Artists are a generous lot. We give with our hands and hearts. When we issued a Call to Artists for the 2009Cups of Kindess art show and sale to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, we received responses from many local, regional and national artists. Seventy nine artists donated over 140 pieces of art; the proceeds from the sale of these amazing pieces benefits the Foodbank.
We still have some wonderful pieces, one of which, a vessel by Larry McCardel, is pictured above. We are holding a silent auction at Elements Gallery and at the Peninsula Art Academy for these pieces, which will end on April 17. Larry’s piece, which is hand turned curly narra wood measures 3″ x 3.5″. It is a beautiful piece. You have the opportunity to add this piece to your collection and to help the Foodbank. Each dollar that is raised purchases $7 worth of food and grocery items. To bid on this item, leave me a comment or email me : from skilled hands AT gmail DOT com. Take a look at the other items on the Cups of Kindness site, and make a bid.
The Village of Peninsula, Ohio, is home to several beautiful churches and chapels. Here is a look at the steeples of Peninsula:
Members of the Peninsula United Methodist Church worked long and hard to raise the money to restore the steeple of the historic church. Here is what it looked like prior to the restoration:
The steeple was removed for restoration:
Check back for a look at the beautifully restored steeple.
If you are so inclined, please consider visiting the Cups of Kindness website for holiday gifts. The Foodbank is able to purchase $7 worth of food and grocery items with every dollar raised. We the People can make a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors.
One. Cup. At. A. Time.
**************
Visit My Town Monday for a look at places near and far. Join us! And share cool things about your neck of the woods
As always feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.
Hunger does not discriminate; it affects people without regard to background or social status. In our land of plenty, people are hungry every day; they have to decide between paying rent or eating, between medication or food, between staying warm and buying groceries. Of this I am certain: having enough to eat is a right rather than a privilege.
The Foodbank uses its resources well: each dollar that is donated purchases $7 worth of food and grocery products to those in need. Meals that provide sustenance to people who are already stressed. No questions asked. When I recently toured the facility, I was amazed by the quantity of food that was ready to distribute to agencies large and small. The facility was immaculate; the people, both volunteers and paid staff, passionate about their purpose.
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is located in Akron, Ohio. It serves 8 Ohio counties: Carroll, Holmes, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas and Wayne. It distributes food to more than 400 member agencies that provide food pantries, hot meal sites, shelters and other emergency hunger-relief programs.
The statistics are mind boggling:
the Foodbank serves over 163,000 people annually.
*1 out of every 3 are children under age 18
*1 out of every 10 is a senior citizen
*One in eight Ohioans lives in poverty
*Ohio ranks third in childhood food insecurity for children under 5 — hungry or at risk for hunger
*One in eight Ohioans use the Food Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps)
*Every $1 donated to the Foodbank provides $7 worth of food and grocery products for people in need.
*There has been a 23% increase for food requests for food at food pantries over the requests in 2008.
*In 2008, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank distributed 16 million pounds of food.
*In 2009, the Foodbank is on pace to distribute 17.5 million pounds of food.
We are reaching out to others by giving hope. There is, I think, joy and intrinsic satisfaction in helping people who will never know who we are. As members of a world community, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to share our resources and to preserve dignity.
Local, national and regional artists — over 70, have raised a cup of kindness by donating over 125 pieces of artwork; the proceeds from the sale of the work will benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
If you are in our neck of the woods on Saturday, December 5, from 10-2, join us for light refreshments at our opening reception. The show will run until January 10, 2010.
Take a look at our website to see some of the beautiful pieces of art that have been donated. Items will be available for purchase online on the evening of Sunday, December 6.
We the People have proved the Power. Of. One. — over and over again. We have shown that we can, with our hands and hearts, help our friends and neighbors in a time of need. As Margaret Mead said, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
If you want to know what the face of hunger looks like, take a look in the mirror. Folks like you and me are hungry tonight. Some are hungry all the time.
If you want to see the face of those who can help, take a look in the mirror. Over at A Knitting Nurse , Rudee has done just that. Rudee spins and knits amazing things. The colors she chooses are rich and vibrant; they emanate from within. Rudee has made a Fair Isle Hat, which she says, “should fit a head size of 22 inches–or 21 inches with big hair. It won’t stretch bigger because fair isle doesn’t have a lot of give. The colors are brown, yellow, cranberry and a hint of purple. The fiber is Blue Sky Alpaca and it’s softer than a babe’s behind.”
If you’d like to see how you can own this one of a kind hat, visit my friend Rudee. You’ll have the opportunity to own a hat that came from Rudee’s heart through her hands, and you will be able to look in the mirror and see the face of one of the people who has helped the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank help folks like us. One. Cup. At. A. Time.
I ask your indulgence as I revisit my words of last October. They seem appropriate this day:
Hunger does not discriminate; it affects people without regard to background or social status. In our land of plenty, people are hungry every day; they have to decide between paying rent or eating, between medication or food, between staying warm and buying groceries. Of this I am certain: having enough to eat is a right rather than a privilege.
The mission of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is simple: Ending Hunger.
The Foodbank uses its resources well: each dollar that is donated purchases 7 nutritious meals. Meals that provide sustenance to people who are already stressed. No questions asked. When I recently toured the facility, I was amazed by the quantity of food that was ready to distribute to agencies large and small. The facility was immaculate; the people, both volunteers and paid staff, passionate about their purpose.
We are reaching out to others by giving hope. There is, I think, joy and intrinsic satisfaction in helping people who will never know who we are. As members of a world community, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to share our resources and to preserve dignity.
Cups of Kindness is a show and sale of one-of-a-kind craft and art which have been graciously donated by artists from around the country. Many hearts and hands have joined together to support our friends and neighbors in a time of need. It is held in the heart of the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley, at Elements Gallery and the Peninsula Art Academy in Peninsula, Ohio.
Through the generosity of so many people, we have been able to donate enough money to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to purchase over 21,000 meals. Seventy-six artists donated over 150 pieces of artwork; all proceeds from the sale of the art benefits the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
Your purchases will provide food for the growing number of hungry people in our community. With each dollar we raise, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is able to purchase 7 nutritious meals.
If you are able, please donate to your local Foodbank. The need continues to grow. The 2009 Cups of Kindness benefit will premiere on December 5. Please check the Cups of Kindness website for updates. Thank you for your continued support.
A little over a year ago, we shared a table at a swim team function with a woman who is on the Board of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank . We started to talk, and I shared my vision of Cups of Kindness, an art show and sale which would benefit the Foodbank. I thought of the words from from that old song, “we take a cup o’kindness yet for Auld Lang Syne.” We decided to, in the words of my English mother-in-law, give it a go.
Seventy -six artists donated over 150 pieces of artwork. The logo, website design and hosting, and photography was donated. Bloggers from near and far wrote about the project. Artwork began arriving from local and national artists. An author donated 2 signed copies of her book. The website went live.
The website is back up and running, with a new look for Spring and with some new pieces. Please take a look. And stay tuned for updates about Cups of Kindness, 2009.
Cups of Kindness is truly a testament to the Power of One. It is what we the people can do for each other. We the people who reach out to our friends and neighbors who are in need. We the people, anonymous all, who, when we help our community, help ourselves. We who are one.
To date, we the people have raised enough money to purchase 22,022.07 meals. That’s not half bad.
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