The Guelph Food Bank is launching a pair of activities this month as part of Food Bank Canada’s #EveryPlateFull campaign.
Throughout May a colouring contest for kids will be held to raise awareness for the campaign. The image to be coloured is of an empty plate, with the question “What would you fill your plate with?”
Non-perishable food or cash donations are welcomed from participants, but there is no entry fee, said Pauline Cripps, Guelph Food Bank’s marketing and communications coordinator.
The contest is open to children 12 and under, and will be judged by Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie near the end of the month. The winner will receive a prize package valued at $50.00 from Mastermind Toys of Guelph.
“The colouring pages can be picked up in person at the Guelph Food Bank or downloaded and printed from our website,” Cripps said in an email. “They can be dropped off to us directly at the Guelph Food Bank. At the time of the submission a non-perishable food or cash donation is welcome, but not mandatory.”
Find the colouring image here.
Later in the month, Play With Clay will bring its mobile play studio — a converted school bus — to the food bank’s 100 Crimea Street location.
“We are really excited about this,” Cripps said. “They are going to set up in the parking lot and people will be able to decorate plates as they would at Play With Clay, but in the bus instead.”
Play With Clay is located in St. George’s Square in the heart of the downtown, at 42 Wyndham St. N.
The bus will be at the food bank on May 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost to participate is $10 to decorate and keep a plate, with $2 going towards the #EveryPlateFull campaign.
“We did a colouring contest a number of years ago that we found to be successful, but this is the first time that we have done it for this particular campaign,” Cripps added. “With Play With Clay being on site, we especially like the idea that it has the potential to bring people to us to see just what it is we do. They will have the opportunity to walk through our warehouse and see where we operate on a daily basis.”
Money and food raised through the two activities will help ensure that the food bank’s shelves are well-stocked during the summer months.
This is the second year of the #EveryPlateFull campaign, a national effort to address the major summer meal gap that Canadians living with food insecurity face. Food bank donations are at their lowest levels between June and August. That gap represents a shortfall of over 26 million meals. Upwards of 120 food bank organizations across Canada are participating.
The Guelph Food Bank encourages local residents to spread the word about the campaign on social media using @GuelphFoodBank and #EveryPlateFull. A campaign page can be started at www.everyplatefull.ca to encourage donations from friends, family and peers. Or make a monetary donation to Guelph Food Bank.
Every dollar donated represents the equivalent of three meals to those in need.
