CHICAGO, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Members of the community will join Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS) in welcoming Guaranteed Rate volunteers to West Humboldt Park for a neighborhood beautification effort on Saturday, June 12, beginning at 9:00 am.

Those present will participate in landscape work at the Ujima Community Garden located at 549 N. Central Park Avenue. (On the corner of Central Park Ave. and Ohio St.)

“The programs and services we offer meet a variety of needs for those living in this community,” said NHS President and CEO Anthony E. Simpkins. “We’ve been working consistently in this area serving the people and we’re glad to have the support of Guaranteed Rate in our mission to improve and create neighborhoods of choice for the city’s residents,” he added.

“Guaranteed Rate is fully committed to improving our great Chicago neighborhoods,” said Guaranteed Rate National Diverse Segments Director Camilo Escalante. “As we work to build more diverse communities throughout the country, we are proud to be making a direct and positive impact on the communities we serve, especially in our hometown.”

Each June, as part of National NeighborWorks Week (June 5th -12th) and to mark National Homeownership Month, NHS organizes and mobilizes volunteers, business owners, elected officials and civic leaders for events designed to improve neighborhoods and create awareness of the unique amenities located within the communities they serve.

NHS of Chicago is part of the national NeighborWorks network, an affiliation of more than 240 nonprofit organizations located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The NeighborWorks network was founded and is supported by NeighborWorks America, which creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities.

Funding for NHS’ 2021 NeighborWorks Day has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Guaranteed Rate.

About NHS of Chicago

NHS of Chicago is a nonprofit organization working in partnership with businesses, government, and neighborhood residents to develop and support Chicago’s neighborhoods. NHS offers a variety of homebuyer education classes, financial literacy instruction and provides HUD-certified counselors in efforts to stabilize communities and create neighborhoods of choice.

About Guaranteed Rate Companies

The Guaranteed Rate Companies, which includes Guaranteed Rate, Inc., Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC, has more than 10,000 employees in over 850 offices across the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate Companies is one of the top 5 retail mortgage lenders in the United States, funding over $73 billion in 2020. Founded in 2000 and located in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Guaranteed Rate has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. In 2017, the company launched Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and @properties, one of the nation’s largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the Guaranteed Rate Companies have earned numerous honors and awards including: Forbes Advisor’s Top 10 Mortgage Lenders for 2021; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; 2018 Top Lender for Online Service by U.S. News & World Report; HousingWire’s 2020 Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashCloseSM technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide’s Top Retail Mortgage Lenders for 2019; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for five consecutive years; and Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

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SOURCE Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago

Food, essentials to be distributed at community event

EVANSVILLE, Ind., June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Feed the Children and StarKist^® are joining forces to provide food and essentials to 400 families in the Evansville area from 5 to 7 p.m. June 10 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (2300 Washington Ave.) The event is part of organizations’ efforts to fight summer hunger.

At the event, each family will receive a 25-pound box of food, a 15-pound box of essentials (such as shampoo, conditioner and personal care items), a 5-pound box of Avon products and children’s books and StarKist products from Feed the Children and StarKist^®.

Though an end to the pandemic may be in sight, many families are still suffering and too many children wondering where their next meal will come from. For many families, a significant gap exists between what they can pay for and their food needs—to say nothing of nutritional needs. Nearly 30 million children rely on free or reduced lunches, and not all of them can take advantage of feeding programs that have been set up by schools in the wake of COVID-19. As a result, many families must still make impossible choices between buying food and paying utility bills or other necessary costs like transportation and childcare.

With more than 22 percent of families in the Evansville community living below the poverty line, the summer can be especially difficult once school is out, leaving children food insecure – without a source for consistent meals.

“StarKist has heart for those in need, and we are proud to continue our partnership with Feed the Children in Evansville, Indiana,” said Michelle Faist, Head of Corporate Affairs, StarKist Co. “It’s an honor to give back to members of this community and we hope to replicate this event in other cities around the U.S. over the next few months.”

Since 2009, the national partnership has brought beneficial community resource events as well as nutritious and protein-packed StarKist products to families in need across the U.S.

“Today, we are not only providing food and essentials to these families—but also hope,” said Travis Arnold, Feed the Children CEO and president. “Hope for a better future that is made possible thanks to our partners at StarKist who play a vital role in helping us to create a world where no child goes to bed hungry.”

About Feed the Children

At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in 9 countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships. 

Visit www.feedthechildren.org for more information.

About StarKist Co.

StarKist Co. provides trusted, healthy, food products in the United States. An industry innovator, StarKist was the first brand to introduce single-serve pouch products, which include Tuna Creations®, Salmon Creations® and Chicken Creations®.  As America’s favorite tuna, StarKist represents a tradition of quality, consumer trust and a commitment to sustainability. StarKist’s charismatic brand icon, Charlie® the Tuna, swam into the hearts of tuna fans in 1961 and is still a fan favorite today. StarKist Co. is a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Dongwon Industries Co., Ltd.

For more information:
Carrie Snodgrass – 405-213-9757
[email protected]

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SOURCE StarKist Co.

MADERA, Calif., June 11, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Macario Morales, a diligent man who worked hard in agriculture, has completed his new book “Las Consecuencias De Vivir Una Vida Ingobernable”: a reflective memoir that recounts on the past mistakes of the author and the bitter price he has to pay. In this brutally honest account, the author hopes that his catastrophic life will prevent anyone from committing the same mistakes that he did.

Morales writes, “One day I woke up with tremendous pain in my body from so many blows, my lips were full of stitches, my eyes were swollen from the blows and I looked at myself in the mirror: It can’t be! I said inside myself. I wondered what I needed to be like this, and I began to reconsider and look back, my past, and I asked myself, how far had I gone with my way of being and I have not achieved anything good. I wasted many years of my life, which I would like you to avoid. Many years of suffering, for not knowing how to live, many years went to waste. I already lived it and it is not at all pleasant to live an ungovernable life. What would I not give, in order to start over and avoid this dark path, the only thing I know, and I have learned, is that after this life there is no other opportunity, and today is all I have for. Therefore I must make the most of it.

It took me a lot of work to accept and give my arm to twist. It was not easy for me, not impossible, but I did it. And now I am a different man because I have changed my life, and I can shout it to the wind, since that aggressive, leper, spoiled, rude, quarreling Macario no longer exists within me, he has diminished and the true Macario has been reborn. And blessed and praised be God that I am completely different now. If I can change my life, you can too, since we are all children of a loving God.

I looked for the opportunity and the opportunity came to me. He smiled at me and said ‘Here I am, I’m by your side and we’re going forward, that life is a battle.'”

Published by Page Publishing, Macario Morales’ true-to-life narrative assists its readers in finding healing from the scars of the past. Moreover, the author aims that his unperfect life which was once filled with sin can be a bridge between God and the readers who are currently living an unruly life.

Readers who wish to experience this life-changing work can purchase “Las Consecuencias De Vivir Una Vida Ingobernable” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing: 

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors’ books, including distribution in the world’s largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Page’s accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at

www.pagepublishing.com

.

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SOURCE Page Publishing

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Ahead of National Get Outdoors Day on June 12, the USDA Forest Service and the Ad Council today announced new public service advertisements (PSAs) from the Discover the Forest campaign. Since 2009, the Ad Council and USDA Forest Service’s Discover the Forest campaign has encouraged parents and caregivers to take their families out to the forest to experience and reconnect with nature. The new creative work highlights the power of authentic storytelling to showcase the value of the forest as a place where families can deepen their connection with each other and with the outdoors. The PSAs culminate in a singular ask: make the forest part of your family’s story.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8905251-ad-council-usda-forest-service-discover-the-forest-national-get-outdoors-day/

“In these times, we are excited that so many families are visiting the outdoors and reconnecting with each other, themselves, and nature,” said Tinelle Bustam, Director, Conservation Education, Forest Service, State and Private Forestry at the USDA Forest Service. “We are deeply grateful to the storytelling artists for their depictions of the forests and family connection. We look forward to engaging families in making the forest part of their story through this campaign.”

This newest creative installment was developed pro bono by David&Goliath, in partnership with multidisciplinary artists Joe Cepeda and Shabazz Larkin. Cepeda and Larkin crafted culturally resonant stories, respectively, for Latino and Black audiences, which serve as the basis of the PSAs. “Our Colors,” written by Cepeda, illustrates how nature inspires art and links us through generations. Larkin’s story entitled “Am I A Tree?” showcases the lessons that humans can learn from trees about how to live and grow. Custom illustrations by Cepeda and Larkin also appear throughout the PSAs. The full suite of assets (including TV, radio, print, outdoor and digital banners) will be available in English and Spanish.

The creative aims to reach all parents and caregivers, with an emphasis on fostering a sense of connection to and belonging in nature among Black and Latino families. While participation in outdoor recreation has increased among Black and Hispanic Americans over the last decade, current participation rates still do not reflect our diverse population in the U.S., and Black and Hispanic Americans remain underrepresented outside.¹

“Over the last year, we’ve seen the outdoors become a place of respite for families, and as we head into summer, we know many are eager to continue enjoying and exploring nature,” said Michelle Hillman, Chief Campaign Development Officer at the Ad Council. “This newest iteration of Discover the Forest amplifies authentic and impactful storytelling from two talented artists to help ensure that everyone can envision making the forest part of their family’s story.” 

The latest iteration of Discover the Forest also includes a Digital Storybook activity. This new tool allows parents and caregivers to select one of the stories created by Cepeda and Larkin and upload their own family photographs, creating a unique digital memory book capturing their experiences in the forest. In addition to “Am I A Tree?” and “Our Colors,” the Digital Storybook includes two other stories from Larkin and Cepeda, respectively: “We’ve Got the World in Our Hands,” which explores our role as protectors and keepers of nature, and “Stories in the Stars,” which illustrates how we are connected to our ancestors through the stars.

“The stories I wrote for this campaign came partially through craft and partially from personal experience,” said Cepeda. “As a family, we have spent time out in the woods, in the desert and under starry skies. I hope audiences will be able to relate to the feelings my own family has experienced when we venture out – the perspective we get from looking out over a canyon or standing at the foot of a redwood tree. Nature reminds us that we’re stronger and more resourceful than we may realize, and we all need to do a better job of caring for the places we live.” 

“My hope in writing these stories is two-fold,” said Larkin. “I hope people will find trust in their joy – to go to the forest with no other intention but to play. I also hope that this campaign reminds everyone that Earth is home for all humans. Little Black boys and girls need to know that the earth is our inheritance just as anyone else and protecting our inheritance is our work, too.”

“We wanted to take this campaign a step further than just creating another set of PSAs and really provide a genuine connection to the forest that would resonate with our target audience,” said Lixaida Lorenzo, Executive Creative Director. “From this sentiment, Joe and Shabazz crafted these unique stories that our audiences can relate to in an immediate and visceral way. Stories that just don’t talk to them, but belong to them.”

Creative agency partner Wordsworth + Booth is developing additional radio assets to extend this new round of PSAs, with creative that also uses storytelling to demonstrate how the forest can bring imagination to life and allow families to connect in their own unique ways. 

Across all PSAs, audiences are directed to DiscoverTheForest.org and DescubreElBosque.org, where they can search for nearby forests, parks and trails and where they’ll find ideas for outdoor-focused activities. The new PSAs will run nationwide in time and space donated by the media, per the Ad Council’s model.

To find a forest, park or trail near you, visit DiscoverTheForest.org, and follow Discover the Forest on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Ad Council 
The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation’s most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.

The Ad Council’s innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook and Twitter and view the creative on YouTube.

USDA Forest Service  The Forest Service is the agency responsible for overseeing the use of Smokey Bear in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council.  The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands for the American Public. Its mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

¹ 2020 Outdoor Participation Report. (2020). Outdoor Foundation. https://outdoorindustry.org/resource/2020-outdoor-participation-report/ 

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SOURCE Ad Council