Proud partnerships
This month's column highlights the latest partnerships with the P.E.I. Women's Institute.
Over the century-old history of the Women's Institute on P.E.I., board and branches have embraced a wide array of diverse, rewarding partners for the benefit of Islanders. This year's connections, which the WI is excited to highlight, instill the same importance of collaboration, especially during the ongoing health directive of the day: Farm & Food Care P.E.I. and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation. Each represents different mandates, and both share a common denominator of education and caring for others on the Island.
Farm & Food Care P.E.I. is responsible for a variety of agricultural-based projects, including the P.E.I. Farm Tour. The P.E.I. Women's Institute is delighted to highlight the tour as residents and visitors this summer will be able to learn and identify crops planted on P.E.I.
As agriculture continues to diversify each year, members of the Island’s agricultural industry have again brought forward a series of informational signs placed in various fields identifying 15 different crops grown across the province. In addition, there is a Crop Sign Contest, with details available online at PEIFarmTour.ca. Photos of Island fields can be shared on social media with the hashtag #peifarmtour.
The P.E.I. Farm Tour, led by Farm & Food Care P.E.I. and the Prince Edward Island Potato Board, is in partnership with the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture, P.E.I. Wild Blueberry Growers Association, P.E.I. Horticultural Association Inc., P.E.I. Department of Agriculture and Land, P.E.I. Women’s Institute and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
The board of the P.E.I. Women's Institute and its member branches were pleased to have volunteered at Farm & Food Care P.E.I.'s recent food giveaways. The Fresh from the Farm Food Giveway saw up to 3,000 free food packages filled with locally sourced items given out on June 29 and July 4. Volunteers WI members assisted in packaging and distribution.
Farm & Food Care P.E.I. is a program of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture connecting people and food and is supported by the P.E.I. Department of Agriculture and Land. For information, check out https://www.farmfoodcarepei.org. Also, watch the Facebook pages of PEIWI and Farm and Food Care P.E.I. for upcoming draws on a safety basket, including fabric masks from the WI Mask Project.
In another mainstream partnership, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation is now part of the well-established WI Mask Project. Since mid-April approximately $40,000 worth of masks were donated across P.E.I. to a variety of vulnerable sectors.
Recently, the partnership between the QEH Foundation, P.E.I. Women's Institute and P.E.I. Mask+Aide fabric masks enables masks to be available for purchase online through the QEH Foundation's website. All of the proceeds will go towards purchasing ease back medical equipment for the QEH.
The handcrafted masks are available in bulk in packages of 10, 25, 50 or 100 and are ideal for families and businesses. Each package contains beautifully crafted reversible fabric masks. They are varied in colour and are made with re-washable 100 per cent cotton or cotton blend. Mask purchases can be made through the QEH Foundation online at https://www.qehfoundation.pe.ca/.
The PEIWI board and staff wish all a safe and healthy summer. This article is prepared by Ellen MacPhail, executive director for the PEIWI, and appears in the Guardian every second Friday of the month. For more information on the P.E.I. Women’s Institute or to comment on this column, visit www.womensinstitute.pe.ca or call 368-4860.