Where the Ride Proceeds Go

Riding for Sustainable Food Systems

How does supporting Riders make an impact on Hazon and on sustainability issues in the Jewish community?

50% of the proceeds fund Hazon’s year round food programs including our Food Audit and Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative, national projects aimed at raising awareness of sustainable food systems in communities.
50% of rider fundraising enables us to bring our cyclists to nearly two dozen Jewish communities throughout the country, where we will be sharing our message of sustainability. This includes presentations in synagogues, BBQ dinners with host institutions, and simple conversations with families who are opening their doors to provide home hospitality.

Depending on our final revenue, a small portion of fundraising be disbursed as grants to local initiatives that we visit on our route.

Supporting Hazon’s Food and Education Programs

Hazon creates healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond. We are at the forefront of putting environmental sustainability on the agenda of the Jewish community – and the wider world. Since 2000, we have worked tirelessly to educate people, to encourage young leaders, to support cutting-edge new projects, and in aggregate to enable and encourage the Jewish community to increase their impact on environmental issues.

As Jews, we have been thinking about kosher food – about what is “fit” to eat – for nearly 3,000 years. A growing number of people today realize that our food choices have significant ramifications – for ourselves, our nation and the world around us. Consumers are more aware that most of the food that they purchase from the grocery store travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, costing us millions in transportation fuel costs and packaging. Hazon is playing a lead-role in rallying the Jewish community to put Jewish purchasing power behind healthy and sustainable eating and food-growing – and in doing so, we are adding a new and vital chapter to the story of Jews thinking seriously about what and how we eat.

Many of Hazon’s current programs were started with a seed grant from proceeds of other rides, including our Community-Supported Agriculture program and the annual Food Conference.

Two new initiatives which will be funded by the 2012 Cross-USA Ride include:

The Hazon Food Audit, which is targeted at Jewish institutions. These tools help identify strengths and weaknesses regarding food sustainability and justice and help develop an action plan for improving in these areas.

Sustainable Holiday Resources: These tools help individuals and institutions think about sustainable issues as they relate to the cycle of holidays throughout the year. These include tips on how to green your Shabbat table, ways to relate to the agricultural roots of some of the Jewish holidays, and ideas to create programming.

Visiting Communities

Jewish communities large and small are hosting the Cross-USA Ride as we traverse the country. A schedule of events will be posted in the summer as we confirm our programming. We are thankful for the following communities for opening their doors: