Menu for Hope 6

I am very excited to announce my participation in this year's Menu for Hope, an annual fundraising campaign hosted by Pim of Chez Pim and other food bloggers from around the world. Now on its sixth installment, Menu for Hope has raised nearly a quarter of million dollars in support of the good work of the UN World Food Programme, helping to feed hungry people worldwide.

This year, Menu For Hope is supporting a new initiative called Purchase for Progress (P4P). P4P enables smallholder and low-income farmers to supply food to WFP’s global operation. P4P helps farmers improves farming practices and puts more cash directly into their pockets in return for their crops. This will also help local economy by creating jobs and income locally.

How does it work?

Each December, food bloggers from all over the world join the campaign by offering a delectable array of food-related prizes for the Menu for Hope raffle. Anyone – and that means you too - can buy raffle tickets to bid on these prizes. For every $10 donated, you earn one virtual raffle ticket to bid on a prize of their choice. At the end of the two-week campaign, the raffle tickets are drawn and the results announced on Chez Pim. For every $10 donated, you earn one virtual raffle ticket to bid on a prize of your choice.

This year's the raffle will start on December 14th (TODAY) and end on December 25th.

 
How can I help?

Go to the any of the Menu for Hope bit item websites (below) and browse the amazing array of prizes. 

You can access the full list of worldwide raffle bid items to search by category, or if you already know what you want, you can go straight to the donation form.

OR You can browse the raffle items by region:

Europe (hosted by David Lebovitz)
Asia Pacific (hosted by Ed of Tomatom)
USA: East Coast (hosted by Helen of Tartelette)
USA: West Coast (hosted by Shauna of Gluten Free Girl)
Canada (hosted by Tara of Seven Spoons)

If you're a wine geek you might want to head directly to see Alder at Vinography for the wine related prizes.

My contribution to this year's bid items is a $50 gift card for Sucré (bid item code: UE14), a confectionery and gelateria located in the heart of New Orleans, LA!  Owner Joel Dondis very generously donated this gift card as his contribution to the Menu for Hope.  Featured in O magazine, Sucré is famous for its array of sweet treats including delicious French macarons, delectable chocolates, and scrumptious baked goods.  Everything Sucré creates is handcrafted in small batches from the finest ingredients available, often inspired from local, homegrown flavors. Make this holiday season the most delicious yet with the help of Sucré. Not from New Orleans? No problem!  Goodies can be ordered from the store and sent straight to your home. 

Buy a $10 raffle ticket to win a $50 gift card...sounds like a deal to me!!  Check out my Sucré review!

Shipping: No restrictions on shipment of prize.  Sucré currently ships within the continental U.S. only.

 
How do I bid on an item?

To Donate and Enter the Menu for Hope Raffle

1. Choose a bid item or bid items of your choice from our Menu for Hope main bid item list. You will find Sucré gift card bid item in the East Coast listing.  In order to buy a raffle ticket to win the Sucré gift card, you will need the prize code UE14.

2. Go to the donation site at Firstgiving and make a donation (a link is on the main bid item page).

3. Please specify which bid item you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per bid item, and please use the bid item code.  Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a bid item of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02 - 2xEU01, 3xEU02.

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Check back on Chez Pim on Monday, January 18  for the results of the raffle.

Even if you don't have much to share, don't count the Menu for Hope out just yet.  In the past three years, over 80% of donors gave less than $50, and in the same period Menu for Hope raised nearly $250K.  That's a lot of ten dollar bills from people just like you to make up nearly a quarter million!

If you don't want to indulge yourself with our delicious raffle bid items, consider donating $10 in your friend's or family's name, pick something they might like from our raffle.  Who knows, your $10 might get them the chef's Grand Tasting menu with wine pairing at the Michelin 2-star Manresa in Los Gatos!

 

Who handles the money?

The raffle is handled by an online fundraising company called First Giving. The bloggers never touch the money. The WFP don't waste overheads on processing mini-donations, the majority of which are between $10-$50, that's a whole lot of tenners to make up $90K.

Thank you!

Thank you in advance for your support!  Whether or not you chose to buy a raffle ticket, please pass along this information.  Lets make this year the best fundraiser yet! Help us help the WFP end world hunger.