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Welcome to The Giving Garden Podcast, where we explore how small acts of giving can blossom into lasting change. In each episode, we highlight the power of giving—whether it’s time, kindness, or resources—and how these acts can transform both lives and whole communities.
Join us as we explore the ripple effect of giving and its lasting impact.
To the Giving Garden podcast where we explore how small acts of giving can blossom into lasting change. I'm your host Martina Halloran, founder of the Giving Garden and CEO of Doctor. Hauschka Skincare USA. In each episode, we highlight the power of giving, whether it's time, kindness, or resources, and how these acts can transform both lives in whole communities. Join me as we explore the ripple effect of giving and its lasting impact.
Martina Halloran:As we move through November, a month that always feels like an invitation to pause and give thanks, I find myself reflecting on what it truly means to not only gather, but to gather for good. This theme has always held deep meaning for me, shaped by moments of giving and receiving that have touched my life in quiet yet powerful ways. Those experiences continue to guide the heart of the giving garden and the work we do every day at Doctor. Hauschka. Wherever you're listening from, maybe on your morning walk or while you're relaxing with a cup of tea at home, I invite you to take a breath, to slow down, and to gather with me for a moment of reflection, connection, and care.
Martina Halloran:When I was a little girl, I remember standing in line for lunch at school, holding my tray, my free lunch ticket in hand, which meant I would eat that day because someone, somewhere cared enough to make sure I could. Those lunches were more than meals. They were small acts of kindness that taught me the meaning of dignity and compassion. I didn't have the words for it then, but what I felt was belonging. That feeling has never left me.
Martina Halloran:I think about that often, the idea that a simple meal became a seed that grew into a lifelong understanding that care is powerful, compassion is powerful, that the smallest acts can nourish not only our bodies, but our spirits too. And in many ways, those early experiences are what led me to where I am today, a company and a community rooted in care into the creation of the giving garden. In this episode, as we reflect on gratitude, community, and giving, let us also reflect on the need, the very real need across our country for reliable access to healthy food, and the opportunity each of us has to act, to care, to ensure that no one has to carry the worry of their next meal so they can instead carry hope, ambition, and contribution. The larger truth is the need is vast. In The United States today, almost thirteen point five percent of households, that's approximately 18,000,000 households experienced food insecurity at some point this year.
Martina Halloran:Meaning, they had difficulty providing enough food for everyone in the home because of a lack of resources. Put another way, that equates to roughly 47,400,000 people living in households facing food insecurity. That includes a neighbor, a coworker, or even a friend in your life. These numbers reflect a reality that no one should have to face, worrying where your next meal is coming from, or whether it will be nutritious enough to fuel your day, your dreams, your contribution. I believe that access to healthy, reliable food sources is a human right.
Martina Halloran:It is not merely a charitable cause or a nice to have. It is fundamental to our shared humanity. When someone does not know if they will eat enough or well enough, they cannot fully thrive. They cannot show up as their full selves, contribute to their community, or live with dignity. When we remove the burden of wondering where the next meal comes from, we free individuals and families to aim higher, to learn, to work, to care, to lead.
Martina Halloran:Imagine a community where each person is nourished, not just fed, where children grow strong and hopeful, adults feel empowered, not ashamed, and the whole community lifts up together. That is the future the giving garden helps make possible because dignity matters. Compassion matters. Nourishment matters not just for our bodies, but for our spirits. The meals I once received as a child offered me not just food, but the message, you belong, you matter.
Martina Halloran:My hope is that The Giving Garden helps send that message every day to every table. When I joined Doctor. Hauschka, I was deeply inspired by how every part of the brand's philosophy mirrored something I already believed. That beauty is not just what we see, it's what we nurture. Our ingredients are grown sustainably, harvested by hand, and ultimately transformed through rhythm and intention.
Martina Halloran:Everything we do is guided by respect for the earth, and equally as important, respect for the people who tend it. So when I thought about how to grow our connection with our customers and communities, I wanted to create something that honored that same philosophy. That's how The Giving Garden was born. What began as a loyalty rewards program for our Doctor. Hauschka customers quickly became something much more meaningful.
Martina Halloran:It transformed into a space where every purchase, every ritual, every act of self care could also become an act of giving. Through the Giving Garden, our members earn rewards not just for themselves, but to help nourish others. Together, we've supported organizations such as the Alameda County Community Food Bank in California, which distributes over 60,000,000 pounds of food annually and serves up to 60,000 people every day. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has provided well over 14,600,000 meals, partnering with food pantries and shelters across four counties. Tony's Kitchen in New Jersey, working with more than 60 community partners and having provided over 2,000,000 meals through its food provision and community programming.
Martina Halloran:And many more local organizations like Supermarket by Olympia Osette, whose everyday work with families and communities goes beyond meals, opening the first grocery store featuring fresh produce, food education, and a community kitchen in South Central Los Angeles. What happens when care circulates freely is nothing short of magic. People are seen, hunger is alleviated, and the ripple effect of giving begins to touch more lives than we ever imagined. The giving garden isn't just about rewards. It's about real world impact.
Martina Halloran:It's about turning a skincare ritual into a ripple of generosity. The phrase gather for good began as a seasonal theme for us, as a way to celebrate togetherness during the holidays. But over time, it's become much more than that. It's a philosophy, a way of living, a way of leading. To gather means to come together with intention.
Martina Halloran:To gather for good means to make that intention matter for ourselves, for our communities, and for the planet that sustains us. And that's really the essence of doctor Hauschka's rhythm. Just as plants in our garden give and receive in harmony with nature's cycles, we too can live in rhythm with generosity and gratitude. Gathering for good can be as simple as sharing your time with someone who needs it, cooking a meal for a neighbor, choosing products that give back, or pausing to thank the people who make your day a little lighter. It doesn't have to be grand to be powerful.
Martina Halloran:What matters is that it's given with heart. Over the past year, through the Giving Garden podcast, I've had the honor of speaking with so many extraordinary people, leaders, healers, community growers, and change makers. From Erin McLeair of Project Bread, who's helping to end hunger in Massachusetts, to Lisa Price, cofounder of Love Delivered, which gives voice to doulas and birthing people of color, to the Brewhouse of Brooklyn, who remind us that joy itself is a form of resistance and renewal. Each conversation has deepened my belief that giving is a shared act of growth. Every guest has taught me something new about connection, about what happens when we come together with open hearts and shared purpose.
Martina Halloran:And in those moments, I always think this is what the Giving Garden was meant to be, a place where beauty, care, and community intersect. So I wanna take a moment and ask you, wherever you are, who has shown you care when you needed it most, and how might you gather for good in your own life? Maybe it's through kindness, maybe through patience, maybe through generosity of spirit, whatever it looks like, know that it matters. It all adds up. As I reflect on this year, I keep returning to that image of the little girl standing in line, free lunch ticket in hand, and to the idea that life has a way of bringing us back to our roots.
Martina Halloran:Only now, I stand on the other side of that moment, leading a company that gives back, building a community that believes in care, and watching a garden grow that's nourished by generosity. Every act of giving, no matter how small is a seed. And when we plant those seeds together, we create a cycle of care that can sustain generations. That's what Gather for Good means to me. It's a reminder that we grow stronger when we grow together.
Martina Halloran:Thank you for listening, for being part of the Giving Garden podcast, and for helping us cultivate a world rooted in compassion and connection. If you'd like to join our community, visit us online and become part of the Giving Garden loyalty program, where your self care can also help nourish others. Take good care and keep gathering for good. Thank you for listening to the Giving Garden podcast. I hope you're leaving inspired because even the smallest act can spark positive change.
Martina Halloran:If you've enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to like, subscribe and share. The Giving Garden podcast is produced by Edwin Bautista and edited by Steven West. A special thanks to Helen Palisi for her guidance and generosity. The Giving Garden podcast is brought to you by Doctor. Hauschka Skincare USA pioneers in natural skincare for over fifty years in home to the Giving Garden loyalty program.
Martina Halloran:Visit drhauschka.com to learn more.