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In HelloNation, Pizza Experts Kelly and Brian Glynn Explain How Pizza Nights Build Stronger Communities

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The article examines how pizza fundraisers help local groups raise money while creating lasting community connections.

COLUMBIA, S.C., June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — How do pizza fundraisers help local communities? According to a HelloNation article featuring Pizza Experts Kelly and Brian Glynn of Village Idiot Pizza in Columbia, SC, pizza nights can bring neighbors together while supporting important local causes. The feature explains how simple community events centered around pizza help raise money, strengthen relationships, and create lasting connections that reach beyond the dinner table.

The HelloNation article begins by noting that pizza has always been more than food. It represents comfort, connection, and community. Across small towns and growing suburbs, pizzerias have learned to turn their ovens into tools for good. Fundraiser nights, school gatherings, and neighborhood events often start with something as simple as a shared meal but result in meaningful change for everyone involved.

Kelly and Brian Glynn explain that pizza fundraisers succeed because they benefit everyone. Local restaurants donate a portion of each sale, while schools, sports teams, and charities promote the event. Families come together, neighbors reconnect, and funds go toward local needs. The Glynns believe this simple structure shows that generosity can be both easy and enjoyable.

For the Glynns, these fundraisers represent the best part of community business ownership. During these events, their dining room fills with laughter, conversation, and purpose. They meet new faces, reconnect with regulars, and see firsthand how food can unite people. Every pizza served helps create a positive impact that extends well beyond the restaurant’s walls.

Planning a pizza fundraiser starts with teamwork. Community groups reach out to local pizzerias, explain their goals, and set a date that works for both sides. Weeknights often make the best choice because restaurants are less crowded and families have more flexibility to participate. The organization handles promotion through flyers and social media, while the restaurant focuses on preparation and service. Together, they create a welcoming event that supports both the cause and the community.

The HelloNation feature notes that part of the success of pizza nights comes from their simplicity. There are no tickets to sell or complicated plans to arrange, only shared food and shared purpose. Pizza appeals to nearly everyone, so turnout is often strong. Families bring children, students stop in after class, and even those unable to attend in person participate by ordering takeout. Each order contributes to a greater goal, proving that small actions can add up to real results.

Beyond the fundraising totals, these events build the kind of community spirit that lasts. Sharing a meal allows people to connect on a personal level. Parents meet teachers, neighbors make new friends, and volunteers see how their efforts make a difference. Kelly and Brian Glynn say this sense of connection is what makes pizza events special. The atmosphere feels more like a celebration than a business transaction.

Local businesses also benefit in ways that go beyond revenue. When a pizzeria supports a school or local charity, it becomes part of the community’s story. Residents remember the gesture and return with loyalty. The Glynns believe this ongoing exchange of goodwill strengthens both the business and the neighborhood, creating a cycle of support that benefits everyone.

The HelloNation article also highlights why weekday pizza fundraisers are effective. Hosting these events on slower nights gives restaurants time to focus on service while giving families an easy way to participate. Clear communication helps, too. When people understand where their money is going and how it will be used, engagement grows. Whether the funds help a youth sports team, a school project, or a local initiative, participants enjoy knowing that their meal makes a difference.

Volunteers play an important role in each fundraiser. Students can distribute flyers, parents can organize details, and local organizations can help coordinate turnout. These small efforts quickly add up, turning a single night into hundreds of dollars raised for community programs. When repeated a few times each year, pizza nights can help fund efforts that might otherwise go unsupported.

Kelly and Brian Glynn also point out that in-person pizza events remind people of the value of gathering face-to-face. In a digital age filled with online donations, these nights bring real connection back into giving. Sitting together to share a meal adds warmth and personality to community support. Pizza has a way of breaking barriers and inviting conversation, which is why these fundraisers remain popular year after year.

The HelloNation feature concludes that every town has its favorite pizza place, and those restaurants often become more than just places to eat. They are gathering spots where people celebrate, support, and connect. At Village Idiot Pizza, Kelly and Brian Glynn see that sense of togetherness every time their doors open for a fundraiser. To them, pizza is more than comfort food. It is a symbol of generosity and shared pride that helps build stronger towns one slice at a time.

Community over Commerce: How Pizza Nights and Local Fundraisers Build Stronger Towns features insights from Kelly and Brian Glynn, Pizza Experts of Columbia, SC, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation
HelloNation is America’s Good News Network, a premier media platform built on the idea that good news travels faster when real people tell real stories. Through its community-focused publications and innovative “edvertising” approach, HelloNation delivers content that informs, inspires, and spotlights the leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

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NexusTek Announces Construction Industry Solutions to Address Growing IT and Cybersecurity Challenges

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June 12, 2026

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DENVER, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NexusTek, a leading provider of AI, infrastructure, and security solutions, today announced a focused set of construction industry solutions designed to help firms address rising IT complexity, cybersecurity exposure, and operational demands across job sites, offices, and remote teams.

As construction firms navigate expanding cloud and BIM environments, mobile field operations, AI-enabled workflows, and rising cyber risk across distributed teams, NexusTek has aligned its services to support heavy and civil contractors, general contractors, construction managers, and specialty trades.

“Construction firms need technology that supports the pace and pressure of their industry,” said Hamilton Yu, Chief Executive Officer at NexusTek. “Our new offerings reflect where we are helping construction customers keep systems available, reduce disruption, strengthen security posture, and build a scalable technology foundation that supports long-term growth.”

NexusTek construction solutions span four core areas:

Cloud services deliver secure, reliable system access across field, office, and remote locations through private cloud, hybrid cloud, and virtual desktop solutions that improve availability and reduce infrastructure risk.Cybersecurity and compliance services reduce ransomware, payment fraud, and third-party access risk through layered protection and documented controls aligned to CMMC and NIST requirements for federal and regulated work.IT operations services replace reactive support with a stable, fully managed operating model. 24/7 service desk, onsite engineering, infrastructure monitoring, disaster recovery, co-managed IT, and vCIO guidance keep systems reliable and aligned to growth.Data and AI services help firms turn operational data into measurable advantage. NexusTek assesses AI readiness, deploys AI in a governed environment, and builds analytics capabilities that improve reporting, forecasting, and decision-making.

All construction engagements run on NexusOps, NexusTek’s service delivery platform, with NexusIQ providing AI-driven triage, routing, and communications—delivering 97% triage accuracy, 90% faster root cause identification, and 78% faster status updates.

Recent construction outcomes enabled by NexusTek include:

National commercial roofing company (800+ employees): Migrated to NexusTek Private Cloud, rebuilt core infrastructure, and achieved 99.9% uptime.Commercial electrical contractor (200+ employees): Transitioned from break-fix to a fully managed IT model with disaster recovery, endpoint protection, onsite engineering, and strategic IT guidance.

For more information about NexusTek solutions for the construction industry, visit https://www.nexustek.com/construction

About NexusTek

Trusted by thousands of businesses, NexusTek specializes in providing IT services that include hybrid cloud, cybersecurity, data and AI, managed IT services, and IT consulting. Our comprehensive offerings afford tailored solutions that drive performance, enhance security, and foster growth. We leverage the latest technologies and strategic partnerships to deliver proactive, innovative solutions that address customer business challenges and support long-term success.

NexusTek Media Contact

Pavle Majerle
Director, Marketing
NexusTek
info@nexustek.com

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Mooney Farms’ Bella Sun Luci Salad Vinaigrette Line Named 2026 “Salad Dressing Product of the Year” By The Mindful Awards

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June 12, 2026

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Annual Awards Program Recognizes Top Mindful Companies, Services and Products Within the Packaged Goods Industry

LOS ANGELES, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 Mindful Awards Program, an independent recognition platform highlighting conscious companies and products that mindfully make waves in the ever-expanding world of consumer-packaged goods, today announced that Bella San Luci from Mooney Farms, a certified woman-owned family farm based in Chico, California, has been awarded “Salad Dressing Product of the Year” in the 8th annual awards program.

Bella Sun Luci Salad Vinaigrette line offers a health-conscious alternative to seed oils and preservatives. Made with 100% olive oil and all-natural, premium ingredients, the dressings are also free from artificial additives. Mooney Farm’s olive oil is sourced from the family estate, ensuring that each vinaigrette delivers a rich, unique flavor along with the oil’s natural health benefits. The California Olive Oil is cold-pressed from Arbequina olives and paired with premium De Nigris Italian balsamic vinegar, raw wildflower honey, and sun-dried tomatoes. The company oversees every aspect of the production process, from sourcing premium ingredients to packaging in its facility, to ensure quality and sustainability.

Bella San Luci’s Salad Dressing line features five varieties. The classic Balsamic Vinaigrette is crafted using 25-year barrel-aged balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, along with lemon and raw honey. The California Vinaigrette is made with locally sourced honey and sweet oranges, along with a blend of rich vinegar, fresh herbs and spices. The Sonoma Vinaigrette features garlic and a mixture of Italian herbs and is infused with sun-dried tomatoes. Additionally, the Champagne Vinaigrette, handcrafted in small batches, combines California champagne vinegar balanced by herbs. The Meyers Lemon Vinaigrette with Basil and Wildflower Honey is produced with Meyer lemons picked at their peak, along with notes of basil and honey.

“For over 38 years, Bella Sun Luci has been known for premium, health-conscious products. We are proud to offer consumers an option that enhances both the flavor of their meals and their overall wellness. With each bottle, we are not just selling a product but inspiring a healthier, more flavorful way of eating,” said Mary Mooney, Founder of Mooney Farms. “Thank you to the Mindful Awards for this wonderful accolade that underlies our commitment to using premium ingredients, prioritizing transparency and integrity in ingredient sourcing, and taking a stand against the widespread use of seed oils and preservatives in the food industry.”

As a certified woman-owned company rooted in family values, Bella Sun Luci is committed to sustainability and mindful food production. The company practices sustainable farming, minimizes waste, and maximizes efficiency.

The mission of the Mindful Awards is to bring awareness to the benefits of mindfulness and its impact on society as a whole, to create a more compassionate and sustainable world. The 2026 awards program honors conscious consumer packaged goods (CPGs) companies, products, and services that are setting a new standard in the CPG industry, recognizing the very best in transparent, fair, natural, organic, sustainable, healthy and delicious categories. This year’s program attracted thousands of nominations from all over the world from companies whose innovations enhance daily living, promote sustainability, and improve quality of life.

“Bella San Luci sets a new standard in the salad dressing industry while delivering authentic Italian flavor. Many popular dressings rely on inflammatory seed and canola oils, MSG, and artificial preservatives. Along with industrial processing, these factors can increase inflammation and lead to other health issues,” said Travis Grant, Managing Director, Mindful Awards. “Mooney Farms and Bella Sun Luci are making mindful waves by blending tradition, innovation, and sustainability into their products. Their line of Salad Vinaigrette represents a shift in the salad dressing category. For integrating high-quality, carefully sourced ingredients along with a rich, unique flavor, we’re awarding Bella San Luci with ‘Salad Dressing Product of the Year.'”

While the demand for CPGs remains consistent, consumer preferences evolve and change as they rely more heavily on third-party validation when making new purchasing decisions. The 2026 Mindful Awards winners range from groundbreaking food and beverage products to sustainable household solutions, redefining consumer experiences worldwide.

About Mindful Awards
The Mindful Awards organization is devoted to honoring mindful companies in the consumer-packaged goods industry that are setting the foundation for our future. Mindful Awards are devoted to providing a forum for public recognition around the achievements in categories Food, Beverage, Snacks, Supplements, Home, and Personal Care. Our mission is to bring awareness to the benefits of mindfulness and its impact on society as a whole. We believe that through mindfulness, we can create a more compassionate and sustainable world. www.mindfulawards.com

About Mooney Farms & Bella Sun Luci
Founded in 1986, Mooney Farms is a third-generation, certified woman-owned, family company rooted in quality, integrity and family values that has grown to be the premier producer of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil in the United States. Based in Chico, California, Mooney Farms has a 100,000 square foot facility and 200-year-old olive trees planted among rows of lavender and rosemary, which reflects the family’s rich history of the Mediterranean. Its flagship product line, Bella Sun Luci, features premium California-grown and Mediterranean-inspired foods created from authentic family recipes. The Bella Sun Luci line is best known for Sun Dried Tomatoes and Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil—with a distinctively fresh and sweet flavor from being dried under the California sun, they add genuine Mediterranean flavor to homemade appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and more. The Bella Sun Luci line also includes new 100% olive-oil Salad Dressings, deliciously sweet Plant-Based Tomato Jerky, Pasta Sauces, Bruschetta Spreads, Bottled Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Risotto and Marinades. Visit BellaSunLuci.com to learn more and follow on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Media Contact:
pr@mooneyfarms.com 

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Lorien AI Launches Integration with MeridianLink Mortgage to Power the Future of In-Workflow AI for Lenders

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52 minutes ago

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June 12, 2026

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Lorien AI brings conversational AI, document automation, and underwriting support into MeridianLink Mortgage for modern lending teams.

MIAMI, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Lorien AI, a provider of agentic AI for mortgage lenders, announced that its platform will be integrated with MeridianLink® Mortgage. The native integration allows mortgage lenders to seamlessly deploy Lorien’s advanced conversational AI layer directly within their MeridianLink Mortgage Loan Origination System (LOS), dramatically accelerating loan velocity and driving operational efficiency.

“We are giving lenders a highly customizable, scalable solution to eliminate operational friction and dramatically reduce turn-times.”

Lorien AI is focused on building the future of mortgage lending. By embedding Lorien AI directly into the MeridianLink Mortgage workflow, teams no longer have to step away from their active sessions to wait on manual help desks or email queues for scenario questions or policy clarifications. Instead, Lorien acts as an always-on assistant, parsing complex loan documentation, verifying data entries against the Loan Origination System (LOS), and providing instant, natural-language guidance on lending policies, underwriting guidelines, and interdepartment communications.

Unlike standard AI applications built on public models like ChatGPT, Lorien AI operates data automation on its own isolated, proprietary Large Language Models (LLMs). This enterprise-grade architecture guarantees absolute data privacy and strict regulatory compliance, ensuring that a lender’s proprietary data, loan-scenario logic, and internal policies are completely ring-fenced and never used to train public algorithms. Users can also use commercialized models for tasks that don’t require the highest level of security.

MeridianLink® powers digital lending and account opening for financial institutions and provides data verification solutions for consumer reporting agencies. MeridianLink’s innovative, cloud-based platforms help customers build deeper relationships with consumers through data-driven, personalized experiences across the entire lending life cycle. MeridianLink’s Partner Marketplace supports hundreds of integrations for tailored innovation.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with an industry leader like MeridianLink,” said Marcus Arkan, CEO and founder of Lorien AI. “Our mission is to bring legacy operators into the AI-enabled future of mortgage lending. By embedding Lorien’s intelligence directly into the MeridianLink ecosystem, we are giving lenders a highly customizable, scalable solution to elevate the partner experience, eliminate operational friction, and dramatically reduce turn-times without a proportional increase in headcount.”

About Lorien AI

Lorien AI is an advanced AI-powered platform designed to streamline and automate the manual complexities of the mortgage lending process. For more information, visit www.uselorien.com.

Media Contact

Sarah Talaga, Lorien, 1 7868282833, sarah@uselorien.com, https://uselorien.com 

James Lowen, Lorien, james@uselorien.com, https://uselorien.com

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