In This Together
Donation protected
“In This Together” is a Victoria-area initiative to deliver meal kit packages to local organizations that are helping those families that have been hit the hardest during the COVID-19 crisis.
The kits will feature easy and economical comfort food meal kits along with a grocery store gift card to buy the ingredients for 16-20 individual meals (4-5 meals for a family of four). They will also include a tip book of ideas for coping during this stressful time and a bar of “In This Together” emergency chocolate and a “From Our Family To Yours” newsletter.
The first 50 kits provided for this initiative are being sponsored by “From Our Family To Yours” – one family that represents five local businesses that want to make a positive contribution to the community during a challenging time. The businesses include a mother/daughter team of two local Independent Epicure Consultants – Sierra Kehler and Karen Kehler, Elizabeth Trenholm of Epona’s Whisper (therapeutic donkeys), Jon Hopper of Westwind Environmental (environmental consulting) and Harriet Ross of Yoga & Healing (yoga therapy).
A GoFundMe campaign – “In This Together Meal Kits” – has been set up to raise funds to assemble additional kits and to attract potential sponsors for the grocery store gift cards and chocolate bars.
THE BACKSTORY (IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE LONG VERSION)
This is the story of a tiny house and four chocolate bars.
My tiny house lifestyle is what has allowed me to make a difference during this global crisis … by staying connected with friends and family, showing appreciation and doing what I can to help my community.
I have always loved my tiny house ... but have never been more grateful for it than in the last two weeks. In addition to giving me a safe place to self-isolate, it has made me realize that if I lost my job, my very low housing costs would make that significantly less stressful compared to so many others who are carrying high mortgage or rent payments.
And it has given me extra time and disposable income that have been put to good use during this crisis. I have been able to offer financial assistance to friends and family who lost their jobs this week. I have donated money to local organizations. And I have become a Faerie Chocolatier and am in the process of becoming a Caring Community ambassador (making and delivering meal kits).
It all started on a whim. My co-workers were going to be leaving the office to work from home during the period needed for self-isolation. I decided to bring in some emergency chocolate to lighten the mood. I used my digital scrapbooking program to make personalized labels for the bars. They were a simple gesture but a big hit!
This idea snowballed from there and led to:
· Buying more chocolate bars to do doorstep deliveries and mailed packages to family and friends of a personal letter and emergency chocolate.
· Wanting to show appreciation to local healthcare workers.
· A new #FirstLineHeroes label with a thank you message insert.
· My daughter and I making 175 bars (and printing another 150 virtual versions) that were delivered to our three local hospitals. Judging by this posting on a local Facebook page, I think they were appreciated!
· Other people asking if they could use my ideas.
· A simple website - www.chocolatebarwrapper.com - to share free printable and virtual versions of the emergency chocolate bar wrappers (in several variations).
· Joining forces with other entrepreneurs in my family to make and fundraise for Caring Community meal kits for local families hit the hardest by the COVID-19 crisis.
What I don’t yet know is how many families we will be able to impact with the Caring Community kits. It will be a minimum of 50 with hopes for many more.
What I do know, however, is that none of this would have been possible without my tiny house and my spur-of-the-moment decision to buy four little chocolate bars on my way to work.
I also know that my family is feeling blessed by the opportunity to make a small difference during a time of intense challenge and upheaval in our world!
The kits will feature easy and economical comfort food meal kits along with a grocery store gift card to buy the ingredients for 16-20 individual meals (4-5 meals for a family of four). They will also include a tip book of ideas for coping during this stressful time and a bar of “In This Together” emergency chocolate and a “From Our Family To Yours” newsletter.
The first 50 kits provided for this initiative are being sponsored by “From Our Family To Yours” – one family that represents five local businesses that want to make a positive contribution to the community during a challenging time. The businesses include a mother/daughter team of two local Independent Epicure Consultants – Sierra Kehler and Karen Kehler, Elizabeth Trenholm of Epona’s Whisper (therapeutic donkeys), Jon Hopper of Westwind Environmental (environmental consulting) and Harriet Ross of Yoga & Healing (yoga therapy).
A GoFundMe campaign – “In This Together Meal Kits” – has been set up to raise funds to assemble additional kits and to attract potential sponsors for the grocery store gift cards and chocolate bars.
THE BACKSTORY (IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE LONG VERSION)
This is the story of a tiny house and four chocolate bars.
My tiny house lifestyle is what has allowed me to make a difference during this global crisis … by staying connected with friends and family, showing appreciation and doing what I can to help my community.
I have always loved my tiny house ... but have never been more grateful for it than in the last two weeks. In addition to giving me a safe place to self-isolate, it has made me realize that if I lost my job, my very low housing costs would make that significantly less stressful compared to so many others who are carrying high mortgage or rent payments.
And it has given me extra time and disposable income that have been put to good use during this crisis. I have been able to offer financial assistance to friends and family who lost their jobs this week. I have donated money to local organizations. And I have become a Faerie Chocolatier and am in the process of becoming a Caring Community ambassador (making and delivering meal kits).
It all started on a whim. My co-workers were going to be leaving the office to work from home during the period needed for self-isolation. I decided to bring in some emergency chocolate to lighten the mood. I used my digital scrapbooking program to make personalized labels for the bars. They were a simple gesture but a big hit!
This idea snowballed from there and led to:
· Buying more chocolate bars to do doorstep deliveries and mailed packages to family and friends of a personal letter and emergency chocolate.
· Wanting to show appreciation to local healthcare workers.
· A new #FirstLineHeroes label with a thank you message insert.
· My daughter and I making 175 bars (and printing another 150 virtual versions) that were delivered to our three local hospitals. Judging by this posting on a local Facebook page, I think they were appreciated!
· Other people asking if they could use my ideas.
· A simple website - www.chocolatebarwrapper.com - to share free printable and virtual versions of the emergency chocolate bar wrappers (in several variations).
· Joining forces with other entrepreneurs in my family to make and fundraise for Caring Community meal kits for local families hit the hardest by the COVID-19 crisis.
What I don’t yet know is how many families we will be able to impact with the Caring Community kits. It will be a minimum of 50 with hopes for many more.
What I do know, however, is that none of this would have been possible without my tiny house and my spur-of-the-moment decision to buy four little chocolate bars on my way to work.
I also know that my family is feeling blessed by the opportunity to make a small difference during a time of intense challenge and upheaval in our world!
Organizer
Karen Kehler
Organizer
Victoria, BC
