Few 'Crumbs From the Table' can help so much

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

The two-year-old charity Crumbs from the Table has 27 donation boxes in Nova Scotia restaurants and $1,500 donated. President Jean Harrison was in Kentville recently to share the good news.

Harrison gave a cheque for $500 to Rev. Randy Crozsman on behalf of the Canada Foodgrains Bank. Judy Jordan, customer service manager at Paddy’s Pub and Rosie’s Restaurants, was also on hand to launch her firm’s participation. Tempest and Front St. Café in Wolfville already take part. Pat Moore is the volunteer who collects the funds.

Harrison, who lives in Antigonish, said Crumbs From the Table probably came into being because of the horrific number of people, particularly children, who were and are dying every day from starvation and disease. “I always felt guilty on the rare occasions when I ate at a restaurant because we have so much and so many have nothing,” she said.

Harrison conceived of collection boxes in various restaurants “inviting patrons to share a portion of what they had just spent on a meal to help alleviate world starvation.”

Took a while to organize

It took a while to organize the new charity with a representational board in 2006. It includes Anglican Bishop Sue Moxley and Mark Gabrieau, who is a chef and owner of Gabrieau’s Bistro in Antigonish.

By July 2007 there were six boxes in place, she said. The group achieved charitable status last year. “In the meantime, we found two people willing to be collectors in Pictou County and we are gradually spreading. We are always looking for volunteer collectors who would approach restaurants and service boxes in different areas,” Harrison said.

If restaurant patrons donate a portion of what they spend on a meal to help alleviate world hunger, Harrison said, Crumbs from the Table can encourage water and sustainable development projects that help people to supply their own food and become independent. “We are also interested in micro-credit which gives small, interest-free loans for very poor people to start their own businesses. “We think the greatest need is probably in Africa. All the projects we work with will be set up and run by local people responding to local needs.”

WEBLINK:

http://www.crumbsfromthetable.com