FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2019
For Information, contact: Kera Linn, PPC Pod Operations Manager: (704) 412-4506 X 116
A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT BUILDING MOMENTUM
The PPC Pod Network Adds Almost a Pod a Day in August!
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The nonprofit organization PlantPure Communities (PPC) today announced the achievement of ambitious growth milestones in the PPC Pod Network – the backbone of the worldwide grassroots whole food, plant-based (WFPB) movement. In the month of August alone, 29 new Pods joined the Network (the average in 2018 was approximately 10 new Pods/month). With the addition of Pods in Australia, Singapore, and Mexico, the PPC Pod Network now has Pods sharing the benefits of plant-based nutrition in 22 countries.
The PPC Pod Network emerged out of the call-to-action in the 2015 film PlantPure Nation. Through the Pod Network, PPC supports a grassroots movement of people leading and participating in independent local groups (called “Pods”), empowering them to promote the benefits of a WFPB lifestyle. People from all walks of life and at different stages in their wellness or plant-based journeys join the Pod Network every day.
“Pods provide a place where people can connect for support and friendship. Members meet through potlucks, seminars, cooking classes, movie nights, and other social events. Pods are also encouraged to develop local advocacy strategies to communicate the important health and environmental benefits of plant-based nutrition,” said Nelson Campbell, PPC Board Chair and Founder.
“To date, more than 220,000 people are connected to the PlantPure Communities Pod Network in over 22 countries. It’s inspiring to meet so many leaders and support them in their commitment to making an impact in their communities.” said Kera Linn, PPC Pod Operations Manager.
“Our July 31st free ‘Welcome to the Pod Network’ webinar created a lot of buzz,” she added. Hundreds of people registered, participated live, or watched the recording to learn how they can create Pods in their communities.
“July’s webinar was a huge success,” said Caroline Dyar, PPC Vice President. “It featured the PPC Pod Support team (myself, Ella Stephens, Kera Linn, Heather Patrick, and Josh Wayne) and two Pod Leaders, Haley Vasuki of Plant Empowered Florence, SC (U.S.) and Michelle Tree of Plant-Based Living Winnipeg (Canada). We are grateful to our speakers for sharing their insights about creating and running a Pod, and even more important – how impactful and satisfying it is. Leading or participating in a Pod can be a fun, rewarding way to share your passion for plant-based nutrition!”
Beyond the health benefits of eating more plants, reducing the consumption of animal-based foods also helps address our climate crisis. An important report issued by the UN in October 2018 recommends that everyone reduce their consumption of animal products by 30% to avoid irreversible damage to the planet. There is growing momentum to push plant-centric menus for public health and the health of the planet. For those interested in shifting how they eat, creating or joining a Pod is a great place to start!
For more about the PlantPure Communities Pod Network, visit this webpage and check out the Pod Locator Map to find a Pod in your community.
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Group Leader, Kaiti Schwartz, hosted a knife skills demonstration as part of her Pod meeting on January 26, 2019. Since July 2018, Kaiti’s Pod has grown from 4 members to 17. One member volunteered to lead this meeting and to share what they learned at the Culinary Program at Diablo Valley College. Each member brought knives, a cutting board, and an onion. After the onion, they practiced cutting up other vegetables like peppers, red cabbage, carrots, cilantro and scallions, and then made Thai veggie rolls. Everyone enjoyed making new friends, practicing their knife skills, and learning how to roll a rice paper filled with yummy vegetables.
Show Me Plants had 18 plant-curious folks attend their first Pod meeting, with leaders Kara, Elaine, and Kurt. Kara and Elaine shared their personal stories of how they came to a whole food, plant-based, no oil lifestyle and what the power of a plant-based diet had done for each of them. After reviewing the PlantPure Communities Culinary Philosophy and talking about what it means to eat a WFPBNO diet, Kara demonstrated how easy it is to prepare this food by making a vegetable lentil stew in front of everyone while describing some of the tips and tricks for easy food prep. Next Elaine and Kara shared a dozen strategies for successfully implementing a WFPBNO diet, and Kara shared some advice aimed at those who had significant weight to lose or who were battling type 2 diabetes. Finally, Pod members had a question and answer session and sampled several recipes including Chickpea “No Tuna” Salad, Mexican Quinoa Salad, and Chocolate Mousse. 
One man who heard Kara speak about her health transformation at a local bookstore began to implement the changes into his diet right away under the supervision of his doctor. He had such great success that he has been able to discontinue insulin in just a few short weeks of eating a WFPB diet. When he shared his success with the Pod, Kara couldn’t hold back the tears because this is just what she had hoped for. “To think that Elaine reaching out to me on an Engine 2 Facebook group a couple of years ago when I was at my lowest point ever and then me eventually following through and beginning this lifestyle could lead to me completely transforming my health through a complete lifestyle change is amazing,” Kara said. “But what is even more amazing is that because all of those pieces fell the way they did and I am now able to share my story, others are getting the message and transforming their health as well. I hope the ripple effect continues because food is powerful medicine.”
The Plant Based Living Winnipeg (PBLW) Pod hosted their 9th potluck on March 16, 2019. 
More than ten people joined the Pure Sprouts Pod in Athens, GA, on June 30, 2018, at Cali N Titos for an oil-free meal in an attempt to encourage the restaurant to participate in the Restaurant Campaign. About half of the attendees were newcomers – friends of the Pod Members. One person was especially surprised by how good the restaurant food tasted without oil, saying “While I generally eat oil-free [at home], I don’t always order this food when I go out to eat. After trying it today, it’s actually really good, and I would definitely get it again.”
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