Burgers loved, charities benefit

More than $60,000 raised by Burger Love

P.E.I. Burger Love helped raise more than $60,000 for the United Way of P.E.I. this year.

The popular burger promotion offers a voluntary program where participating restaurants can contribute $1 per burger sold to the provincial United Way. The money is earmarked to help fund programs that increase local food security.

It was announced Monday that most of the $60,000 raised this year (95 per cent) will be distributed through Island Food Security Grants.

“The outcome of our discussions has been very clear. The people of P.E.I. need access to affordable food, the ability to prepare and consume nutritious food and less reliance on traditional food supports,” said United Way of P.E.I. CEO, Andrea MacDonald.

“We want to offer people the opportunity to foster change with a measurable, more coordinated, sustainable food system by funding programs supporting food security.”

Island Food Security Grants up to a maximum of $5,000 each will be made available to charities across P.E.I. to support individuals and families living without access to abundant and affordable food today. A call for grant applications will be issued in August, 2017.

The remaining five per cent of the funds will be shared between two community specific programs, Let’s Talk Food and P.E.I. Fest’s – Youth Social Entrepreneurship Conference.

With support from the United Way and the City of Charlottetown, funds allocated to the Let’s Talk Food initiative will be directed to developing Islandwide food security strategies facilitated by the P.E.I. Food Security Network. Funds allocated to the P.E.I. Fest’s – Youth Social Entrepreneur Conference encouraged youth to develop innovative ways of addressing food security through entrepreneurship.