorating the tree without much more incident. the lights were sort of a pain to untangle after having been in storage, but eventually you had gotten them placed on the tree while jisung began to hang ornaments from the highest branches. after the lights were all plugged in, you went back to get some ornaments of your own. jisung was still stood on the ladder with his back turned to you when you heard a faint murmur.

"girl you know i want your love..." the sound just barely reached your ears, but it was enough to draw your attention.

"jisung. what was that?" you asked, crossing your arms. jisung made a coughing sound, glancing back at you briefly.

"um. nothing?" his words were unsure, and you knew he was being a little liar because of the blush sneaking up the back of his neck.

"oh really? did ed sheeran's ghost just invade our home then? because i was sure i heard someone singing shape of you again." you said, words teasing as you walked back over to where jisung stood on the ladder.

"yeah! yeah that must be it. i dunno what else it could be." he still wouldn't look at you.

"oh you don't? well i definitely do." with that, you reached up and started squeezing at his hips. jisung was just able to hang the last ornament in his grasp before he squealed and collapsed backwards. luckily he wasn't too far off the ground and you could catch him before he hurt himself.

you wrapped you arms around him, hands poised to attack his sensitive little waist. jisung craned his head back to look at you, his eyes wide and pleading.

"baby! please don't!! i'm sorry, i won't sing it again!" he whined, squirming in anticipation.

you gave him a look of faux sympathy before you dug right back into his flesh. the pinching, massaging, and scratching had jisung weak in the knees as loud laughter escaped him.

"GAHAHA!! NOHOHO!!" he shrieked, kicking out. you sure were glad that you were behind him now.

you giggled at his reactions and pressing ticklish kisses to the back of his neck, causing him to throw his head back and wack you in the nose.

immediately, you let him go with a cry of pain and cupped your throbbing nose. blood poured from your nostrils, covering your hands and face.

"oh no! oh no, baby, i'm so sorry-" jisung cried, pulling you into a tight hug, clearly not caring that he was wearing a white sweatshirt. when he pulled away, he took your face into his hands. "lemme see. i need to see if it's broken." after a trip to the bathroom to stem the bleeding and some poking and prodding, it was determined that nothing was broken. some cuddles on the couch healed your bruised ego, however, that was probably the last time you'd tickle your boyfriend for a while.

Felix:

"felixxx! you know i can't make them like you do... will you please help me?" you whined, throwing yourself dramatically on the bed.

you were on your period and absolutely fiending for some of your boyfriend's brownies. they were relatively simple to make, but you could never make them like felix did. and now he was outright refusing to make you any, instead playing games on his PC with seungmin. what were you supposed to do??

felix snorted out a laugh at your words but made no move to turn away from his game. he had been playing league of legends with seungmin since he got home from rehearsal. which was only like an hour ago, but still- didn't they get enough of each other already?

"are you even beating him?" you asked, now staring up at the ceiling.

felix let out an affirmative hum. "yep, he's losing. badly." he sounded way too smug.

you scoffed and sat back up. "yeah? i doubt it." you moved to stand beside his gaming chair and took a look at his monitor screen. it looked like felix was winning. "huh. surprising."

your boyfriend huffed at you and reached over to grab at your side.

"hey!" you cried out, jumping away from him and muttering, "jerk."

"watch it, i won't help you if you're mean to me."

you groaned, and sat back down on the foot of the bed. felix went back to his game and you watched him, praying he'd be done after this last round. the gentle clicking of his keyboard would be relaxing- if you weren't craving the brownies with every part of your being. no matter, you could be patient.

thankfully, by the time your patience had worn thin, felix was powering down his PC. you sat up, ready to go make the brownies and finally halt your craving in its tracks, when you were tackled back onto the bed. a head of blond hair started nuzzling into the crook of your neck, and the familiar tickling feeling make you jolt.

"gah! i thought we were gonna make brownies!" you cried out, making felix's chuckles reverberate through your body. in sharp contrast to your words, your hands just naturally slipped beneath his sweater and began to trace shapes on his back.

"'m tired." felix grumbled against your neck. you knew he was being a little shit to get you angry. you could practically feel him smirking.

"lix! please? can't we cuddle after?" you were getting more and more restless.

he made another noncommittal noise, so you decided to take matters into your own hands. literally.

"felix, if you don't get up and help me make brownies, i will tickle you within an inch of your life." as the threat left your mouth, you wrapped your arms tightly around his waist.

"i- what? GAH!"

you dug your fingers into his sides when you didn't hear an immediate "yes i'll help you", and felix immediately began to thrash on top of you, desperate to get away. but your hold was tight and you weren't budging until he gave you the answer you wanted.

"NAHAHA!! I'M SOHOHORRY PLEHEHEASE!!" felix screamed, barely able to speak through his laughter. he was so loud, especially since he was right by your ear. part of you hoped he learned his lesson soon, but the other, more sadistic part of you hoped you could tickle him until he passed out.

fortunately for felix, you did still want those brownies. you let up your attack just a bit so he could catch his breath and finally agree to help you out. he did, pulling away from you with a flushed face and frizzy hair, still giggling like a kid.

you smiled and smoothed his hair out, pressing a kiss to his lips before scooting off the bed. the rest of the evening was spent in the kitchen, felix teaching you how to perfect his recipe and you marveling at just how lucky you were.

Seungmin:

movie nights with all of the members of stray kids were your favorite, no contest. you always had so much fun when all nine of you gathered together to watch whatever film they voted on, either taking over one of the dorms or your apartment. in dating seungmin, you gained a whole friend group that you couldn't be more thankful for on top of a cute, caring, and funny boyfriend.

tonight, the movie was kill bill: volume 2 (you had watched the first one all together last week), and you all were wondering if the bride would actually kill bill this time. unfortunately, you never got the answer to that question because you ended up falling asleep only 30 minutes into the movie.

"hey," a soft voice roused you. "we're gonna head out, is seungmin okay staying here?"

you opened your eyes to make out the form of chan standing over you with a soft smile on his face. everyone else was standing by the door, and they waved "bye" when you looked over.

"yeah, yeah, no, he's fine. where is he-," as you went to sit up, you felt a weight on your lap and looked down to see seungmin fast asleep on your lap. chan giggled a bit at you, and you gave him a sheepish smile. "ah. yeah, he's fine."

"alright. let me know what you thought of the movie if you get a chance to finish it." he said, headed towards the door to join his members. you nodded and waved as they left.

after the front door shut, you rubbed your eyes and stretched, reaching for your phone on the coffee table beside you. the screen lit up and you saw that it was late. oh well, you had weekend off, as did seungmin.

your eyes moved to the boy sleeping in your lap. he was on his side facing you, his cheek squished against your thighs as he let out soft, hardly audible breaths. you smiled. he was pretty cute when he was asleep. he was cute all the time, but when he was sleeping he had the tendency to be significantly less annoying.

while you were perfectly content staying on the couch and allowing seungmin to use you as a pillow, your bladder had other ideas.

you really had to pee.

at first, you tried to move gently off of your lap, but either he was really heavy or you were really weak because he was not moving. no matter, you just had to wake him up. it wasn't ideal, especially because he gets grumpy after naps, but peeing yourself was not on your agenda tonight.

gently, you brushed his bangs away from his eyes and patted his cheek. "min? baby, i have to pee. why don't you go get some clothes to change into and i'll meet you in my bed?"

seungmin groaned, turning to bury his face further into your lap.

you sighed and ran your fingers through his hair. "can you move just a bit? please?" no response from the sleepy boy. "kim seungmin, i swear to god..." you muttered.

suddenly, an idea came to you. it was mean, but you had no choice if he wasn't going to move on his own. you moved your hand from his hair and rested it on the nape of his neck. seungmin didn't react, so you gently scratched at his skin.

he shifted and tried to pull away from your hand while still using your legs as a pillow. you felt him start to shake as he tried to bite back his giggles. he was awake, that brat.

"seungmin, i know you're awake~," you cooed, bringing your other hand to double the attack on his neck. "better move or this will get a whole lot worse."

seungmin rolled over just enough so that you could see the sleepy smile on his lips as he giggled. "nohoho!"

"no? alright, whatever you say." changing tactics, you reached down and began to massage his sides quickly. your boyfriend let out a yelp of surprise and tried to roll away, which only ended up with him on the ground.

you followed him as he went, tickling wherever you could reach when he landed on his front. once he was fully off of you, you squeezed his hips one more time, patted his butt, and got up to run to the bathroom. seungmin whined at you, promising revenge.

he wasn't actually gonna do anything to you, he was too tired. that is, until you turned around before you reached the hallway and stuck your tongue out at him. oh, you were in for it.

I.N:

as much as you loved your boyfriend, sometimes he sucked, especially when you wanted to cuddle. granted, you knew when you started dating him that he was not one for a lot of physical touch. in fact it was one of the first things you learned about him.

however, once you started dating him, you realized that you were his kyptonite. he didn't like cuddling unless he was cuddling you. he hated to admit it, but it was true.

it was friday and your week had been complete shit. with changes happening to the company you worked for, you had been at risk of getting laid off. you didn't, thankfully, but you did lose a few coworkers that you were close to and now you had to take on their workload as well. all in all, it was beyond stressful and you just needed some affection.

jeongin knew that. of course he did.

so why was he cleaning the kitchen instead of joining you on the couch?

"innie! please? i'm so lonely..." you called from the couch, slumped over dramatically.

"in a minute, jagi. i have to finish cleaning up." he said, glancing up at you with a smile that was just big enough for his dimples to peek out. god, he would be the death of you.

you looked away from him to avoid flustering yourself and crossed your arms over your chest. "yeah, whatever. dinner wasn't even that messy..."

jeongin chuckled at your words and went back to cleaning.

about ten minutes later, you decided the kitchen was clean enough. you pulled yourself from the couch and walked into the kitchen, pulling him into a back hug.

"are you getting restless?" he asked, his voice teasing.

"i miss you..." you mumbled into his back.

"missed me? where have i been that caused you to miss me?" at his words, you reached beneath his sweatshirt and tweaked his side. he let out an "ah!" and tried to pull away from your grip.

you giggled. "don't be a smartass. come cuddle."

"i will, i will. i just need to- AH! dohon't!!" you cut him off with his own giggles as you started squeezing his sides again. jeongin collapsed forward, leaning against the counter as you tickled him gently.

you weren't sure where you got the idea to do this, but it seemed to be encouraging him to listen for once.

at least, that was until he suddenly broke free from your grasp and began to run like his life depended on it.

"hey!" you cried out, following him down the hallway.

jeongin slipped into the bedroom and tried to shut it before you could get in, but you caught the door before it swung shut and tackled him onto the bed. you boyfriend started laughing in anticipation before you even touched him, which was so cute that you couldn't just let him go now.

though he was stronger than you, you managed to pin him in a way that allowed you one free hand to wreck every spot you could reach. you squeezed his sides, scratched his tummy, counted his ribs, and even dug into his armpits when he tried to push you away.

jeongin was thoroughly exhausted by the time you were done with him, red, tear-streaked face and all. he was practically boneless as you let him go, only moving to pull you into his chest and press a kiss to your hair.

finally, you got the cuddles you craved (and one slightly vengeful boyfriend), and your shitty week suddenly had a bright side.

[goodstuffhappenedtoday]

Millions of U.S. apples were almost left to rot. Now, they'll go to hungry families

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 By Alan Jinich

It's getting late in the harvest season in Berkeley County, West Virginia and Carla Kitchen's team is in the process of hand-picking nearly half a million pounds of apples. In a normal year, Kitchen would sell to processors like Andros that make applesauce, concentrate, and other products. But this year they turned her away. ... Across the country, growers were left without a market. Due to an oversupply carried over from last year's harvest, growers were faced with a game-time economic decision: Should they pay the labor to harvest, crossing their fingers for a buyer to come along, or simply leave the apples to rot?

Bumper crops, export declines and the weather have contributed to the apple crisis

... While many growers in neighboring states like Maryland and Virginia left their apples to drop. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was able to convince the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pay for the apples produced by growers in his state, which only makes up 1% of the national market.

A relief program in West Virginia donated its surplus apples to hunger-fighting charities

This apple relief program, covered under Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935, purchased $10 million worth of apples from a dozen West Virginia growers. Those apples were then donated to hunger-fighting charities across the country from South Carolina and Michigan all the way out to The Navajo Nation.

Mike Meyer, head of advocacy at The Farmlink Project, says it's the largest food rescue they've ever done and they hope it can serve as a model for their future missions. "There's over 100 billion pounds of produce waste in this country every year; we only need seven billion to drive food insecurity to zero," Meyer says. "We're very happy to have this opportunity. We get to support farmers, we get to fight hunger with an apple. It's one of the most nutritional items we can get into the hands of the food insecure."

At Timber Ridge Fruit Farm in Virginia, owners Cordell and Kim Watt watch a truck from The Farmlink Project load up on their apples before driving out to a food pantry in Bethesda, Md. Despite being headquartered in Virginia, Timber Ridge was able to participate in the apple rescue since they own orchards in West Virginia as well. Cordell is a third-generation grower here and he says they've never had to deal with a surplus this large.

At the So What Else food pantry in Bethesda, Md., apple pallets from Timber Ridge fill the warehouse up to the ceiling. Emanuel Ibanez and other volunteers are picking through the crates, bagging fresh apples into family-sized loads. "I'm just bewildered," Ibanez says. "We have a warehouse full of apples and I can barely walk through it." "People in need got nutritious food out of this program. And that's the most important thing" Executive director Megan Joe says this is the largest shipment of produce they've ever distributed – 10 truckloads over the span of three weeks. The food pantry typically serves 6,000 families, but this shipment has reached a much wider circle. "My coworkers are like, 'Megan, do we really need this many?' And I'm like, yes!" Joe says. "The growing prices in the grocery stores are really tough for a lot of families. And it's honestly gotten worse since COVID."

"It's the first time we've done this type of program, but we believe it can set the stage for the region," Kent Leonhardt, West Virginia's commissioner of agriculture says. "People in need got nutritious food out of this program. And that's the most important thing." Following West Virginia's rescue program, the USDA announced an additional $100 million purchase to relieve the apple surplus in other states around the country. This is the largest government buy of apples and apple products to date. But with the harvest window coming to an end, many growers have already left their apples to drop and rot.

[onskepa]

Hii! Could you please do a vampire reader? It can be whatever you like (only If you feel comfortable), I love your writing so much!

Hellooooooooooooo darling~!! Sorry if this comes out as short, I did my best to extend it but I hope you enjoy this one~!!

---------------

Reypay

The na’vi have many stories to tell, each holding a specific purpose. To hold memories of those long gone, to tell of legendary stories, the heroes, the fallen, the times of sorrow, many stories that carry on and hold tradition. And there are many more stories that are new, still fresh. 

Be it odd, funny, or sad, there is a story for something. There are even stories to warn others, precautionary tales. Stories of things that lurk in the dark. What danger lies in place of which you cannot see. What happens to those who were not careful enough, falling victim to those warnings. But what story out there could be warning people? One. There is one story, a tale, a warning. A story that all na’vi have come to know.

“Is that a threat Dr. Augustine?” 

“Not a threat, but a warning” 

“Please, we got bullets, machines and a fuckton of blades. Nothing will stand in our way” 

In the Avatar program wing, Dr. Grace Agustine was standing bravely to the current Colonel Dayrl Hempenton. Beside him was his lieutenant colonel, Miles Quaritch.  Both stand tall, smirking in a disgusting smug way. Hempenton was looking down at Grace as if she knew nothing about pandora. 

“I'm telling you Colonel, you and your squad will end up dead before you reach the site. There is something worse than the viperwolves, worse than the thanators, worse than any predator native to pandora. Both the fauna and Na’vi fear this monster” Grace says in a stressful way. But Hempenton and Quaritch laugh it off. Cant say she didn't warn them. 

Grace knew better, if she cant stop them, only they will know what lies in the darkness of Pandora

The forest at night was restless, the animals, big and small can feel it. Quick and silent did the monster go. Looking for its next supply. It grows hungry, its need to feed grows strong every day. The insatiable hunger, to quench its thirst. It's been days since its last feeding. 

As it runs silently in the dense forest, within the territory of the Omatikaya village, Mo’at can feel the uneasiness of the forest. She knows. Mo’at knows that the beast hungers, and if it is not fed soon, she fears the bond will break and will come for her people. 

But it seems her troubles won't be long, as her little human technology beeps in the quietness. Grace has sent the word. Humans will be in the forest, and from what mo’at can understand, a population of 30 humans will enter the grounds. This makes mo’at sigh in relief. 

“Tonight, the beast shall have her blood….”

Many humans have landed down from their flying machines, armed and ready to reach their desired destination. They were equipped, ready to tear down any danger that is to come. Hempenton clicks on his voice communicator, radioing in on his luteninent. “Gold card this is hawks eye, we are on land and will pursue” he informs. 

Leading his team, they all silently start to make their way. It was dark and quiet as expected, making as minimal sounds as possible, using the heat signals of their cameras to spot anything hiding in the dark. 

“Hey colonel” one of the soldiers calls out to hempton. The leader turns, “yeah, what is it?”. The soldier looks at his radar in concern, “I see nothing sir, nothing on my radar” he responds. His fellow comrades chuckled like he made some silly statement. “Of course there is nothing soldier, it's night, everything is most likely asleep” Hempton responds as he makes clear a path. But the soldier frowns. 

“That is the problem sir. There is nothing around us, don't you hear it? It's dead silent. There is not even nocturnal animals around”

Quaritch and his squad were at their designated base, many armed and ready when given command from Hempton in radio. So far things seemed relaxing, every few minutes the squad would give updates and Quaritch would tell them how far they are from the place they needed to be. 

Booze and music was being played, feeling confident that their mission would go well.

But their cockiness blinded them. 

Soon in the intercoms, loud, painful screams were heard. 

Quartich grabbed his radio, “Hawks eye come in! Whats going on over there?!” he shouts, he and his squad mentally fearing the worst. 

“BACK UP!! BACK UP NOW!!” was what hempton was able to say after his intercom was suddenly shut off. Quaritch wasted no time and had his team fly out to the site Hempton and the rest were at. The other soldiers tried to get in touch with others but all they heard was the sound of flesh being torn, screams of unbearable pain, but no words was able to be said. 

And what felt like hours, really were only a few minutes. And what they saw was left with only pure confusion and horror. 

Machines broken, weapons shredded into small pieces It looked like a war happened. But in the middle of all the broken metal, on a wooden pike was the head of Colonel Hempenton. His eyes wide and expression of horrors to which none could know of. Whatever Hempenton saw, it was the last thing he ever saw before his untimely demise. Everyone stood silent, but had to go on, to see what else have happened. 

And then Quaritch and his squad all had the same question. 

“Where are the bodies?”

“Remember children, she is not our friend, she is not our ally, for the beast only cares for herself and no other. The bloodied beat lurks deep in the shadows, the darkness, her only enemy is the sun. To others, it is just a game to Reypay” neytiri whispers in a hush tone as she tells the old forest tale of the bloody beast, Reypay. 

Her children all look at her in amazement and horror. Yes, they hear the reypay story over and over, and will for a thousand times. 

“Mama…reypay won't come into our homes right…?” tuk asks as she huddles close to neytiri for comfort. The mother soothes tuk, stroking her hair, “no, reypay has never entered our village, never in our homes. Reypay is of many things, but even she has her own morals, "Neytiri replies. 

Neteyam gently pats tuks shoulder, “come on tuk, it's time to go to bed” he says. Neytiri guides her children to their hammocks, where Jake made sure they were all well cushioned. Each sully child is given a hug and a kiss of good night. Tuk was tucked in between kiri and lo’ak. All of them soon being carried into their own little dream world. 

All but neteyam.

In the middle of the night, Neteyam was awoken by Jake, silently gesturing to not make a lot of noise. “Dad, what's going on..?” he asks in a whispering tone, “come on” was all jake said. Guiding his son, Jake preps neteyam with his hunting blade and a short cloak. Neytiri is already waiting for them outside. 

“Mom, where are we going, what about kiri, lo’ak and tuk?” neteyam asks, getting worried by the second. Neytiri calms him, placing a kiss on the forehead, “they will be fine, we won't be taking long” she answered. The three jump from branch to branch, landing safely down to the grounds where mo’at was waiting for them. “Grandmother…?” neteyam whispers, mo’at gave him a look and all began to walk. 

Neteyam knows that no matter how many questions he asks, they won't be answered. At least not at the moment.

It was a walk, but they reached a distant floating mountain. Neteyam suggested to take the ikrans, but Jake said no. Where they were going, the ikrans were not needed. So as they reach the single small, floating mountain, Neteyam sees his fellow peers. All gathered, and all just as confused. 

“Where are we? What is going on?” Neteyam asks, looking at the mountain, he doesn't like the feeling it's emitting. Neytiri only shushes him. Jake and mo’at stand before the young crowd, “I know you are all questioning what is going on. Why you are all here, why in such hours. They will all be answered here. But heed our words young warriors, you will meet an important person. One who can be your ally, or your enemy. Choose your words wisely once you speak to her” mo’at said. 

In a single line, all of the young na’vi began to enter the mountain through its cave like entrance. Silent, only observing their surroundings. 

Neteyam enters last with his mother, with lit torches inside, they can see many things, things they wish they never saw. 

There were cages of humans, many from the recent raids Jake had led. Humans neteyam remembers were captured and taken away. He thought they were killed off sight! Many humans beg the na’vi to release them. So many cries of terror and hopelessness. “Don't give them your attention. Soon they will be gone” Jake says. 

The large group stopped at the middle of the large empty space that was inside the small mountain. Jake takes a step forth, “the stories you all have grown up with, the story of the bloody beast-” 

“It's all true~” 

A voice echoed. 

From the midst of the shadows, a human emerged from the darkness. But this human was different from what the na’vi were use to seeing. 

This human was of a young girl, her skin so deathly pale, her cheeks sunken in, ears pointed and narrow, her lips black as the night, nails long and sharp. Her eyes glowed red, and most of all was her teeth. 

Her teeth were sharp, and consisted of two sharp fangs. 

The girl licks her lips, wiping away the red liquid. 

“Greetings young warriors~ If you are all here, that means you are of age to know~” she says. Her voice is soft yet sickly smooth. 

“Age to know what? Who are you?” one of the youngsters asks. The girl giggles in a menacing way. “How rude of me~ My name is Reypay, at your delightful service” she makes a mocking bow. 

Her answer, reypay. The name of the scary tale the na’vi knew very well. But how is she real? It was a story! Just a folktale! 

“I know you are all confused, reypay? Real? Of course I am! I have been here for so long, why am I even older than mo’at here” Reypay continues. Her smile was wide and unnatural. Mo’at nods to confirm it.

“Why are we here?” Neteyam asks. And in a blink of an eye, Reypay was right at his face. Their noses are almost touching. “Neteyam Sully, my my. You have grown, I remember when you were a wee little baby. Fresh from the chrysalis. Even now you reek of that smell~"Reypay speaks, her red eyes staring down to his golden eyes. Yet her eyes held no shine, like no life was there. 

Neytiri quickly pulls her son away, hissing at Reypay in a warning manner. The girl raises her arms as a form of surrendering. “Easy there baby mama, I'm not gonna hurt him. I made my promise” proceeds to make an X across her pale chest with her sharp nail. Blood oozed for a bit until her skin healed itself. 

“You are not human, are you?” another na’vi asks. And the girl twists her neck in a gross manner, her dead eyes staring at the young one who asks. “Once. I was human once. But not any more, I am what they called a Vampire. Like in the famous story of mine. I am a creature of the darkness, enemy to the sun, and always hungry for blood~”. 

Clapping her hands, she makes her way back to Jake and mo’at. “I will cut to the chase because I have a busy schedule tonight. You all have passed your iknimaya. Now adults, which means you will all now attend the raids against the humans. What I want from you all is one simple thing….” 

The youngsters, even neteyam all leaned in to hear what reypay had to say. 

“When you fight the humans, do your best to not kill them, hurt them if you must, but do not kill” Reypay says. Of course this man the young warriors even more confused. The vampire hummed a bit, tapping her chin until she snapped her fingers. “Let me show you why”, she jumps to one of the cages, one that holds a single human, she opens the cage and grabs the human roughly and brings the being down. 

“PLEASE!! PLEASE HELP ME!! HELP ME-” the human begged but the mask was removed. 

“Bon appetite~” 

Reypay made a hissing sound and sunk her sharp fangs into the victims neck. Blood was spewing out. Feral growls were heard, her claws extended clinging tightly to the body. She was drinking human blood. And the poor human did put up a fight, but not for long. With the lack of oxygen and losing blood, the sky demon died instantly.

Neteyam couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Horror and fear was the only thing he was feeling. 

Reypay pulls away after a few minutes. Her mouth and jaw were covered in  dark red blood. “Aaaahh~ That was very refreshing~”, she drops the body like it was nothing, even stomping on the lifeless being. “As a vampire, my only source of nourishment is human blood. So calm yourself, your na’vi blood taste like shit and not even worth breaking my fangs for. What I need from you all, is to bring me as many humans as you can. In return, I keep you all safe as you sleep soundling in your little huts. This is a deal even your great great great grandparents accepted. So really, if you don't want to deal with them as much, hand the humans over”. 

There was a loud silence, so much was still being processed. mo’at stepped forward, “Reypay will keep you all safe, she has ability beyond our own. Unnatural yet powerful. I'm afraid, in this, you do not have much of a choice”. 

“She has kept you all safe for a long time. Before your parents existed. You don't need to be her friend or anything, a simple deal is all” Jake adds. 

Neteyam felt his mother slightly push him forward, “you must lead the example” neytiri whispers to him. Well he can't run away now can he? 

He takes a step towards Reypay, whose grin never leaves her dead face. “You have my word. I will give you the sky demons to keep us safe in return” he says. And not sooner enough, the other na’vi followed him. Reypay lets out a cold chuckle, “I look forward to your promise young warriors~” 

I liked how it turned out ngl. Leaves room for many guesses and stuff XD

But I hope you all enjoyed this one! Until next time! See ya!

--------

Reypay = Blood

[2001zootycoon]

collection of resources

(this pinned post will be updated as i find more)

Master Doc for resources for Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Haiti, Yemen, Hawai'i, Lebanon (link to original creators post)

Palestine

Doc of vetted fundraisers Operation Olive Branch Gazafunds Daily Clicks Taawon Watermelon Relief World Food Programme (WFP) Life for Gaza Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN) Purchasing eSIMs The Sameer Project Care For Gaza Palestine Children's Relief Fund Mutual Aid for the People of Gaza Help Gaza Children Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) Gaza Wound Care Children Not Numbers

Congo

Focus Congo Help Women in Democratic Republic of the Congo Panzi Foundation CAMME UNHCR Donations (Canada) World Vision - Donations (Canada) Humanity & Inclusion - Donations (Canada) Save the Children (United States) Every Action: City of Joy (United States) UNWFP: World Food Program USA (United States) Malaika (United States) Heal Africa (United States) War Child (United Kingdom) UNICEF (United Kingdom) Save the Children (United Kingdom) Congo Action (United Kingdom) Action Against Hunger (United Kingdom) The Congo Tree (United Kingdom) Eastern Congo.org (United Kingdom) Comfort International (United Kingdom) Global Giving (United Kingdom) Care.org (Australia) Caritas.org (Australia) MHCDASA (Australia)

[halogalopaghost]

Meditation | Splinter Appreciation Week 2023

Read on AO3

There were plenty of times, especially when his turtles were just little things, that Splinter had endured hunger and thirst. Now as he hung from these chains with the enemy all around him, hunger bit at his stomach like an old friend. The sharp pain was nothing compared to the aching dryness of his tongue and even eyes though—he almost wished they would try waterboarding again just to get a taste of moisture. He rasped a chuckle to himself; the waterboarding didn’t work anyway, they had no idea how long a rat was capable of holding his breath.

Yes, hunger and thirst were familiar to him, but he had not quite figured out how to meditate around them. When his dinner portion was instead divided among his sons, he usually found comfort in a book or, even better, a mindless television program. He especially enjoyed the medical dramas, the over-the-top drama and constant narrative tension did well as a distraction. There were no such distractions in this warehouse, only the constant, nagging worry for his sons.

These people were looking for them, of this there was no doubt. That was all they wanted to know from him—what are their names, how many are there, who trained them, who do they work for? Endlessly, question after question asked under the assumption that his sons were part of some elite force. Splinter laughed at them more than once, even as they continued to torment him.

He would not break. Not with his sons’ lives on the line.

They had left him alone for some time now, perhaps an entire day. Splinter slept in snatches throughout the darkest, most still parts of the night, but in the little light of day that the warehouse windows provided, he could not rest. The pins and needles sensation in his arms was almost unbearable, and he shifted from foot to foot to try to keep the weight of his body off of them. To meditate would be a great relief from these pains, but there was so much commotion about.

They had come close to capturing his sons, according to what he had overheard. Terror gripped his heart like never before as a soldier described the battle and the roaring house fire that consumed April O’Neil’s apartment. The enemy ninja seemed sure that they had all gotten away, but one of them—

Splinter took a deep, calming breath. He could not bear to think of his poor Raphael in such a state. The red one, they called him. The angry one, said another. He had been wounded and carried out by his comrades, his brothers. No one was sure if he lived or died, but his tormenters boasted of a worse defeat than his keen rat ears had overheard. They told him that he was dead for certain, but Splinter was sure he would know if that were so.

He closed his eyes and took another breath—it pulled uncomfortably at the muscles along his ribs, bruised and strained from his arms being fixed overhead so long. He could not focus on it though, he had to breathe in and out steadily through the pain. Focus on his heart beat, repeat a comforting mantra to himself, seek his sons’ presence on the mystic plane…

Leonardo was the only one of his students who meditated with any regularity and discipline. The other three simply did not enjoy it, and Michelangelo in particular could not sit still for it. This did not surprise him—he was their father after all, but he wished now that he had more strongly encouraged it. If he could only reach them, he could deliver this final message he so wanted to impart upon them. Then he could let go.

The warehouse quietened again as the sun slanted in from a steep angle, filling the area where Splinter was kept with golden light. He relished the little warmth that it gave him, and ignored the hunger pains that seized him.

He must reach his sons.

His mind drifted ever further from him as he kept his eyes closed and breathing even. Peace eventually began to settle over him and steal the ache from his bones, until eventually, a new ache developed. He hurt from injuries unfamiliar to him, in body parts he did not have. It puzzled him, and drove him to search out the source of the phantom pains.

Splinter?

He startled, but did not wake. Was he dreaming, or deep in meditation?

“My son, where are you?”

There was nothing but darkness around him, he could not see. But he would know his son’s voice anywhere.

Splinter? Splinter, where are you?

He could not say, it was just him and the darkness and the aching presence of his son. He settled down in the mindspace—neither sitting nor standing, simply comfortable in his consciousness. “I am here for you Raphael. Come to me, if you can.”

Splinter waited in the darkness for his son to join him. The pain in his body doubled, then tripled as he waited. Gone were the aches of inactivity and strained muscles, these were deep-seated pains of battle. His son had seen and felt much since they had been separated, and it filled his heart with sorrow.

When at last Raphael did appear before him, his form was a flickering ghost. He looked sorrowfully at the ground, eyes full of tears and body battered beyond Splinter’s imagination.

“Splinter, Splinter,” he sobbed, reaching for his father. “I failed you Sensei.”

He reached to hold his son, but could not touch him in this prison that Raphael’s mind had invented. “My son, no, it is I who has failed you. I have failed to escape and warn you…I have failed to protect you.”

“No, no.” The deep ache in his voice pulled at Splinter’s heart, and he longed for nothing but to hold him. His face was bruised dark, with a litany of cuts and scrapes running up and down his arms. Splinter could feel, rather than see, the fissure on his shelled back.

“You are lost,” Splinter said gently. “This is no place for you to be, you must return to your brothers.” This place...this in-between that was not quite meditating, it didn’t feel right. It felt dangerous.

“I wanna be with you, Master Splinter. I wanna…” the look in his eyes was faraway and disconnected, not at all the sharp gaze he was used to seeing in Raphael. “Where are you?”

“I am here.”

“No, where are you? Where am I?”

“We are on the spiritual plane. You are drifting, it seems that you are in a great deal of pain.”

“Is this…a dream?”

He smiled just a little. Raphael was never a true believer of the mystical mumbo-jumbo he taught them. “If you wish it to be so, then yes, we are in a dream.”

“I miss you, Master Splinter. You gotta come home, we need you.”

Splinter yearned to wrap him in his arms. He thought to contradict him, to impart his final lesson and try to hammer home that no, they did not need him, but…he found it hard, in Raphael’s pitiful and less-than-lucid state. “Do you remember what happened that brought you here?”

“I was…alone… There was fire, I think.”

“Are you safe now? Concentrate and listen to your surroundings.”

He closed his eyes—Splinter noticed that one of them was discolored and deeply swollen. “I hear Leonardo. I think it’s safe.”

“Then you must go back to them, my turtle.”

His eyes remained closed and he swayed slightly where he sat, like he could fall asleep at a moment’s notice.

“Raphael, are you listening?” He reached forward and tried to grasp his son’s hands, but he could not. It was as though he was made of mist, he dissolved in Splinter’s fingers. His own aches and pains began to return, overriding those that his son felt. A growing sense of cold accompanied it. “Raphael!”

He mumbled something incoherent and his chin dipped toward his plastron.

“My turtle, it is time to wake up. You must return to your brothers, do you understand? They need you, Raphael.” His hands hovered uncertainly, unable to touch his son despite so desperately needing to. “Raphael,” he pleaded. “My little Red, you must listen. I fear your life hangs in the balance here, in this place on the edge of worlds. I know it is difficult, and it must hurt tremendously, but you must try. For your brothers, Raphael, and for me.”

“Try…” he murmured.

Splinter watched, breath held, as Raphael slowly struggled to rouse himself. He blinked like his eyelids were made of lead. A shudder ran through him from head to toe, visibly shaking him.

“Hurts, Master.”

“I know. You are doing well, please keep going.” Splinter did not realize until his limbs began to warm again that they had stiffened—like a corpse. The aches of his son returned, and pain had never felt sweeter. He would take it all if he could, and bear it with his own burden. He would do anything for his sons, even this.

When Raphael finally brought his gaze back up to Splinter’s, he looked even more exhausted than before. But that spark, that dangerous, challenging flint of spirit in his eyes, had returned. Raphael was never, ever one to give up without a fight.

“We will find you, Father.”

Splinter’s muzzle stretched in a smile, in spite of everything. “I know you can do anything that you set your mind to. Cling fast to your brothers, Raphael, and do not forget all that I have taught you.”

He nodded resolutely even as his form began to fade. Splinter’s fingers began to tingle and ache, then his ribs, and his feet. The pain in the shell that he did not have subsided like the falling tide, and Raphael along with it.

“I love you, Raphael,” he called into the darkness.

There was no response with words, but there was no mistaking the bloom of warmth in his chest.

When he opened his eyes to the dark, cold warehouse hours after he had last seen it, he was not surprised. The ache of hunger still gnawed behind his ribs, but his soul was fed. He felt more sure than ever that, even if he could not deliver a final message to his sons, they knew anyway that they were loved.

[scribbleshanks]

strike week 2/18 - 2/25

heads up! in support of Palestine, Sudan, and Congo, I won't be posting anything unrelated to spreading awareness and resources for the strike week, which lasts from February 18 - February 25.

I will still accept requests for my friend's fundraiser, so you can still dm me during the week! I just won't post any of the art until after the strike 👍

some sources to support those affected by the genocides and humanitarian crises under the cut:

-here's the thread on twitter where I was informed on the strike. it includes strike conditions, the BDS boycott list, and sources to donate

-sources to support Palestine

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees: https://www.unrwa.org (they just had their funding cut)

-sources to support Sudan

-sources to support Congo

[helix-enterprises117]

Halo Reloaded: Hangry

Within the Spartans' private area in Fleetcom HQ, a situation was brewing that could only be described as... domestic. Linda and Kelly were caught in the throes of an epic battle, one that had nothing to do with the Covenant, but everything to do with the rumbling discontent of their stomachs. It was a hunger so profound, so primal, that it threatened the very fabric of their unit's camaraderie. Meanwhile, John-117 and Frederic-104 watched in bemusement and mild horror as their normally unflappable comrades transformed into hangry behemoths.

John approached the dilemma with the gravity of planning an interstellar campaign. "Aw, dammit." he exclaimed, eyeing the mess hall's locked doors with a mix of desperation and resolve. Linda, the sniper whose aim was as sharp as her current mood was foul, shot him a glare that could curdle milk.

"John, I love you; but if I don't get something in my system right this second, I will not be responsible for the imminent deaths of anyone who stands between me and a decent meal." she snapped, folding her arms—a gesture that somehow managed to convey both impatience and a menacing promise of violence.

On the other side of the room, Kelly, whose speed was legendary, was now using that attribute to pace a trench into the floor. Fred, ever the voice of reason, attempted diplomacy. "Kelly, bunny-bun, you're going to wear a hole in the titanium flooring at this rate." he chided meekly, only to receive a look that could easily strip paint.

"I will wear a hole in the floor, the ship, and then proceed to run on the vacuum of space if it means getting something to eat, Fred," Kelly retorted, her voice a mix of jest and deadly seriousness. "And why is it that you boys don't have to deal with this? What, did they program you to photosynthesize?"

Fred, caught between amusement and fear for his life, shrugged helplessly. "I guess they thought we'd be too busy carrying heavy things and brooding thoughtfully into the distance."

Recognizing that the situation was deteriorating rapidly, John took decisive action. "Fred, you hit the mess hall. Charm, bribe, threaten—whatever it takes. I'll raid our emergency stash. We've got about five minutes before mutiny."

As Fred sprinted away, John turned to face the women, a man preparing to negotiate with dragons. "Ladies, if you can hold off on eating the junior Spartans for just a few more minutes, we'll have food."

Linda, leaning against a wall with a huff that suggested she was entertaining the idea of just how many calories were in a standard-issue MRE wrapper, nodded once. Kelly, meanwhile, ceased her pacing and eyed John with a mix of skepticism and hope.

What followed was a frenzied ballet of military efficiency and sheer panic. Fred returned, his arms laden with what looked like the entire contents of the mess hall's pantry—his charm offensive had apparently been successful, or perhaps the cooks had simply feared for their lives. John, meanwhile, unearthed a cache of emergency rations so old, they might as well have been made by the Forerunners.

"Here," John announced, laying out the assortment with a flourish that was utterly wasted on his audience, "a feast fit for... Spartans."

Linda and Kelly descended upon the food with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for victory celebrations or the discovery of new weaponry. "You are both," Linda declared between bites, "marginally less terrible than starvation."

Kelly, her mouth too full to form coherent words, simply raised a hand in a thumbs-up, her expression one of blissful relief.

The episode, while certainly a departure from their usual brand of heroics, served as a poignant reminder of the Spartan-II's humanity. Yes, they were super-soldiers, capable of extraordinary feats of strength and bravery. But at the end of the day, they were also just people—people who got hangry and whose day could be made or broken by the simple acquisition of a good meal. It was a humbling thought, one that brought a rare smile to John's face as he watched his team, his family, united in the face of adversity... or at least hunger.

[darlingillustrations]

Fight Food Deserts with Community Gardening

“Gardening is fun!” When I talked with David Thompson, founder of Food is Free Washington, that’s why he said he started doing it. It was so much fun, in fact, that he grew too much produce in his 2,000 sf garden to use it all himself, so he started giving it away. He went on, “The thing that became more fun than growing my own food was sharing it. It’s the joy of giving stuff away.” That is the heart of the Food is Free movement: building community by sharing food independence.

Read more about the real life gardener who inspired Chapter 3 of Calico Jill and the Search for Cheese!

What Food is Free Does

Food is Free Washington is a non-profit co-run by David and Ursula Thompson in Tacoma, WA. The goal of Food is Free is to take care of our planet and take care of each other in the process by feeding people. The Thompsons seek to reduce food waste by getting food into the hands of local people who need it. They also educate people on how to grow their own food so that our community is more self reliant and less dependent on outside forces.

Food deserts stretch across many of Tacoma’s communities, but especially so in downtown Tacoma, east Tacoma and south Tacoma. A food desert is an area where local residents do not have access to fresh and healthy foods. Food is Free focuses in particular on these communities in need.

While a food bank might serve 50-100 people, Food is Free serves on average 220 people with each food giveaway. Food banks are great resources for gathering food and giving it to those in need, and they even supply Food is Free with donations through the Emergency Food Network and Feeding Feasible Feasts, but Food is Free is so much more effective in its distribution for two reasons: it goes into the heart of communities where there is food insecurity, and there is no requirement to show an ID or prove income. Anyone who shows up gets food. It’s as simple as that.

Food Is Free Sharing Tables

Ursula and David’s solution to the food deserts that stretch across Tacoma is gardening. Food is Free has planted 3,000 square feet of community garden space across the city. They started setting up tables next to these garden plots, and they would set out food for anyone to take.

They encouraged others to follow suit. At the height of the pandemic, there were 97 of these sharing tables scattered around Tacoma which became a sort of mobile food pantry. During a time of social isolation and social distancing, people formed a sense of community around sharing food surplus with each other within their local communities.

These tables were popular for a time, but there were obstacles. Even though the Thompsons would post instructions on accepted and restricted items, there wasn’t enough education about proper food storage. People started dropping off things like chicken breasts and milk, things that would spoil if left on a table.

These days, the total number of food tables is around 10-12, and they are run independently.

Food Accessibility in 2023

One thing the Thompsons are particularly excited about is the Gleaning Project, a program that is run through Harvest Pierce County in which people can sign up to have the fruit trees in their backyards harvested. Last year, 27,000 pounds of produce was harvested thanks to this program and shared with local hunger relief organizations.

Food banks are getting fewer donations than they used to. EBT benefits were cut in March. With rising food inflation, fewer people want to make donations. Add to these factors the job insecurities that we’ve all faced thanks to the pandemic, and more and more people are turning to feeding themselves with their own gardens.

Food is Free Washington is supporting these burgeoning green thumbs with seeds, plant starters and resources. Ursula explained, “You can grow an extra row. You can grow an extra plant. We just want people to do it with us. All of us gardeners together, we can help feed our community.”

Food Is Free Drop Offs

If you live in Tacoma, you can pick up food on Tuesdays in the extra parking lot across from (west of) Hope Point (formerly Calvary Baptist) Church. Address: 6511 South C Street. Follow @tacomaurbanfarmer on instagram to stay abreast what is available from week to week.

Resources:

Food is Free Washington: https://foodisfreewashington.org/ Emergency Food Network: https://www.efoodnet.org/ Feeding Feasible Feasts: https://feedingfeasiblefeastsllc.org/ Harvest Pierce County: https://piercecd.org/190/Urban-Agriculture and the Gleaning Project (where you can register your fruit trees!): https://piercecountygleaningproject.org/

Calico Jill and the Community Garden

You can read Calico Jill's story on tumblr at the following links. (The Community Garden is Chapter 3):

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Patreon

The artwork is this post is a painting of mine titled Put A Little Spring In Your Step. It is Watercolor and Ink on 8×10 inch hot press watercolor paper.