{"id":755,"date":"2008-12-14T14:17:24","date_gmt":"2008-12-14T14:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/?p=755"},"modified":"2008-12-28T16:05:21","modified_gmt":"2008-12-28T16:05:21","slug":"menu-for-hope-v-your-europe-regional-host","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2008\/12\/14\/menu-for-hope-v-your-europe-regional-host\/","title":{"rendered":"Menu for Hope V & Your Europe Regional Host"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"UPDATE: Menu for Hope has been extended until December 31st!<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m a big fan of the Menu for Hope<\/strong>, and I’ve participated the past<\/a> two<\/a> years by donating a prize, and this year I’m honored to be the host for Europe for Menu for Hope V<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Menu for Hope has gotten a bit of a late start this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t raise\u00a0 $100,000 like we did last year!<\/strong><\/a> This is my favorite fundraiser of the year, and I think it really shows the power of bloggers and readers alike really making a difference when it comes to fighting hunger. And this year, when many governments are cutting back spending on international aid programs, the World Food Programme needs our help more than ever.<\/p>\n

Read below for what you can do to donate a prize, spread the word about the fundraiser, or donate money to the Menu For Hope, and the World Food Programme! If you’re a blogger in Europe and want to donate a prize, read below about contacting me! Note that you don’t have to be a food blogger to participate and I’m willing to accept prizes after the initial launch (Monday the 15th)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Menu For Hope V Details<\/h2>\n

What is Menu for Hope?<\/strong><\/a>
\nWhen will this year\u2019s campaign take place?<\/strong><\/a>
\nWho is the beneficiary of this year\u2019s campaign?<\/strong><\/a>
\nWho collects the money?<\/strong><\/a>
\nHow can I help?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a blogger<\/em><\/a>
\n I\u2019m a restaurateur, author or food\/wine producer\/seller<\/em><\/a>
\n I\u2019m a food blog reader or a food lover<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n

What is Menu for Hope?<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

Menu for Hope is an annual fundraising campaign hosted by me and a revolving group of food bloggers around the world.\u00a0 Five years ago, the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia inspired me to find a way to help, and the very first Menu for Hope was born. The campaign has since become a yearly affair, raising funds to support worthy causes worldwide. In 2007, Menu for Hope raised nearly $100K to help the UN World Food Programme feed the hungry.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

When will this year\u2019s campaign take place?<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

December 15 through Christmas.<\/p>\n

Who is the beneficiary of this year\u2019s campaign?<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Once again we\u2019ve chosen to work with the UN World Food Programme.<\/a> WFP is the world\u2019s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good.<\/p>\n

With the success of last year\u2019s campaign to support the school lunch program in Lesotho, we are going to continue our support to the same program.\u00a0 During the duration of Menu for Hope V, we will be posting updates from the kids and the farmers we supported this past year.<\/p>\n

If you weren\u2019t around\u00a0 last year for Menu for Hope 4, let me explain a bit about why we are supporting this particular program.\u00a0 We chose to support the school lunch program because providing food for the children not only keeps them alive, but keeps them in school so that they learn the skills to feed themselves in the future. We chose to support the program in Lesotho because it is a model program in local procurement – buying food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. Instead of shipping surplus corn across the ocean, the WFP is buying directly from local subsistent farmers who practice conservation farming methods in Lesotho to feed the children there.<\/p>\n

Who collects the money?<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Certainly not me, nor is it the other bloggers participating on the campaign. We know our readers trust us, but we also want to be completely transparent in our fundraising. So, we use a very good online fundraising company called Firstgiving,<\/a> who has worked with us since the first Menu for Hope years ago.<\/p>\n

Donors can make an online donation with a credit card. Firstgiving collects and processes the payments and, at the end of the campaign, transfers the donations in one lump sum to the WFP. This is a win-win situation for all parties involved. The bloggers never touch the money. The WFP don\u2019t waste overheads on processing mini-donations, the majority of which were between $10-$50, that\u2019s a whole lot of tenners<\/em> to make up $90K.\u00a0 Firstgiving does all the work and collects a small fee, which include the credit card processing charges.<\/p>\n

Last year, Firstgiving gave back 1% of the total amount raised in lieu of a discount on their processing fee. Thank you Firstgiving, we appreciated it very much!<\/p>\n

Check back on Monday to get the link to the donation site.<\/p>\n

How can you help?<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you are a blogger:<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Participate in Menu for Hope V by hosting a raffle prize or by promoting Menu for Hope on your blog. The prize you offer need not be of high monetary value, but it should appeal to your readership. A small rule of thumb we\u2019d like to suggest is that each prize offered should have the potential to raise at least $200<\/strong>. That means, don\u2019t offer a prize unless you are pretty sure you could get at least twenty of your readers to donate $10 for a raffle ticket toward that prize.<\/p>\n

Please do not solicit prizes from restaurants or producers whom you do not know. A big part of our success in prior years came from the personal connections between bloggers, food producers\/restaurateurs\/authors, and the readers who donate to the campaign. Basically, if they know your name, it\u2019s ok. If you pick up the phone and introduce yourself and the person at the other end of the line goes \u201chuh?\u201d, you shouldn\u2019t be asking them.<\/p>\n

Each blogger is also responsible for shipping their prize to the winning donor.<\/strong> Make sure you have enough in your budget to cover shipping. It\u2019s important that you specify where your shipping area<\/strong> will cover when you offer the prize.\u00a0 Frankly, we prefer that you don\u2019t restrict shipping area, but if you must, then please be very clear in your blog post so as not to confuse our donors.<\/p>\n

Forward this post to all other bloggers you know so they can participate too.<\/p>\n

If you are a restaurateur, author or food producers\/sellers:<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Consider offering your products and services as raffle prizes. If you have a corportate blog, you can host the prize yourself. If you don\u2019t, find a food blogger to host your prize. If you don\u2019t know any, contact me, I\u2019ll see what I can do.<\/p>\n

Come see the stunning list of prizes from last year\u2019s Menu For Hope IV<\/a> to give you ideas for the type of prizes.
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

===<\/p>\n

Here are your local hosts for 2008 Menu for Hope<\/h2>\n

Europe *and* the UK : <\/strong>Sara of Ms.Adventures in Italy<\/a> (sara.rosso@gmail.com)<\/p>\n

US: West Coast<\/strong> (If you are closer to SF than you are to NY then you belong here.) : Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites<\/a> (matt.armendariz@gmail.com)<\/span><\/p>\n

US: East Coast : <\/strong>Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen<\/a> (jaden@steamykitchen.com)<\/span><\/p>\n

Canada : <\/strong>Meena Agarwal of Hooked on Heat<\/a> (meena@hookedonheat.com)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand : <\/strong>Ed Charles of Tomato<\/a> (edcharles@mac.com)<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n

and, last but not least, our special Wine Blog Host : <\/strong>Alder of Vinography<\/a> (alder@vinography.com)<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to participate, please send your prize information (plus two images 75\u00d775 thumbnail and 200\u00d7200px) to your local host so that they can give you a prize code (important!) and more instructions on what to do for Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are a food blog reader or a food lover:<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Go to Chez Pim<\/a> on Monday December 15 when the campaign goes online. You can browse our amazing array of prizes by type, or find a prize near you by searching by region. Bid on as many prizes as you\u2019d like. Buy raffle tickets as holiday gifts to your loved ones. Just come back and check us out on December 15.<\/p>\n

Help us help the WFP end world hunger.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UPDATE: Menu for Hope has been extended until December 31st! I’m a big fan of the Menu for Hope, and I’ve participated the past two years by donating a prize, and this year I’m honored to be the host for Europe for Menu for Hope V. Menu for Hope has gotten a bit of a…<\/p>\n

Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[105,63],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-755","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog-event","7":"category-menu-for-hope","8":"entry","9":"has-post-thumbnail"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4uB1-cb","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":920,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2008\/12\/29\/menu-for-hope-extended-until-december-31st\/","url_meta":{"origin":755,"position":0},"title":"Menu for Hope Extended until December 31st!","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"December 29, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Menu for Hope has been extended until December 31st! Even if you read elsewhere the 24th, it is definitely continuing until the 31st, and you can see that it's still going by the FirstGiving donation page which is still accepting donations! We're currently at $46,000, which is about half of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Event"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Event","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/blog-event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":892,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2008\/12\/21\/give-the-gift-of-a-menu-for-hope\/","url_meta":{"origin":755,"position":1},"title":"Give the Gift of A Menu For Hope","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"December 21, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE: Menu for Hope has been extended until December 31st! There are only a few days left until December 25th arrives. If you're still scrambling around to find presents, why not consider giving gifts that give back? We know that not everyone is a blogger, and not everyone is online\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Event"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Event","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/blog-event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"mfhv","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/mfhv-231x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":975,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2009\/01\/16\/menu-for-hope-europe-raffle-prize-winners\/","url_meta":{"origin":755,"position":2},"title":"Menu for Hope Europe Raffle Prize Winners","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"January 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"ChezPim posted the Menu for Hope Raffle Prize Winners yesterday! Below is a list of the winners for the Europe prizes. We raised over $60,000! Congratulations to everyone, prize donors and ticket buyers who made this a successful event! If you are one of the very lucky winners, please contact\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Event"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Event","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/blog-event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":432,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2007\/12\/10\/menu-for-hope-4-artigianale-basket\/","url_meta":{"origin":755,"position":3},"title":"Menu for Hope IV: Artigianale Basket – A Taste of Italy!","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"December 10, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"So, it has begun! Today is the first day of the Menu for Hope 4! For the next 10 days, I'll be talking to you about my prize, highlighting others' prizes and of course, talking about great food! Note: Thanks to everyone who commented on the Dolce Italiano contest -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Event"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Event","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/blog-event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2189,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2009\/12\/22\/give-the-gift-of-a-menu-for-hope-with-gift-card-inserts\/","url_meta":{"origin":755,"position":4},"title":"Give the Gift of a Menu for Hope with Gift Card Inserts","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"December 22, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"There are only a few days left until December 25th arrives and a few more days that you can donate to a Menu for Hope. If you\u2019re still scrambling around to find presents, why not consider giving gifts that give back? We know that not everyone is a blogger, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Event"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Event","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/blog-event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/12\/6a00d83451bc0669e20120a6f090c2970b-800wi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2156,"url":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2009\/12\/12\/made-in-italy-chocolate-basket-mega-mix-of-moleskine-my-menu-for-hope-vi-bid-items\/","url_meta":{"origin":755,"position":5},"title":"Made in Italy Chocolate Basket & Mega Mix of Moleskine : My Menu for Hope VI Bid Items","author":"Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy","date":"December 12, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year after being the Europe host for Menu for Hope bid items, I really gained an appreciation for how much work it takes to pull off something of such a global proportion. I'm so happy to take part again and offer you some great bid items! What is Menu\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Event"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Event","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/category\/blog-event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/12\/mfh6.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=755"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":765,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755\/revisions\/765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}