<div><strong>Help us fight hunger on the South Shore of Nova Scotia!</strong>
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<div><em>Together with your help, we can shore up our community...one pillar at a time!</em>
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<div>Few of us worry about finding our next meal. Few of us feel the gnawing pain of hunger, or the fear of allowing our children to go hungry. <strong>If you knew you had neighbours in need, who couldn’t afford to feed themselves or their families because of the rising cost of goods, would you step in to help?</strong>
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<div>That’s what we’re here to facilitate: <a href="https://farmersmarketsnovascotia.ca/2024/05/28/nova-scotia-has-the-highest-food-insecurity-in-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nova Scotia is the most food insecure province</a> in the country and people all around us are going hungry. While we understand that hunger is a consequence of poverty, we also believe that our community has the resources and generosity necessary to fight hunger and bridge the inequality gap.
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<div>We, The Shore Group, need your help to <strong><em>Shore Up</em></strong>* our neighbours in need.
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<div><em>‘Shore up’, meaning to: support, prop up, bolster or keep things from falling by placing something (ie. a building material like wood or metal) under or against it.</em>
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<div><strong>Who are we and why are we raising funds?</strong>
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<div>We are <a href="https://www.shoregroup.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Shore Group</a> . We are proud, passionate Mahone Bay residents and business owners that believe in the power and potential of our caring and compassionate community.
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<div>It all started back in the Fall of 2023 when Danielle King (<a href="https://myramedia.com/portfolio/kitch-inn-hospitality-group/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kitch'inn Hospitality Group</a>, <a href="https://myramedia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Myra Media Inc</a>.), Jen Laughlin (<a href="https://www.schoolhouseglutenfreegourmet.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet</a>), and Norberto Cáceres (Local Chef, Experienced Non-Profit Leader) came together to discuss complex challenges related to food security in the local community they all call home. Through their discussions, they agreed that while food banks are a vital, valuable resource, they are struggling to meet the demand and need our help. This doesn’t come as a surprise, as you may recall that Stats Canada released reports earlier this year stating that Nova Scotia is the least food secure province in Canada (Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia wrote a great blog <a href="https://farmersmarketsnovascotia.ca/2024/05/28/nova-scotia-has-the-highest-food-insecurity-in-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> about the topic and have been raising a ton of awareness about this news). Food Banks Canada also gave our province as a whole a D- in their <a href="https://foodbankscanada.ca/poverty-report-card/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poverty report card</a>, but for poverty measures, we received an F.
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<div><strong>Our Impact To Date:</strong>
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<div>As of today’s date, we have accomplished the following with support from the community, local funders, investors and volunteers:
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<li>Provided <strong>200+ meals per month since November 2023 to August 2024</strong> to people in need in collaboration with Mahone Bay Food Bank who distributed them to their clients
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<li>Raised more than <strong>$19,500 in support of our mission</strong>
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<li>Engaged <strong>27+ community volunteers</strong> to help us address food insecurity and to deliver meals/fresh food to impoverished/marginalized members of our community
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<div>With rising rent/housing costs, fewer job opportunities, wait times for access to health care longer than they ever have been… the last thing anyone should have to worry about is whether or not they can put dinner on the table.
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<div>A simple question we can all ask ourselves: <strong>If your neighbour couldn’t afford to put dinner on the table, would you help? If we all donated the cost of a single dinner to the cause, the impact felt across Mahone Bay and surrounding area would be far-reaching and more profound than we can even begin to imagine.</strong>
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<div><strong>Our targets:</strong>
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<div>We have three phases/targets to reach through our GoFundMe campaign, leading up to our long-term goal of raising as much as we can towards our capital campaign of <strong>$150,000</strong>. This amount would allow us to take our project from offering ready made meals every month to creating a community hub in Mahone Bay that offers programs and services free of charge and open to all that could include:
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<li>Food pantry cupboard and ready made meals for community members in need, available daily;
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<li>Food workshops and educational resources for children, youth and adults alike
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<li>Community meals, drop-in cafe/safe space
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<li>And so much more - the sky's the limit!
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<div><strong>Fundraising phases:</strong>
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<div>Phase 1: Launches November 19, 2024 - GoFundMe goes live with the initial target of <strong>$12,000</strong> (for 2025 meals, this breaks down to $1000 per month*) to produce ready made meals to distribute to members of the community in need.
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<div><em>*For context, it costs approx. $1000 dollars to make enough meals each month if no food, labour or packaging is donated from businesses run by members of our board or the local community. </em>
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<div>Phase 2: Date TBD (When we reach $12,000) Goal raised to <strong>$40,000</strong> (<strong>$28,000</strong> <strong>needed to meet next goal tier</strong>). Funds will be used to rent a facility/space for a 12-month period with a commercial kitchen in Mahone Bay starting in January 2025.
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<div>Phase 3: Date TBD (When we reach $40,000) Goal raised to <strong>$150,000</strong> (<strong>$110,000 needed to meet final goal tier</strong>). Funds will be used for labour, operational expenses and administration costs for one year to staff the 'Shore Up' community hub in Mahone Bay to offer programs and services, free of charge and open to all.
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<div><strong>Our Mission/How The Funds Will Be Used:</strong>
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<div>Funds raised will directly impact our ability to <strong>expand our services and to cover a larger service area as our capacity grows</strong>. Food insecurity is a serious issue in Mahone Bay, on the South Shore, and in communities across the province/the country at large.
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<div>We have started collaborations with <a href="https://foodvibescommunity.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">'Food Vibes' in Riverport</a> and 'We Feed Lunenburg'. We will continue to grow and expand these partnerships.
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<div>It's time to engage our community to help <strong>SHORE UP!</strong> the resources necessary, such as volunteer time, financial or food donations, community engagement and advocacy. Funds raised will also allow us to build our team to continue to <strong>gather feedback, identify gaps, and continuously improve </strong>as we learn and target root causes of poverty in the South Shore.
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<div><strong>Why are so many members of our community going hungry?</strong>
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<div>The <strong>cost of living is out of control</strong>, and it has caused a ripple effect felt across the province. Many Nova Scotians, including neighbours and community members here on the South Shore, rely on <strong>social services and provincially-funded programs</strong>, like Food Banks – especially when they have specific dietary needs or face circumstantial challenges.
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<div>Poverty and lack of access to basic needs is a <strong>multilayered and complex issue</strong>, affected by different factors such as the price of housing, rising cost of food and goods, lack of sustainable work opportunities, mental health and/or addiction issues, etc.
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<div><strong>How can you help?</strong>
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<li>Purchase a ticket online or in person at <a href="https://www.eliandtrix.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eli &amp; Trix</a> in Mahone Bay for our inaugural Gala, the same venue where the event will take place on December 7th, 2024. Tickets are <strong>$150 per person</strong>. Every ticket sold ensures that more local community members will have access to food and security - both of which are essential, universal needs - these are basic human rights we’re talking about:
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<div><a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/inaugural-gala-winter-warmth-with-mark-dewolf-tickets-1083646187919?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&amp;keep_tid=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/inaugural-gala-winter-warmth-with-mark-dewolf-tickets-1083646187919?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&amp;keep_tid=1" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.eventbrite.ca/inaugural-gala-winter-warmth-with-mark-dewolf-tickets-1083646187919?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&amp;keep_tid=1</a></a>
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<div><strong>Unable to attend the Gala? </strong>
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<div>Individual donations are always welcome and appreciated – any amount, regardless of how much or the frequency, your dollar makes a world of difference to people living right here in our community. Whether you can pass on the value of your morning cup of coffee, a single meal, or few days of groceries – every little bit counts! How can I donate?
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<li>Make a direct donation here to our GoFundMe
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<li>Make a direct donation on our website: <a href="https://www.shoregroup.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.shoregroup.ca</a>
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<div>Uncomfortable with online payments/online banking? Donations accepted by cheque addressed to: <strong>The Shore Group - 538 Main St, Mahone Bay, NS, B0J 2E0</strong>
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<div><strong>Prefer to volunteer your time?</strong>
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<div>We are always looking for volunteers! Examples of the types of volunteer services needed most:
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<li>Delivering meals to people who have accessibility challenges
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<li>Offer a service you can provide that we could promote and provide for free in Mahone Bay. For example: legal advice, hair and aesthetic services, financial management advice, etc
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<li>Have a garden you are closing out for the season and have extra vegetables that need to be used up? We will make good use of those veggies and turn them into ready-made meals.
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<li>Are you handy and have an extra fridge/lumber to spare? Let's work together to create a town community fridge to provide access to free food at their convenience.
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<li>Have a building in Mahone Bay that currently isn’t being used? Ideally we need to find a community space In Mahone Bay to really take our vision to the next level.
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<div>Interested in any of these volunteer services? Have an idea of your own? Get in touch - we'd love to hear from you!
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<div>Most importantly help us spread the word. Share our GoFundMe campaign, follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567138448650&amp;sk=about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Facebook</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shoregroup.ca/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Instagram</strong></a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/theshoregroup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>LinkedIn</strong></a>. Like, share and comment on our posts to help spread the word about our GoFundMe campaign, our upcoming inaugural Gala and our mission to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry.
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Mary Jane Saffrey

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Help us fight hunger on Nova Scotia’s South Shore!

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Help us fight hunger on Nova Scotia’s South Shore!

Still $10,437 to go. Help us build momentum.