Community invited to ‘Give 30’ during Ramadan
A local fundraiser for one of the area’s largest hunger-relief charities, the Partners in Mission Food Bank, is set to kick off on Friday, Mar. 17, 2023. Give 30, a unique grassroots volunteer-run initiative combatting hunger in Ramadan, marks a decade of local giving this year.
The Give 30 campaign began in 2012 when founder, Ziyaad Mia, designed the campaign as a means to bring attention to hunger in local communities, and to encourage those from all backgrounds to support food banks during the month of Ramadan through Give30.org. The overall Give 30 campaign supports 17 major food banks and anti-poverty organizations in Canada, which together serve hundreds of thousands of people.
“Give 30 have been great supporters of Partners in Mission Food Bank and we truly appreciate their leadership,” said Dan Irwin, Executive Director of Partners in Mission Food Bank. “The pandemic has highlighted food insecurity and as we see additional inflation pressures, more are struggling… Partners in Mission Food Bank does not receive government or agency funding — as a team with our community, we help our neighbours in need.”
In a media release, organizers said they have been running this campaign under COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and, once again, the Kingston community has come together to help neighbours in need during this challenging time. Last year, this community raised a record-breaking $16,250 for Partners in Mission Food Bank, the most raised by the Give 30 Kingston campaign since its launch.
In his national message, Give 30 founder Ziyaad Mia said, “The virus has shown us that we are one human family, inextricably connected, interdependent, and in this together.”
As the public and the campaign acclimatize to the new state of normalcy, Mona Rahman, Co-chair of Give 30 Team Kingston, asks everyone to please remember those who may still be struggling with hunger. “Living through the challenges of the pandemic, more than ever, has emphasized that there are those who are struggling in our neighbourhoods. Hunger is not an ‘over there’ problem; it’s a problem everywhere, even in Kingston,” she said.
Michael Taylor, Give 30 Team Kingston, noted that Ramadan is about giving, building community, and understanding the challenges of hunger that others face, and that’s why it works so well in motivating people to give. “Everyone can participate in the spirit of Ramadan,” he emphasized. “Give 30 is not about any one group or faith; it’s about uniting in common humanity. Hunger and poverty know no race, religion, ethnicity, creed, gender or age and that’s why it’s important for everyone to join Give 30.”
Give 30 Team Kingston invites all local schools, community groups, and individuals to join this year’s campaign, which launches on Friday, Mar. 17 and will close on Friday, Jun. 30, 2023. Ramadan takes place from Thursday, Mar. 23 to Thursday, Apr. 20, 2023.
For more information, visit www.Give30.org.