As the year winds down, we round off December — The clouds roll in more often, festivities and planning are taking place, moments of deep introspection heading into 2024. 🕊️ Join us for a few community updates and a very special interview from Jennine, the Executive Director at our featured non-profit The Pantry by FHT. We’ll finish off the blog with some reflective journal prompt ideas going into 2024 because, of course, good ideas shouldn’t go up in smoke.

🍃 Our Latest Drops

Strains that have made a comeback this season:

• Super Lemon Haze
• Holy Grail Kush
• The Yeti
• Aunty Gorillas

Honey latte, anyone? How could we leave out mentioning our limited time Christmas Berry Honey, a collaboration with MĀNOA HONEY & MEAD.

This honey is gathered from local bees in the central/north area of the island, lovingly looked after by their passionate crew. For all of the smoke-free patients out there, check out us recent blog post about this drop for an infused simple salad dressing that compliments the nutty flavors of Christmas Berry Honey.

🙋🏽‍♀️ An Interview With The Pantry

As you might have noticed in stores, we are thrilled to be running a holiday season Protein Drive for The Pantry Hawaii, a local food distribution service operated by Feeding Hawaii Together. Today we’re joined by Jennine Sullivan, Executive Director of The Pantry by FHT, for a special interview about their HI based nonprofit.

Can you describe the shift types at The Pantry?”

J: We have two different types of shifts at The Pantry: we have our “shopping days” and our “distribution days.” Our shopping days are Tuesdays and Thursdays, where we custom pack our client orders, packing everything into boxes to be ready for pick up the following day. Our distribution days are Wednesdays and Fridays and are very active days, as we are working to distribute food to the community. We serve about 1,000 families every week, so our Wednesday and Friday volunteer shifts are busy days both inside and outside the warehouse, packing produce, loading client vehicles, and working with our community members.

“How important are volunteers at The Pantry and what would you say to those who are interested in helping out?”

J: Volunteers are of critical importance to The Pantry! We only have two full-time staff and one part-time staff member, so we rely on our volunteers to help us do all the work to ensure our clients have the fresh, diverse, nutritious food they have ordered. We have many amazing volunteers that come weekly and work with many amazing community organizations that we partner with to help us find volunteers. We know it can be a lot of work, but we promise you will have a good time!

“We are so inspired by your community and its message; it takes a lot of hard work and passion to run a volunteer-based effort. Any words of wisdom for for your supporters this upcoming year?”

As the year ends, we are honored to have worked with so many phenomenal volunteers, organizations, and companies that have helped us serve the 36,000+ families this past year. We could not have done this without your support, and we hope that you will continue to support us this upcoming year! If you would like to get involved or learn more about what we do at The Pantry, please visit thepantry.org or email us at info@thepantry.org as we would love to work with you! Every volunteer, donor, client, and donation matters, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Big mahalo to Jen for this collaboration. We cannot express enough how inspiring their daily efforts and passion are to us at Aloha Green. Read our blog “Nourishing Hearts and Souls – The Pantry Hawai’i” for all the juicy details on their mission.

Donate to our Protein Drive at any Aloha Green location! Just look out for the big Christmas wrapped boxes out front or ask our staff to point you in the right direction. Alternatively, drop your change in any of our non-profit donation boxes and we’ll match it by 100%. We really appreciate your effort in supporting local non-profits that help our community.

🚀 Looking Ahead

We find ourselves standing at the threshold of a new chapter. But let’s be real – we are during the holiday season hustle & bustle! Thanksgiving has passed and we’ve just cleaned up our Christmas BBQ’s. Some of the busiest weeks of the year occur and holidays stress is no foreign concept. Whether you are including plant medicine in your self-care rotation or not, prioritizing mindfulness can be beneficial for anyone, so we’ve cultivated this small list of journal prompts to keep it grounded:

• How has the effort you’ve put into plant medicine influenced your ability to be present/engaged in your activities this year?
• Reflect on the hard work you’ve put in for 2023. A win is a win! Which memories stand out to you the most from this year? Take a moment to thank yourself.
• Describe your favorite canna-infused self-care rituals or list new ideas or approaches you look forward to trying for the year ahead.
• Which strains/products/terpenes did you enjoy most this year?
• Envision your ideal self a year from now. What steps can you take to align with this vision?

We really hope these sparks your flame and help set positive intentions for the new year. Look out for our 2024 Aloha Green Calendars that feature shots from our grow, coming to stores at the very soon (consider this a special early release memo for anyone who has made it to the bottom of the blog 😁). Good luck setting your intentions for the new year!