Fundraising: Where Do You Shop?

By fundraising for the Y Turkey Trot Charity 5k you are benefiting the Y's Give Every Child a Chance campaign, which works to improve the lives of children living in poverty through education and compassion.

Over the last couple of weeks we have learned how to share our fundraising pages and then follow up.

This week we are opting to give our social networks a rest and focus on businesses. Here are some step-by-step ideas for how to help the cause.

1. Make a list of 15 businesses you interact with that you want to ask. For example, do you see a chiropractor or maybe a hair stylist? What about your bank?
2. Find their mailing addresses.
3. Using this letter, customize the letter and either mail it or copy it into an email and send to these businesses.
4. Set a reminder on your calendar (or phone) to follow up with a phone call next week.

Many businesses, even those as large as Target and Lowe's, set aside budget to donate to community members based on requests, so make sure you get your piece of the pie!

We thank you for all you are doing to help change the life of a young child.

Recipe: Simple Roasted Veggies

Make a couple batches of these this weekend and reheat all week long. With so many different flavors, textures and colors, it won't bore your taste buds.

Ingredients:

• Any root veggie you can find.
• Potatoes of all colors
• Onions
• Yams
• Carrots
• Butternut squash
• Brussel sprouts
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Dice all the veggies and place on a cookie sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and toss the veggies.
4. Place in preheated oven and roast for 45-60 minutes. Be sure to toss the veggies periodically. 

Recipe Source

Do Your Friends a Favor. . .

Often we are uncomfortable asking our friends and family for donations for a cause we believe in. Well ask because you care about them! Not only is fundraising for the Y's Give Every Child a Chance campaign good for your health and the health of children in our community, it is good for the health of the donor! Read on for the details.

Run Forest! Run!

What keeps you going? What keeps you moving forward? Some of us are training for our first 5k, while some of us are training to improve our personal record. Some have to work to schedule time to walk/run due to busy work schedules, children, volunteering, illness, etc. But guess what? Every single one of us is staying motivated and getting out there. Here are some of our favorite resources for motivation!

1. Remember why you signed up! Are you running for fun? To prove to yourself you can? To do something good for your community? To serve as a great role model for your kids, friends, family?
2. Wake Up Happy
3. Dedicate five minutes and YouTube "Running Motivation". Watching others overcome their struggles is great motivation.
4. Read about running. Love for running is contagious - catch it!

Whatever your motivation - don't forget it. We are eight weeks out and you CAN and you WILL succeed.

Recipe: Smoky Grilled Chicken Pita Flatbreads with Creamy Feta

Take some time this weekend to make a meal with your family. Involve the kids and turn the pita making into a science experiment. Have you ever watched bread rise? Pretty exciting!

Serves about 4Prep Time: 2-24 hours (marinating time)

Total Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients

chicken

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lemons, zest freshly grated and juiced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• fresh basil and oregano for topping
• extra feta crumbles for topping

creamy herbed feta spread

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 8 ounces feta, crumbled
• 4 roasted garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

whole wheat pita

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for your workspace/kneading
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• canola oil for brushing

Directions:

chicken

• Add the chicken to a large baking dish or resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, vinegar, dill, salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Pour it over the chicken and toss it to coat. Place the dish or bag in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When ready to eat, remove the chicken from the fridge. Heat your grill on the highest setting (I believe ours goes to 750 or 800 degrees F) and grill the chicken until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and let cool slightly before shredding.
• To serve, slather a pita (open-faced) with the feta spread. Top it with the chicken (preferably still warm) and cover in a bunch of herbs, tomatoes and extra feta on top. Devour.

creamy herbed feta spread

• Place the yogurt in a large bowl and add the feta. Crumble it up with a spoon and stir. Add in the garlic, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper and mix until combined and creamy, breaking down the feta crumbled as you go. I like the make this ahead of time so the flavors really come together.
• [As a note, I roast the garlic cloves ahead of time or try to have some on hand. To roast a few cloves, peel them then place in a packet of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil up and roast at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.]

whole wheat pita

• Combine the water, yeast and honey in a bowl, stirring once to mix. Let it sit until foamy, about 10 minutes, then stir in the flour and salt. Stir until the dough comes together then use your hands to further bring it together - if it is super sticky, add a bit more flour (I usually add extra all-purpose when needed). Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it with your hands for above 5 minutes. I have kneaded it for a shorter amount of time and it's been fine. Rub oil along the inside of a bowl and place the dough inside, then cover it and set it in a warm place so it can rise. Let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Place the dough back on the floured surface and knead a few times. If it's still sticky, add a few sprinkles of flour with your hands and knead until it's silky smooth. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece out as thinly as you can - we are talking super THIN.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with a bit of canola (or another higher heat) oil. Place the thin dough round on the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, just until it starts to bubble. Flip it over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, it should get puffy and have a few golden spots. Flip over and cook for another minute. Set aside and repeat.

Recipe Source