FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 7, 2016
For Information, contact:
Jody Kass, Executive Director, 704-412-4506 x101, JKass@plantpurecommunities.org
LAUNCH OF PLANTPURE COMMUNITIES
Health & wellness nonprofit announces new programs and scholarships
On Nov. 16th, nutrition experts, community leaders, doctors, advocacy organizations, local groups and residents will come together in New York City to mark the official launch of PlantPure Communities (PPC). PPC is a new nonprofit organization that was formed partly as an outgrowth of the 2015 hit documentary, PlantPure Nation. This film documents the suppression of important taxpayer-funded scientific nutritional research that proves the benefits of a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet. The film’s call to action has resulted in the involvement of thousands of people joining the PlantPure movement. The lineup of speakers at the Launch include T. Colin Campbell, PhD, author of The China Study; and Kim Campbell, author of The PlantPure Nation Cookbook. In addition, there will be a plant-based networking reception, short videos, and the founding board members of the organization will be honored. Several exciting announcements will be made at the event – see details below:
Oasis: The PlantPure Oasis Program offers healthy meals and nutrition education in low-income neighborhoods, food deserts, and other underserved neighborhoods to people who otherwise would not have access and/or could not afford it. Through PPC’s partnerships with local nonprofits, participants are empowered to take control of their health by making daily food choices that reflect science-based nutrition. In addition, through strategic alliances with faith-based organizations, urban farms, local nonprofits, businesses, government entities, and health organizations, Oasis is building connections that strengthen and empower people to increase their physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being for the long term. At the November 16th Launch event, the first two Oasis Pilot communities will be announced. This first round of the Oasis program is structured as a Pilot in order to test various program elements, to ensure that when the Oasis program gets taken to scale nationally, it will be grounded in real neighborhood needs and structured in a way that maximizes the likelihood of long term improvement/impact. It is anticipated that two more Oasis Pilots will be announced as part of this first round in February, and the National Open Invitation for nonprofits to apply to participate in the second round of Oasis Pilots will be issued in the summer 2017.
Pods: The PlantPure Pod Program, was designed to create and support a grassroots movement by empowering a network of independent local groups and people working to promote the benefits of a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle. A central component of the Pod Program is to utilize the power of the internet to connect groups and people across the country and around the globe. As of November 16th, the Pod Program and Pod website, will be operating under the umbrella of PPC. As part of this transition, Oasis Pilot communities will be connected with local Pods for short- and long-term hands-on support; and the selection of future Oasis Pilot communities will consider the existence and strength of local Pods. In anticipation of the transition, many of the PlantPure, Inc. staff who worked closely with Pods have transitioned over to PPC. Several improvements have been made to the Pod website which will allow users to RSVP to group events, respond to posts via email, and find the listings of groups in their local area faster. In addition, some terms and conditions have been added to the registration process in order to help people understand how the site should and should not be used. These improvements will go live on November 16, 2016 to coincide with the official launch of PPC.
PPC-Pod Event Program: There are tremendous potential synergies when Pods hold local events, such as seminars, educational forums, and conferences, and use these events to engage Pod members and also to share the WFPB health message with their friends, family, and colleagues. In January 2017, PPC will release an Invitation to Pods to submit their Preliminary Event Plan to PPC. While Pods are encouraged to identify local heroes and leaders to speak at their events, Nelson Campbell will travel in order to participate in at least three PPC-Pod Events that are selected through this process. The PPC-Long Island Pod Educational Event, “Pills, Procedures, or Plants,” will take place on November 15th, and it is a model for this program.
Recipe eBook: To mark the launch of PPC, we are showcasing the fact that food is a significant part of tradition, celebration, and community in cultures around the world. To this end, Pod members are invited to share their WFPB oil-free versions of the dishes that are native to their culture. Anyone who would like to participate and wants their original WFPB oil-free recipe to be featured in the eBook, must send an email with the recipe and photo of the dish to recipes@plantpurecommunities.org by November 9th. To help spread the message, participants are asked to post their recipe photo on social media and tag @plantpurecommunities & #plantpurecommunities. PPC will compile the recipes into an ebook that will be free to download from the PPC website on November 16th, the day of the Launch Event!
Partnership with CNS: Over the last several months, PPC has been strengthening its partnership with the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies (CNS). In June, PPC entered into a fiscal sponsor arrangement with CNS, and in September, CNS awarded a $200,000 grant to support PPC’s activities. This partnership has opened the door to a large and growing list of new opportunities. PPC announced today a new Scholarship initiative: PPC is partnering with CNS to ensure that the educational benefits offered via the Plant Based Certificate Program from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell are shared with folks in communities across the country who are working to improve their lives, the lives of their neighbors, and their community. As part of this partnership and in support of PPC’s official launch, PPC will begin accepting applications for approximately 20 scholarships on November 16th, and the first round of scholarship awards will be announced in the first quarter of 2017. Participants in PPC’s Oasis Pilot Program and Pod Program are eligible to apply; and selection criteria will be heavily weighted to those who are positioned to share the WFPB health message within their community.
People not yet in a PlantPure community are invited to join a group in a Pod nearby or start a new one. In addition, PPC invites people to keep in touch by connecting with PPC on social media and through these new programs, to continue to work toward building stronger, healthier, and more sustainable communities.
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