DFOWW INCORPORATED OCTOBER 2026 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
HEALTH LITERACY: KNOW IT. UNDERSTAND IT. USE IT. OCTOBER IS HEALTH LITERACY MONTH
October is recognized as Health Literacy Month, an annual observance focused on making health information easier to understand and helping people gain the knowledge and confidence they need to make informed health decisions. Health Literacy Month has been observed each October since 1999.
For DFOWW Incorporated, Health Literacy Month is an opportunity to look at health literacy from a practical, everyday perspective.
Health literacy is not only about going to the doctor. It can include reading nutrition labels, evaluating health information, asking questions, understanding instructions, navigating complicated systems, keeping records, and knowing where to get help.
Healthy People 2030 defines personal health literacy as the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for yourself and others. Healthy People 2030 also recognizes that organizations have a responsibility to make information and services easier for people to find, understand, and use. For DFOWW, this connects directly to our belief: Education + Nutrition = Empowerment.
NUTRITION LITERACY IS PART OF HEALTH LITERACY
The Write-Right Nutrition Program provides practical nutrition education that helps participants build skills they can use every day.
Nutrition literacy includes learning how to:
Read nutrition labels and understand serving sizes and Daily Values.
Understand ingredient lists.
Evaluate nutrition information and recognize unreliable fad diets.
Make informed food choices.
Ask healthcare providers informed nutrition questions.
Understand how food and nutrition relate to overall health.
Plan meals and make the most of a limited grocery budget.
But health literacy reaches beyond food. It also includes the ability to understand and navigate systems that affect our daily lives. That is why our featured October program focuses on housing education.
FEATURED OCTOBER PROGRAM
FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS: FROM PAPER TO REAL LIFE
“Approved Doesn’t Always Mean Provided.”
DFOWW Incorporated has added a new three-part housing education workshop series to the Write-Right Nutrition Program curriculum.
WHY IS A HOUSING WORKSHOP PART OF A HEALTH LITERACY MONTH NEWSLETTER?
Because where people live matters. Housing is closely connected to health, safety, stability, and overall well-being. When individuals and families cannot understand or navigate a complicated housing system, the consequences can extend far beyond paperwork.
A person may be trying to:
Obtain safe and stable housing.
Maintain a Housing Choice Voucher.
Request a reasonable accommodation.
Respond to a housing decision.
Address unsafe housing conditions.
Navigate a fair housing complaint.
Understand what to do after receiving a housing decision.
For a low-income senior citizen, difficulty navigating the housing system may create additional barriers to stable housing. For a person with a disability, not understanding the reasonable accommodation process may make it harder to obtain an accommodation needed to access or maintain housing.
For a family with children, housing instability or unsafe housing conditions can affect the entire household.
For a caregiver, understanding the housing rights and responsibilities of the person they assist can be important.
For case managers, therapists, behavioral health professionals, social-service professionals, healthcare providers, and other community professionals serving vulnerable individuals and families, understanding basic fair housing principles can help them recognize when a housing concern may require documentation, referral, housing advocacy, or qualified legal assistance. These professionals do not need to become attorneys or housing experts.
However, when someone says:
“My landlord denied my request.”
“The Housing Authority said my documentation was not enough.”
“They told me something important over the phone.”
“I received a decision but I do not know what to do next.”
Understanding basic housing concepts can make a meaningful difference.
THAT IS WHY WE CREATED THIS WORKSHOP
While helping with a housing-related complaint, DFOWW Incorporated saw how difficult it can be for low-income individuals and families, senior citizens, people with disabilities, Section 8 and Housing Choice Voucher participants, public-housing residents, caregivers, and others trying to navigate the housing system.
People may receive letters, emails, telephone instructions, document requests, decisions, and deadlines without fully understanding what they mean or what they are supposed to do next.
Sometimes the hardest part is not knowing:
What question to ask.
What information to document.
What should be kept in a written record.
What the next step should be.
Where to seek qualified legal or housing advocacy assistance.
DFOWW staff gathered educational information about housing processes and sought information from legal clinics and organizations around the country.
Our purpose is to provide practical educational information that can benefit low-income individuals and families, senior citizens, people with disabilities, Section 8 and Housing Choice Voucher participants, caregivers, case managers, therapists, and others who serve or assist people navigating housing issues. This workshop provides practical education. It is not legal advice or legal representation.
Participants will learn strategies for organizing information, documenting communications, asking questions, keeping records, understanding timelines, and identifying appropriate resources.
WHAT WILL WE DISCUSS?
Reasonable accommodations, Fair housing complaints and investigations, Housing documentation, Important timelines and deadlines, Documenting telephone conversations, Following up in writing, What to save and keep in your records, What happens after an accommodation is approved, Conciliation and the housing complaint process, Financial losses and housing-related expenses, What to do when you disagree with a decision, What to do when you do not understand what happens next, Finding qualified legal and housing advocacy assistance.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
SITUATION 10: WHAT IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU SOMETHING IMPORTANT ON THE PHONE?
What do you do? Ask:
“Can you please give that to me in writing?”
If they do not provide it in writing, send a follow-up email that same day. You can email the person, their supervisor, or an appropriate staff member at the agency.
For example:
“Thank you for speaking with me today. My understanding from our conversation is that…”
Then explain what you understood.
Why?
Now there is a written record of your understanding. If you misunderstood something, the other person has an opportunity to correct it.
Remember: IF IT IS IMPORTANT, GET IT IN WRITING.
SITUATION 6: WHAT IF YOU ALREADY GAVE THEM A LETTER FROM YOUR DOCTOR?
You gave the Housing Authority a letter from your doctor.
They say:
“This does not establish the nexus.”
What do you do?
Do not simply send your doctor another letter and hope it works.
First ask:
“Please identify what information you believe is missing from the documentation already provided and what information specifically you believe would cure the deficiency.”
Then ask:
“What specific issue needs clarification?”
Take the Housing Authority’s response to your qualified medical provider.
Remember:
Your doctor—not you—should determine what professional medical information is appropriate to provide.
Your job is to make sure your provider understands what question needs to be addressed. Remember to ask the Housing Authority in writing and request written confirmation of its responses.
These are only examples.
The workshop goes much further.
ASK. WRITE IT DOWN. SAVE IT. FOLLOW UP. BUILD YOUR RECORD. KNOW WHERE TO GET HELP.
JOIN US FOR A DAY OF LEARNING
FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS: FROM PAPER TO REAL LIFE
Saturday, October 17, 2026 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center 10 College St NW Norcross, GA 30071
(678) 977-9703
FREE CATERED LUNCH FROM OLIVE GARDEN ITALIAN RESTAURANT. FREE PARKING.
Virtual participation is available for people who cannot attend in person or who live outside Georgia. In-person seating is limited. Register now.
REGISTRATION
https://dfoww.org/write-right-nutrition-program-workshop-registration/
WORKSHOP FEES
$25 — Single low-income household receiving SNAP or TANF.
$40 — Couples or households with children receiving SNAP or TANF.
$75 — Individuals not receiving SNAP or TANF.
FREE — Children under 18 accompanying a registered adult.
This is an educational workshop only. It does not provide legal advice or legal representation and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Low-income tenants, Senior citizens, People with disabilities, Section 8 participants, Housing Choice Voucher participants, Public-housing residents, Families with children, Caregivers assisting seniors, people with disabilities, or others with housing needs. Case managers, Therapists and behavioral health professionals, Social-service professionals, Healthcare and community professionals who work with vulnerable individuals and families. Individuals experiencing housing discrimination. People requesting reasonable accommodations. People currently navigating a fair housing complaint or investigation.
WHY SHOULD CAREGIVERS, CASE MANAGERS, THERAPISTS, AND OTHER SERVICE PROFESSIONALS UNDERSTAND FAIR HOUSING?
A housing problem can quickly become a health, safety, financial, family, or stability problem. Professionals may be among the first people to hear about a housing problem.
A client may mention:
A reasonable accommodation was denied.
A landlord or housing agency requested additional information.
A Housing Authority said something important by phone.
The person does not understand a written notice.
A housing deadline is approaching.
The person is having difficulty finding housing with a voucher.
The person believes discrimination occurred.
An accommodation was approved, but the person still cannot access what they need.
The person received a decision but does not know what to do next.
Understanding basic fair housing concepts can help a professional recognize when a concern may require documentation, additional questions, a referral, qualified housing advocacy, or legal assistance. The goal is not for caregivers, case managers, therapists, healthcare providers, or other professionals to provide legal advice.
The goal is to recognize housing-related concerns and understand why connecting people with appropriate housing education, advocacy, or legal resources can matter.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A LEGAL EXPERT
The goal is to understand the process, organize records, ask informed questions, and know where to look for qualified legal or housing advocacy assistance.
A MESSAGE FROM DFOWW INCORPORATED
Health literacy is more than knowing information. It is about finding information, understanding it, asking questions, making informed decisions, and taking action.
Whether we are teaching someone how to read a nutrition label, prepare a healthy meal on a budget, evaluate health information, or navigate a complicated system, education can help people become more confident advocates for themselves and their families.
Education + Nutrition = Empowerment. Ask. Understand. Take Action.
FROM EDUCATION TO TRANSPARENCY
At DFOWW Incorporated, education also means being transparent about how our programs work. We believe our participants, donors, community partners, and supporters deserve clear information about how the Write-Right Nutrition Program operates and how donated resources are used to support the community. Because DFOWW recovers and distributes donated food, we are sometimes asked how donated food can be provided through a program that still has operating costs.
The answer is important: the food may be donated, but the work required to recover, transport, store, manage, and distribute it still requires resources. We want to explain this clearly. We are not selling donated food.
Participants are not charged for the donated food itself. Program Participation Fees support the operational costs of the Write-Right Nutrition Program, including food recovery, transportation, fuel, refrigeration, storage, equipment, insurance, educational programming, and distribution.
DFOWW Incorporated does not sell donated food. When a partner donates food, it remains donated food. Program Participation Fees help support the charitable program through which donated products are recovered, transported, stored, managed, and distributed. The amount and type of food available can change from one distribution to another. DFOWW cannot guarantee a specific brand, product, quantity, or type of donated food.
WE ARE NOT SELLING DONATED FOOD
Participants are not charged for the donated food itself. Program Participation Fees support the operational costs of the Write-Right Nutrition Program, including food recovery, transportation, fuel, refrigeration, storage, equipment, insurance, educational programming, and distribution. DFOWW Incorporated does not sell donated food. When a partner donates food, it remains donated food.
Program Participation Fees support the charitable program through which donated products are recovered, transported, stored, managed, and distributed. The amount and type of food available can change from one distribution to another.
DFOWW cannot guarantee a specific brand, product, quantity, or type of donated food.
WHY CAN’T DFOWW JUST GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY FOR FREE?
This is a question we frequently receive. The answer is simple:
Operating a nonprofit program costs money. When DFOWW Incorporated receives donated food, the food itself may have no purchase price.
But the work required to recover, transport, refrigerate, store, organize, manage, and distribute that food still requires resources.
Those costs can include: Transportation and fuel, Refrigeration and freezer space, Storage, Equipment and supplies, Insurance, Food-safety and handling requirements, Educational and program expenses, Facility expenses. Program coordination, Community outreach, Distribution. Donated food is not the same thing as a cost-free food distribution program.
DOES PARTNERING WITH A FOOD BANK MEAN EVERYTHING IS FREE?
Another common misconception is that a nonprofit can simply partner with a regional food bank and receive donated food with absolutely no financial or operational responsibilities. That is not necessarily the case. Food banks operate complex systems that recover, receive, warehouse, refrigerate, manage, transport, and distribute food through nonprofit partner networks. Those systems require people, facilities, equipment, technology, transportation, food-safety procedures, and funding.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank currently works with more than 700 community-based nonprofit partners across its service area. Its published partnership requirements include nonprofit status, community need, Georgia registration and good standing, operating requirements, pest-control requirements, inspections, information sessions, approval, and training.
The Food Bank also provides partner agencies with access to food and non-food items, educational workshops, grant opportunities, volunteer-program support, and other resources. Its audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, report $3.36 million in “share contributions and handling fees.”
This illustrates an important point: The food may be donated, but the infrastructure required to move, store, safeguard, and distribute that food is not necessarily free. The exact fees, services, pickup or delivery arrangements, and partner responsibilities can vary by food bank and program. Therefore, there is no universal rule that every nonprofit food-bank partner pays the same amount or receives the same services.
WHAT ABOUT PERISHABLE FOOD SUCH AS MEAT?
Perishable food can require additional resources because it must be kept at appropriate temperatures during transportation and storage.
Depending on the program, this can involve: Refrigerated or freezer transportation, Freezer and cold-storage capacity, Electricity and utilities, Temperature monitoring, Food-safety procedures, Specialized equipment. Additional handling and storage.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank reports that more than half of the food it distributed in fiscal year 2026 was perishable, including meat and proteins. The cost of a donated product and the cost of safely handling that product are two different things. A pallet of donated food can have a $0 purchase price and still require significant resources to move safely from the donor to the organization and ultimately to the people being served.
THE SAME REALITY APPLIES TO DFOWW INCORPORATED
DFOWW Incorporated operates on a much smaller scale than a regional food bank, but the basic financial reality is the same. When DFOWW receives donated food, the food may be free. The work required to handle that food is not. DFOWW must have the resources to recover the food, transport it, safely store it, manage it, and make it available through our charitable and educational programs. The charitable food system depends on funding at every level.
Large food banks require warehouses, trucks, refrigeration systems, employees, volunteers, technology, compliance programs, and distribution infrastructure. Local nonprofit organizations also require resources to receive, manage, store, educate, and distribute food safely.
DFOWW Incorporated is no different. We are grateful for every food donation we receive. At the same time, accepting donated products creates a responsibility to have the resources necessary to handle those products safely, responsibly, and sustainably. Nothing about operating a charitable food program is truly cost-free. The question is not whether the food was donated.
The question is who pays for the infrastructure, people, transportation, storage, equipment, insurance, education, and other resources required to turn that donation into meaningful community service. At DFOWW Incorporated, we work hard to answer that question responsibly while keeping our mission focused on the families and communities we serve.
FUNDING HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE
Larger organizations may have access to government funding, major grants, corporate sponsorships, foundation support, paid staff, donated facilities, or other substantial resources. DFOWW Incorporated does not receive guaranteed federal operating funding to sustain the Write-Right Nutrition Program.
As a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization, we rely on a combination of charitable donations, grants, fundraising, community support, partnerships, and applicable Program Participation Fees to help sustain our operations. We cannot continue providing services that cost money to operate without resources to support those services. This is why transparency matters.
When DFOWW charges a Program Participation Fee, it is not a charge for donated food. The fee helps support the program and operational infrastructure that make food recovery, nutrition education, and community distribution possible. DFOWW Incorporated does not sell donated food. The donation may be free. The responsibility that comes with the donation is not.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION: DONATED FOOD DOES NOT MEAN ZERO-COST FOOD RECOVERY
A donated loaf of bread may have no purchase price, but getting that loaf safely from a retailer to a nonprofit and ultimately to the people being served requires resources.
Those resources can include: Fuel and transportation, Commercial vehicle insurance, Refrigeration and freezer space, Electricity and utilities, Food-safe storage equipment, Sorting and handling, Packaging and supplies. Staff and volunteer time, Food-safety training, Facility maintenance, Pest-control requirements, Recordkeeping and compliance, Administrative and accounting costs. These are real costs.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “FREE FOOD” AND “FREE FOOD PROGRAMS”
Do not confuse the value of donated food with the cost of operating a food-recovery program. For example, a retailer may donate 500 pounds of food at no charge.
The nonprofit may still incur costs to:
1. Pick up the food.
2. Transport it safely.
3. Inspect and sort it.
4. Maintain appropriate temperatures.
5. Refrigerate or freeze perishables.
6. Store the food properly.
7. Document the recovery and distribution.
8. Transport food again when needed.
9. Maintain insurance and equipment.
For an unfunded or substantially volunteer-supported nonprofit, these expenses can be significant.
FOOD-BANK PARTNERSHIPS ALSO INVOLVE RESPONSIBILITIES
There is a common misconception that becoming a food-bank partner automatically means there are absolutely no operational obligations. That is not necessarily the case.
For example, the Atlanta Community Food Bank requires partner agencies to meet specific eligibility and operational requirements. These include nonprofit status, established community need, Georgia registration and good standing, operating requirements, pest-control requirements, inspection, information sessions, approval, and training.
The Food Bank also states that it is the central hub for collecting and distributing donated food and goods and managing the logistics and partner relationships associated with that work. Food-bank partnerships involve both resources and responsibilities. Some food-bank systems may use shared-maintenance fees, handling fees, or other forms of cost-sharing. The structure and amount can vary. The important distinction is this: The food may be donated. The infrastructure required to move, store, safeguard, and distribute that food is not necessarily free.
WHAT ABOUT NONPROFITS THAT RECOVER FOOD DIRECTLY FROM RETAILERS?
Some nonprofits operate outside the traditional food-bank model. They may have direct relationships with grocery stores, warehouses, wholesalers, restaurants, and other donors and recover food themselves.
These organizations may be responsible for even more of the logistics, including transportation, refrigeration, sorting, insurance, and distribution. The work should not become invisible simply because the food was donated.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture explains that the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act provides federal liability protections for qualifying food donations and distributions when specified criteria are met. The law does not eliminate the need for appropriate food-safety practices, and the USDA’s information specifically notes limitations on the protections.
DFOWW encourages nonprofits and food-recovery organizations to understand their responsibilities and seek appropriate professional guidance when questions about food safety, liability, or applicable law arise.
DONATED FOOD IS A CHARITABLE RESOURCE — TREAT IT THAT WAY
Before giving recovered food to another organization, ask: Who is the ultimate beneficiary? Food donated for charitable purposes should be handled consistently with donor terms, applicable food-safety requirements, the organization’s mission, agreements, and applicable law.
An organization should not assume that because it is a school, church, government agency, business, veterinary organization, or nonprofit, it is automatically entitled to another nonprofit’s recovered food at no cost. The organization recovering, transporting, storing, safeguarding, and distributing the food is managing contributed charitable resources to make the distribution possible.
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
DFOWW Incorporated is committed to serving individuals and families throughout Georgia. Community support helps us: Recover donated food, Transport donated food, Safely refrigerate and store perishables, Provide supplemental food and essential items, Provide nutrition literacy education, Provide educational workshops, Purchase program supplies and equipment, Maintain insurance and program operations, Conduct community outreach, Develop long-term solutions for nutrition, wellness, and food security. Every contribution helps keep the program moving. If you believe in the mission of DFOWW Incorporated, please consider supporting our work.
WAYS TO GIVE
Website: https://dfoww.org/support-us/
Zelle: info@dfoww.org
OCTOBER COMMUNITY SCHEDULE
October 1 — Food Distribution
October 5 — Food Distribution
October 8 — Food Distribution
October 12 — Columbus Day Food Distribution
October 15 — Food Distribution
October 19 — Food Distribution & DFOWW Board of Directors Meeting
October 22 — Food Distribution
October 26 — Food Distribution
October 29 — Food Distribution
Hunger does not take holidays. DFOWW Incorporated remains committed to serving families year-round.
TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY
While we care about every community member we serve, the Write-Right Nutrition Program and DFOWW Incorporated currently do not have the resources to provide delivery or transportation to food distribution events. Traveling to a distribution or workshop can be challenging, especially for senior citizens, people who are homebound, and individuals experiencing transportation or financial barriers.
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from programs and events. If transportation is a challenge, we encourage participants to consider asking a family member, friend, neighbor, caregiver, faith organization, or local community organization for transportation or ride support when available.
Transportation access is an important part of food security and community participation. As DFOWW grows, we hope to identify resources and partnerships that can help address transportation barriers. Thank you for understanding and for helping us make the most of the resources available to the program.
ABOUT DFOWW INCORPORATED
DFOWW Incorporated, also known as Daphany’s Fabulous Objective Weekly Workshops, is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals and families with children throughout Georgia through education, nutrition assistance, wellness programming, and community-based services.
DFOWW is not a food bank. We are an education-based food security program. The Write-Right Nutrition Program provides nutrition literacy, grocery budgeting, gardening, wellness instruction, supplemental food assistance, and essential community support.
Our mission is to provide disproportionately disadvantaged and underserved communities, families, and children with greater equality and equity through nutrition, health and wellness, academic literacy, book writing and self-publishing, entrepreneurship, and self-sufficiency education.
Emergency food assistance can address an immediate need. Education can provide knowledge and skills that last longer. The Write-Right Nutrition Program combines both. Individuals and families deserve nutritious food, as well as opportunities to learn about nutrition, healthy living, gardening, budgeting, food sustainability, and practical food security.
We thank our donors, volunteers, partners, and participants. Our work is possible because people invest in the mission. We cannot do it without you.
CONTACT US
Phone: (678) 977-9703 | Email: info@dfoww.org | Website: https://dfoww.org/
We are grateful to the donors, volunteers, partners, and participants who continue to support DFOWW Incorporated and strengthen Georgia communities. Together, we can support healthier families, create educational opportunities, and build stronger and more resilient communities through education, partnerships, and service.
Education + Nutrition = Empowerment.
© 2026 DFOWW Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.