December 15, 2008

5th Annual Menu for Hope

Today marks the beginning of the 5th edition of Menu for Hope, a fundraising campaign created by Pim and championed by food bloggers all around the world. The funds raised will benefit the United Nations' World Food Programme and more specifically, their school feeding program in Lesotho, which provides breakfast and lunch to primary school children; we have chosen to support the same program as we did last year, for which -- hang on to your bonnet -- $91,188 were raised.

Times are tough and uncertain and worrisome, I'll give you that, but if anything, that should make us even more inclined to give what we can to those whose life prospects are incomparably more dire.

This fundraising works as a virtual raffle: every US$10 you donate will buy you a raffle ticket to win one of the prizes contributed by participating bloggers. The campaign ends on December 31, and the results of the raffle will be announced in January. We bloggers will then send our prizes to the winners, and all funds raised will go to the World Food Programme.

I am offering three prizes this year:

EU09 is a bundle of my two books (my cookbook, Chocolate & Zucchini, and my book on Paris restaurants and food shops, Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris), lovingly inscribed in your name, or that of the person of your choice. The code for this prize is EU09, so be sure to include this reference with your donation.

EU10 is a set of three lingerie cookie cutters, with which to make whimsical cookies in the shape of a bra, panty, and corset. (What better shapes for a bridal shower or Valentine's Day?) Those are handsome cookie cutters, too, made of copper, durable and well finished, each about 9cm/3.5" at their widest. This prize is identified by the code EU10; don't forget to include this reference with your donation. [The cookie cutters were kindly donated by Soyelle, a French company that specializes in lingerie accessories.]

EU11 is a set of six reusable shopping bags in assorted colors. They're the flip & tumble totes I wrote about last summer and love love love. Getting a set of six means you can keep a couple for yourself (good luck picking the colors you like best) and give the others away to friends and family, as an oh-so-subtle nudge for them to swear off plastic bags forever. This prize is identified by the code EU11; be sure to specify this code with your donation. [The bags were kindly donated by flip & tumble, the company that designs them.]

What now? Check Pim's blog for the Menu for Hope FAQ and the master list of prizes, visit our European host Sara for the list of prizes contributed by EU bloggers, and, if you deem our cause worthy, head over to the donation page! Thank you in advance for your generous participation.

Donation Instructions:
1. Choose a prize or several prizes from the master list.
2. Go to the donation site and make a donation.
3. Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU09, 1 ticket for EU10, and 2 tickets for EU11. Please write 2xEU01, 1xEU10, 2xEU11.
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 allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

And if you're a food blogger and would like to offer prizes of your own, it's not too late!

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