New Focus on recycling and healthy living!

The Impact of Recycling on Health 

Each person in the United States produces more than 1,780 pounds of trash on average each year, which is more than the average individual from any other country.

The waste produced by humans not only takes up space, it also releases chemicals and greenhouse gasses.

Not only does that take up a space, it also releases harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses as it sits in landfills. Decomposing garbage produces carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. These all contribute to the air pollution that causes various respiratory diseases.

Increases in the risk of low birth weight, birth defects have been reported near landfills. Certain types of cancers including those of the pancreas, larynx, liver, kidney, as well as non-Hodgkin lymphoma are also more common near these sites. An increase of symptoms such as fatigue, sleepiness, and headaches among residents near waste sites has also consistently been reported.

Sites that are badly managed can also attract germ-spreading vermin. Rats can carry and spread diseases including hantavirus, a serious, respiratory disease; salmonella, a bacterial infection of the intestine; and rat-bite fever, a bacterial illness, among others. 

It’s not just the people living near landfills who are affected. Houseflies are attracted to waste, whether it’s in a garbage can or a landfill. Flies have long been linked to at least 65 diseases including typhoid, dysentery, cholera, poliomyelitis, and tuberculosis.

Recent research at  Penn State’s Department of Entomology found that H. pylori, a type of bacteria that can survive in your digestive system, can be transmitted by flies. H. pylori can cause peptic ulcers in humans.

Garbage that doesn’t end up in a landfill is usually burned. Several studies suggest the pollution from incinerators is linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and soft tissue tumors. Congenital problems including urinary tract defects, preterm births, and miscarriages are also related to incinerator-generated air pollution.

Clearly, garbage has a huge impact on our bodies as well as our planet. Reducing the amount of trash we create in turn reduces all of the health risks associated with garbage.

Recycling is one of the easiest and simplest ways to save energy and reduce air and water pollution. For example, recycled paper reduces energy use by 31% and reduces wastewater by 53% [Environmental Paper Network].Recycling reduces the health risks of disease and birth defects associated with landfills and incinerators. It also has a positive impact on our personal health and that of our planet in several other ways.

Recycled materials save energy because making new products from raw materials uses a lot more energy than using recycled ones, even when comparing all the associated costs such as transportation. 

It therefore also reduces the need for extracting, refining, and processing those raw materials, which themselves create a lot of air and water pollution. This energy efficiency reduces greenhouse gas emissions, minimizes climate change, and conserves natural resources — all of which protect the health of our planet and our personal health as well. 

In fact, recycled steel saves 60% on production energy. Recycled plastics save 70%. And it takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminium than it takes to make it from raw materials. Using scrap steel instead of virgin ore to make new steel uses 40% less water and creates 97% less mining waste. 

Making new products from raw materials uses a lot more energy than using recycled ones.

To put your efforts into perspective, in the US, recycling just plastics could save between 30 and 170 million tons of carbon each year, which is the equivalent of taking between six and 30 million vehicles off US roads.8 When you recycle just 10 plastic bottles, you save enough energy to power a laptop for over 25 hours because of the energy saved from not having to create new bottles.

Amy Myers, M.D. 

Feed, Heal, Shelter Showing Our Effort To Our Community

“Feed, Heal, Shelter”

Our name is our mission: To feed, heal, and shelter whoever is in need.

The ultimate purpose of “Feed, Heal, Shelter” is to eradicate homelessness everywhere possible. (We prefer to use the terms "houseless" and "houselessness" in place of "homeless" and "homelessness," which you will see as you continue to read our blog.)

To this end, every step and activity of “Feed, Heal, Shelter” must be in keeping with our God-impelled conviction that houselessness can be seriously reduced and eventually eradicated by being centered in healing, promoting spiritual growth and unconditional love, by creating community awareness and involvement, and making every possible effort to offer shelter and help to the houseless anywhere.

Our programs accomplish our purpose in these specific ways: Along with our prayers, which combine firm faith with spiritual understanding, we furnish such physical necessities as food, clothing, and shelter. We also try to provide other forms of appropriate help and guidance, and specially jobs, to both the currently houseless and to those heading toward houselessness.

Our aim is to be a supportive, legal, faith-based umbrella organization for those who conscientiously desire to participate, start, or continue, any program that will help end houselessness. Our four main points are that the program: (1) is at some level sustainable, (2) helps rather than pollutes the environment, (3) does not include industries that support cruelty to animals, and (4) does not conflict with the Bylaws of “Feed, Heal, Shelter.”

Currently we're accomplishing our mission in Culver City, Palms (West Los Angeles), and Inglewood. Later we will branch out as possible into other nearby areas in need.

As a faith-based organization, we provide guidance for life and healing by sharing the spiritual meaning of The Bible. We focus on the four Gospels, which describe the consecrated to good life, teachings, brotherly love, and healing works of Christ Jesus.

Our God-given mission of healing all ills, whether they be relationship problems, sickness and disease, poverty, depression, addiction—anything that threatens the well-being and freedom of those who seek our help—is based solely on Christ Jesus’ words and healing works along with the writings and healing works of Mary Baker Eddy, our favorite theologian and Founder of the Science of the Laws of God and the Christ which she named “Christian Science”. In addition, in all our communications and outreach to the public, we share comforting and inspiring ideas of spiritually-minded thinkers, writers, and humanitarians throughout the ages, no matter what their faith background is.

One way we accomplish these goals is by working side by side with sister not-for-profit organizations. For example, in recent years here is California, we have teamed up with the Midnight Mission, donating loaves of bread to their feeding program on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles; the New Life Society, donating fruit and vegetables to its “Feed the Hungry” program in Venice; the Inglewood Senior Center, donating bread, and the family shelter in Inglewood donating clothing, books and toys.

“We are Uno,” our four-year-old recycling program in which we partner with businesses and households, not only reduces garbage in local landfills but also contributes to resource renewal and a waste-free ethic in the community.

Though we haven't yet had the opportunity to provide housing, we are working our way toward fulfilling the "sheltering" aspect of our mission by praying consistently—both with the houseless on a one-to-one basis as well as broadly for the community about the issues of houselessness and related challenges.

“Feed, Heal, Shelter” reflects our principled, honest, consistent, commitment to resolve the houseless challenges in wise and practical ways. With faith-based, environmentally-friendly, sustainable, and cruelty-free motives and acts, we place our trust in the government of a God that wants good for all.    

“Feed, Heal, Shelter” Is A Faith-Based Non-for-profit Organization To Help Humanity And The Communities For A Better Environment.

   

 Some Of Our Supporters Contribute To Our Cause With This Lovely Great Freshly Baked Bread!