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Judy Hatcher

Judy Hatcher

Counting our blessings

This week people all across the country will pause — over family feasts, football games, and special commemorations like this one sponsored by the International Indian Treaty Council — to count their blessings, and to appreciate their friends, families and community.

So before we head off to be with our loved ones, I want to thank the thousands of people — including you, Dear Reader — who make Pesticide Action Network a force to be reckoned with. Without the advocates, online activists, community partners, donors and allied organizations who all contribute to our movement, we wouldn’t have had nearly as much good news to celebrate.

Thank you for signing petitions and for sharing PAN’s actions and alerts on Facebook and Twitter. It might not seem like much, but when thousands of you do it, it really adds up!

Thank you for contributing so generously to PAN all year long. Because we receive donations from a range of sources, we can follow through on strategic plans and move quickly when opportunities arise.

Thank you for the time you spend working with other organizations who join with us in promoting a healthy and equitable food and farming system. None of the gains we’ve celebrated this year came in a vacuum — each one is connected to a web of organizations and institutions that share our values and concerns.

When I contemplate the range of affordable pesticide-free options at the grocery store, I’m also grateful to the farmworkers, farmers, retailers and others whose advocacy and hard work every day make this — and more — possible.

And when I recall my visit to Malaysia this fall to attend the PAN Asia & the Pacific congress, I’m very grateful that colleagues in the Philippines and elsewhere are okay after Typhoon Haiyan this month.

My list of blessings would also not be complete without acknowledging the tremendous staff I work with here at PAN. When the long weekend is over, I’ll be happy to be back in the office on Monday with this group of smart and passionate people.

What are you thankful for?

Watch the video below and join in the celebration of all that we, together, have accomplished this year.

Judy Hatcher

Judy Hatcher

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