Charity Chicks Barbados (CCB), registered charity no. 845, is in its second year of Food4Change: Restaurant Month, which will run for the entire month of March 2018 at participating restaurants across Barbados. The Caribbean Development Bank reports that almost 20% of the Barbadian population live below the poverty line which is BB$7,861 for the year, or $655 or less per month. Given the current economic state, many families living in poverty cannot afford nutritious food.
At fine dining restaurants a voluntary $2 will be added to a table's bill, andatfast casual restaurants, donation boxes will be stationed at cash points to collect spare change. The money will be used to purchase healthy, nutritious and as much as possible, local foods for those in need, including seniors living on a fixed income, the ill, the disabled, families within the welfare system and other vulnerable people who have limited access to nutritious foods. Food4Change takes a holistic approach, to helping the hungry by sourcing healthy and local foods as much as possible to support local businesses and local farmers, in addition to supporting the participating local restaurants. 85 cents per $1.00 will be used to purchase food, with the remaining 15 cents ensuring that CCB can continue our work to grow this initiative.
Last year volunteers packed and delivered food boxes that fed 60+ people per month, more than 2000 meals in total, and our programme year is still going (ends March 2018). This year we intend to expand our reach of families and volunteers involved in the initiative.
Their website www.food4changebb.com has a directory of the participating restaurants, and information can also be found on Facebook and Instagram Charity Chicks Barbados. There are currently more than 30 participating restaurants and with more being added each day.
Restaurant Month's main sponsor, Blades and Williams Hotel and Restaurant Supplies, will give $1500 in restaurant equipment or supplies to the fine dining restaurant collecting the most donations, and $500 of the same tothefast casual restaurant raising the most donations.
There isalsosomthing for the dining and donating public; each week donating patrons can win a dinner for 2 by liking our FB page or following us on Instagram (Charity Chicks Barbados) and posting a picture while donating at their restaurant of choice, with the hashtag #FeedingBarbadosTogether.