COMMUNITY EVENTS: Asian

A Call for Toys and Holiday Cheer!

Asian Pacific Development Center begins annual Holiday Toy Drive

The Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC) Adult Education department has begun their annual holiday toy drive. This highly celebrated event, now in its 7th year seeks to provide a new toy for the children of the Adult Education students, toys that are meant to foster imagination, innovation, creativity, and family time.

Last year, APDC’s Adult Education program served over 800 students in improving their English as Second Language, GED, Citizenship, and workplace and digital literacy goals. The students represented 52 different language groups.

In 2020, APDC distributed over 300 toys through a socially distant, “Santa’s Village” themed event, to families, many of whom had been hit hardest by the global pandemic. This year, APDC hopes to collect 500 new toys for children ages birth to 16, which will be distributed on Friday, December 10. The organization is seeking new toy donations as well as gently used holiday decorations in order to create a “Santa’s Village.” Families arriving to receive their toys will enjoy socially distanced parent and preschool time, games and crafts, festive photo opportunities, and a visit from Santa that will create lasting memories for our New Americans.

Donations of new toys or holiday decoration donations may be sent to: Rondi Noden c/o APDC Holiday Toy Drive, 12392 E 30th Ave, Aurora, CO 80011. See the Amazon wishlist at: tinyurl.com/ apdc-toydrive or shop at your favorite local toy store.

Contact Rondi Noden at rondinoden@apdc.org to arrange for pickup or delivery.

ASIAN PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER

HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE

Help celebrate our immigrant and refugee families this holiday season.

SPREAD CHEER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON BY DONATING A TOY FROM OUR WISHLIST

See the wishlist at: tinyurl.com/apdc-toydrive

TOYS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO OUR FAMILIES ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10.

ITEMS CAN BE SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO APDC HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE 12392 E 30TH AVE. AURORA, CO 80011

QUESTIONS? CONTACT RONDI NODEN RONDINODEN@APDC.ORG OR 303-923-6371

Saving Seeds and Restoring Resilience Throughout the Philippines

The Philippines is the most climate vulnerable nation in the world, on average around 20 typhoons hammer the islands each year. In addition, while much of the country is considered agriculture land, the influx of GMO’s/monoculture/and chemical farming practices are causing great stress on communities and access to healthy, local, and affordable food is on the decline throughout the country. The global pandemic has only highlighted these existing inequities. But, it has also further emboldened our mission and vision at Global Seed Savers!

Hunger free and healthy communities with access to sustainable farmer produced food and seeds. Core to this vision are the principles of food and seed sovereignty! Food sovereignty thinks about the entire supply chain from seed to plate and ensures that farmers, not corporations, are the ones making the decisions about what they grow, how they grow it... FARMERS are in

the decision making seat!

Same goes for seed sovereignty, at GSS we believe that seeds should be in the hands of the community and not owned by corporations! Seeds are the most beautiful self-replicating system we have. Seeds are designed to adapt and withstand challenges!!! However, in the last 30 years agri-chemical companies have begun to own our world’s food and seeds, and through this, the sacred tradition and connection to seed is being lost.

Our current times have shown us that our modern systems of agriculture are broken and the only way to return to a process that works is to save seeds and restore our connections to the land. This is the work we are proud to co-create with our partner communities throughout the Philippines!

Interested in learning more about our work and

how you can get involved? Join us on Friday, November 19 at 6:30pm for our 11th Annual Virtual Nourish Celebration. This year we will be introducing our new staff and board members, hear stories from our partner farmers, and engage with our advocacy of restoring local food and seed systems. Tickets include a Filipino meal from The Orange Crunch Food Truck. Register for the event at: bit.ly/3EGgl4M. Visit globalseedsavers. org to learn more about Global Seed Savers.

GSS is a International Development Non-Profit Organization committed to building hunger free and healthy communities with access to sustainable farmer produced seeds and food. Our work is currently focused in the Philippines and we are composed of a dynamic team of change makers committed to building a better future for our communities!