Menu For Hope V

I'm feeling much better and wanted to get back into blogging on a positive note. A post about Menu For Hope seemed perfect. Menu For Hope was started by Pim of Chez Pim five years ago after the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia. The event has continued each year with many other foodbloggers joining in. Last year they raised $91k!! The recent beneficiary of Menu For Hope has been the UN's World Food Program. I really love the Purchase for Progress aspect that is now a part of this hunger relief program. A real effort is being made to not only help the hungry but the local economy and the farmers in the area. Money collected from Menu For Hope goes to the WFP's Lesotho school lunch program. Lesotho is a country severely affected by HIV and TB.

Though I hadn't started blogging last year I was an avid foodblog reader and found the raffle items then too tempting to resist. I don't have a raffle item of my own this year but instead present you with my favorite prizes from food blogs I read regularly.
Here are my picks: (Instructions on how to donate/get a raffle ticket follow)

Chez Pim #UE16: Gourmet Book Club's honorary membership for 2009 and #UW20 Pim's upcoming book The Foodie Handbook

Wild Yeast #UW04: $100 King Arthur Gift Certificate

Sticky, Gooey, Creamy Chewy #UE09: Cupcake Lalapalloza (lots of cupcake goodies!)

Diet, Dessert and Dogs #CA05: Martha Stewart Living Subscription

Smitten Kitchen #UE25 or #UE26: Each number is for a set of 3 RuMe reusable grocery bags

Life in Recipes #UE19: Fresh almond milk kit, 2 pottery mugs and chef Michael Symon’s personalized menu from Lola

Here's how to donate and get a raffle ticket:
1. Choose your desired prize or prizes and jot down the prize code(s).
2. Go to http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhope5 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 EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02. Please write 2xEU01, 3xEU02.
4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we can claim the corporate match.
5. Please allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you if you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone. They promise!

More Links:
More about Menu for Hope
Chez Pim's Master list of raffle prizes
Steamy Kitchen's East coast prize list