The “feed KIDS” Initiative to Help End Child Hunger in Maine
The Maine Brew Bus joins other Maine businesses in a new cause marketing initiative benefitting the work of Full Plates Full Potential – a Maine based non-profit organization whose mission is to end child hunger in all sixteen counties.
Just one month after first introducing the concept, two dozen businesses in the Greater Portland area are already participating in their own feed KIDS promotions with more joining every day. The feed KIDS program’s founding partners include well-known names in Maine’s restaurant and lodging industry, but Full Plates Full Potential anticipates rolling out the initiative across all sectors of Maine business.
“We’re excited to officially introduce the feed KIDS program as we continue to bring the issue of child hunger to light,” says Full Plates Full Potential Co-founder John Woods. “Our cause marketing program is a natural evolution of our work and a meaningful new way for businesses to expand their social engagement by helping us to raise awareness about child hunger and funds to help end it.”
The Maine Brew Bus is joining the efforts by pledging to donate $1 from every new revenue-generating tour booking made starting no later than November 1, 2017. This initiative alone is expected to raise in excess of $2,000 in the first twelve months for the feed KIDS program.
During the tour booking process, we will also let our guests know the reason for our charitable donation, and encourage them to add a dollar (or more if they wish) to their booking as a donation match to also be passed on to Full Plates Full Potential.
In addition, we will adjust our confirmation, reminder, and post-tour communication to our guests to let them know about the issues and what Full Plates Full Potential is working on to end child hunger in Maine. We will also promote their efforts and events on social media channels and pledge to do whatever we can to increase awareness over these issues.
Businesses participating in the feed KIDS program have authority over where and how the funds they raise are dispersed. Full Plates Full Potential accepts applications from schools and non-profits for grants to help them implement best practices for connecting more kids with meals. feed KIDS partners select from those applications how they wish to grant funds they’ve raised at their business.
“One in five Maine children suffer with food insecurity,” Woods cited. “This is everyone’s issue and everyone has something to offer as we seek to end child hunger right here in our own state. We invite retailers, food producers, manufacturers, car dealers – all manner of consumer-forward businesses – to adopt feed KIDS as part of their social strategy.
The Full Plates Full Potential mission is to end child hunger in Maine where 55,000 kids struggle to access the reliable, nutritious meals they need to thrive. By removing barriers that keep these children from benefitting from the proven, effective, efficient nutrition programs for which they are eligible, Full Plates Full Potential connects Maine kids with existing nutrition programs and builds new ones when needed across the state.
They support proven initiatives like the school lunch program and seek to expand lesser accessed programs like breakfast and summer meals programs. This work is accomplished by through Full Plates Full Potential’s network comprised of nonprofits, private citizens, government officials, and business leaders who are called upon to include child hunger solutions an integral aspect of their strategy.
For more information about the feed KIDS cause marketing program, and how you or your business can get involved, please visit fullplates.org/feedkids or [email protected].