Oxfam Hunger Banquet
I’m sorry I’ve yet again disappeared. I promise I will be back soon with more ‘what the heck do vegans eat?’ posts once things are a bit quieter around here.
One of the things that has been really taking up my time is working on a charity banquet, an Oxfam-style Hunger Banquet to be precise. Given that hunger is indeed a food-related topic, and given that the food served at the banquet will be as local and in season as possible, I thought I’d post something about that here.
That, and to be honest, I want to get the word out on this important event to help make it a success!
From our official media release:
Hunger Banquet to Benefit Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors without Borders, The Children’s Breakfast Clubs and Oxfam.
On Saturday, November 20, 2010, at 5:30 p.m., the Toronto Zen Centre hosts a Hunger Banquet to bring attention to the world-wide crisis of hunger.
Every day, 24,000 people die of hunger, three-fourths of them children under five. In our country, too, people suffer from hunger. Each month, more than 700,000 Canadians receive food from a food bank.
The Hunger Banquet is held at the Steelworkers Union Hall at 25 Cecil Street. To experience the realities of food and hunger, attendees are streamed by random draw into high, middle, or low income groups to reflect the inequalities of food distribution on our planet. Following a presentation by a guest speaker who will address issues of hunger caused by the recent flooding in Pakistan, everyone is served a full vegetarian dinner. Food has been generously donated by local organic farmers and food suppliers, and prepared by local chefs.
To attend the Hunger Banquet, please make a reservation by November 16th. Call the Toronto Zen Centre, at (416) 766-3400 or send an e-mail to: info@torontozen.org. Space is limited and reservations are required. The minimum contribution is $40 per person to be donated to hunger relief. Canned or boxed food items for an emergency food bank are welcomed. The Hunger Banquet is a volunteer driven initiative and all proceeds will go to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors without Borders, The Children’s Breakfast Clubs and Oxfam’s hunger relief campaign in Pakistan.
I also want to mention we will also be having a speaker from the Children’s Breakfast Clubs who will address the issue of childhood hunger in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
People who attended the banquet last year were very moved by the presentations and really felt it opened their eyes to the issue of world hunger. Many expressed appreciation for having been able to attend.
On a more personal note, you can also get tickets directly from me (and I’d be glad to tell you more about the event if you’re interested!). Just hit the ‘contact us’ tab for my email address, or use the contact form.
And as for the food that will be served? Well, I am friends with both of the chefs and I can promise you the food will be good… while neither of them currently owns or works at a restaurant, both have been cooking for many years and both currently work as caterers/personal chefs.
Please consider attending this special event, and I would be very grateful if you shared this post with family, coworkers and friends in the GTA.