Keep Every Plate Full - theHumm April 2015

By — Karin Nakamura

This year Food Banks Canada has announced an exciting new national campaign to raise awareness about food security issues and to help fill the plates of every hungry Canadian this summer. Every Plate Full will run from May 2 to 8, and the Lanark County Food Bank is planning a number of events to help rally the residents of Beckwith, Carleton Place and Mississippi Mills to fill our warehouse and help feed our communities. With your help, we will distribute 25,524 meals this summer; 9,597 of these will be for children.

Our week will kick off with a Hike for Hunger on Saturday, May 2, at the Goodwood Marsh Nature Trail in Beckwith Township, behind the soccer arena and sports field at 1319 9th Line, just south of Carleton Place. Participants will be able to register and solicit sponsorships via an online fundraising platform. Come out as a family, with a group of friends, or as a team, to enjoy the sunshine, and take in the sounds and colours of spring; the Goodwood Trail is a new offering in Beckwith — what a perfect opportunity to check it out! Join us for registration between 1 and 2pm before embarking on your jaunt, and then stay for a BBQ afterwards!

And while we’re on the topic of lunch, many of your favourite restaurants will be partnering with us for the week — as they fill your plates, they will help fill ours. Look for feature items or specials that indicate a portion of the price will be donated directly to the food bank; donation jars will also be placed in many restaurant locations during this time.

A number of the schools will be holding spring food drives in response to our Every Plate Full call, and these donations will be collected during the week of May 4–8 in an effort to replenish our warehouse stocks. As well, we see this week as an opportunity for schools to encourage conversations around food security issues. They might also challenge students to respond to the caption “Every Plate Full” in a creative way. These personal responses could take many forms of expression, such as posters, collages, sculptures, pieces of music, poems, essays, or shared personal experiences. This is an opportunity for all of us to engage in the conversation, raise awareness, and help eliminate the stigma that coming to a food bank represents.

The week will wrap up with a Community Dinner at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 39 Bridge St. in Carleton Place, on Friday, May 8, 5–7pm. Board members and volunteers will prepare and serve a delicious, satisfying, affordable meal — one that could be made using the ingredients in our food hampers, challenging the idea that eating on a budget has to be boring or limited. Tickets will be available in advance and at the door. The cost is $15 per person, $10 for seniors, $7.50 for children ages 6–12, with kids up to age 5 eating for free; a vegetarian option will be available. Come join us as “the food bank feeds the community”.

Look for further details of our Every Plate Full events on our website lanarkcountyfoodbank.ca and Facebook page. Join us in whatever way you can, from May 2–8. Together we can fill plates and change the stats!

The Lanark County Food Bank provides emergency food assistance to more than 250 families every month. This represents approximately 700 people, 38% of whom are children. Our territory reaches from Franktown to White Lake, and from Ashton to Innisville. LCFB receives no government funding; we rely solely on the donations of individuals, businesses, and organizations.

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Keep Every Plate Full - theHumm April 2015