The Rice Raiser is a youth mobilized community event designed to raise awareness about hunger and to feed people locally and globally at the same time.
Here’s how it works
We provide information about global hunger and challenge individuals and groups to learn and then respond through creative action. Food is collected to feed the hungry locally and funds are raised to feed the hungry globally through projects in four different international countries. Information is provided on all four projects so that people can learn more about the needs and the disparity that exists in our world. But the greatest part of it all is, we are helping one another understand that we can all be instruments of change towards helping others. We have a social responsibility to those who do not have enough food to eat.
Through schools
As students learn about global hunger and the specific needs presented in the four global projects along with local needs to address hunger here at home, they commit to collecting packaged bags of rice and funds. The two go hand in hand. All the rice they collect will be distributed to local people in need through the food bank in their community. All the cash money they raise will be sent to developing nations through registered charities and will be used to purchase emergency food or things needed to produce food for the hungry.
Two ways you can respond:
- You donate packaged rice.
- You give a lump sum of money.
The choice is yours; to help feed people in our own community or internationally, in developing countries…or you can do both. However you decide to respond, you will be helping people receive their most basic need…food. Food is a basic human right so when you help someone who does not have sufficient food, you are practicing social justice.
Learn more by visiting the Rice Raiser Campaign Website: www.riceraiser.org
The Rice Raiser Pilot – 2005
The Rice Raiser ran a pilot program in 2005 in which students from MEI Secondary School participated. The results were: 3000 people in developing countries were provided food for one week from the funds that were raised and the local food bank was supplied with 842 kilograms of rice to feed those in need within the community. These great results showed that the Rice Raiser is a good and inclusive way for people to work together to combat global hunger.
The Annual Rice Raiser Campaign – 2006
The Rice Raiser 2006 Campaign runs from January 9 – 31. Everyone is welcome to participate but the focus this first year is on Abbotsford, BC and as it develops, the Rice Raiser will grow and multiply itself to other communities. Please let us know if you would like the Rice Raiser to come to your community next year.