Giving Back During the Holidays

The holiday season is about giving, and this year, Steinberg Diagnostic wanted to do something special. So, we partnered up with Minky Couture & Three Square to deliver much-needed goods this holiday season.

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‘Tis the Season…. Of Giving!

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Three Square Food Bank is a member of Feeding America. The organization has been serving residents of Lincoln, Nye, Esmeralda, and Clark Counties since 2007. Their mission? Make wholesome food accessible to hungry people and pursue a hunger-free community. Between 2021 and 2022, alongside their community partners, Three Square distributed more than 42 million meals, roughly equal to more than 51 million pounds of food!

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SDMI saw an opportunity to get involved. We partnered with Minky Couture, who kindly donated 100 blankets to us. We gave half of the blankets to Cure 4 the Kids, an organization that works to advance the cures and prevention of childhood diseases. We raffled the other half off to our staff, who entered the drawing by donating eligible items for Three Square, including food, personal hygiene products, and paper cleaning items (like toilet paper and paper towels).

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In the end, our team collected more than 1,000 items to be donated to Three Square!

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Teamwork is a huge part of what we do at SDMI, and we know that we’re much stronger together than we are as individuals. It was an honor working with Minky Couture to offer a small token of support to Cure 4 the Kids and collect donations for Three Square.

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And, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t in love with the extra cozy, supremely comfy blankets from Minky Couture. Think of them like adult baby blankets — something we could all use these days. The story behind the brand is heartwarming, too. The initial seeds for Minky Couture were planted in 2003 when the owner’s (Sandi) daughter was hospitalized for several months. Her daughter requested a “big baby blanket” to comfort her, so Sandi created an adult baby blanket. People took notice, requests started pouring in, and Minky Couture was eventually born.

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Fast forward to 2015, and Minky Couture had five locations across Utah, plus an online store. Quality matters and each blanket is crafted from plush fabric with a top-of-the-line thread count. The brand also provides work-from-home job opportunities for local mothers. We knew they’d be the perfect partner for our Three Square donation drive!

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Hunger in Southern Nevada

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Providing food for hungry individuals is something we’re passionate about, so we knew that Three Square was the right choice for us.

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Many of us go to bed with full bellies and don’t realize that this isn’t the case for everyone. According to Feeding America, one in nine people face hunger, including one in six children. People in Nevada who are experiencing hunger need an additional $172,562,000 every year to meet their food needs.

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It’s not just a matter of feeling hungry that we’re talking about. A lack of food increases one’s risk of chronic diseases — such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. The proof is in the numbers: 58% of homes that get food from Feeding America have one person with high blood pressure, and 33% have one person with diabetes.

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There’s an impact on your mental health, too. Always worrying about where you’ll get food can lead to anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For children specifically, hunger can impede learning. Research tells us that children from hungry families are likelier to score lower in math and have to repeat a grade.

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So, going without enough food can have a negative impact on individuals physically, mentally, and emotionally.

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Why are So Many Americans Going Hungry?

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There’s news that’s both good and bad: Hunger is completely preventable. Much of it stems from historic and systemic racism and discrimination that leads to unequal opportunities in employment, housing, education, and financial lending.

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America’s food waste is also a tremendous problem. Research shows that 30-40% of our food supply is wasted. This translates to billions of pounds of food and billions of dollars wasted.

While we know that combating hunger is a big task that demands change from policymakers, this season, we made a point of trying to have a positive impact, thanks to the help and contributions of both Minky Couture and Three Square.

If you want to be part of the change, the organization is always accepting monetary donations. You can also donate food products and even your vehicle. If you want to get other people involved and amplify your impact, consider holding a food drive. 

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In terms of what you can donate, right now, Three Square especially needs:

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• Canned Meat and high-protein items.
• Canned fruits and vegetables. 
• Boxed carbohydrates, like cereal and instant mashed potatoes.
• Dried seasonings.
• Baby products, like diapers and wipes.
• Personal hygiene items, including toothbrushes and bar soap.
• Paper cleaning items, like toilet paper and paper towels.

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Note that there are specific items they cannot accept, such as:

• Fresh food.
• Any flammable materials.
• Foods without their ingredient labels.  
• Bulk cooking items, like oils and flour.
• Office furniture.

During the holiday season and all year long, every bit helps — every single dollar, every can of peas. Whatever is within your means to give, consider donating it to Three Square. They have several locations throughout the Las Vegas Valley at which you can drop off your donations.

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