Dine Out®: No Kid Hungry
A portion of March sales pledged to end childhood hunger
Portland, Maine – Share Our Strength announced today that four of Maine’s best restaurants have joined efforts to end childhood hunger in the state, through participation in Share Our Strength’s Dine Out®: No Kid Hungry in March. Miyake, Pai Men, Grace – all in Portland - and The Foreside Tavern in Falmouth will offer specially priced menus, donating a portion of sales to help Share Our Strength efforts to provide every child in Maine with nutritious and sufficient food.
For the entire month of March, Miyake will donate $1 from each $30, 3-course special menu, up to $3 from the restaurant’s 7-course tasting dinner menu, and Pai Men will donate $1 from each order of its $23, 3-course menu. “We are all very excited to be raising money for a great charity and trying to help make a difference in our own state,” said Jessica Sueltenfuss, manager at Miyake.
From March 5th to 18th, Grace will contribute $1 from each $40, 3-course menu and The Foreside Tavern will donate $1 from each $30, 3-course menu. “The idea that there are children in our state that are hungry is simply unacceptable to us. When we learned that each dollar raised connects a child with 10 meals we knew we could make an impact right here in our own community.” said Anne Verrill, owner of The Foreside Tavern.
The March fundraiser, which was initiated by the four restaurants and echoes the annual, nationwide Dine Out®: No Kid Hungry event held each September, is another example of the commitment Maine restaurants have shown to Share Our Strength, helping the organization to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to end childhood hunger since 2006. These efforts have the full support of the Maine Restaurant Association, which in 2011 partnered with Share Our Strength pledging to fight childhood hunger throughout the state. “The fact that these four restaurants have teamed up to get the word out to raise funds for Share Our Strength is a call to action for other restaurants and food businesses to join us,” said John Woods, Maine Chairman for Share Our Strength.
In Maine, where nearly 1 in 4 children are uncertain where their next meal will come from, the dedication of restaurants, corporations and individuals to Share Our Strength makes a powerful difference. In addition to the Dine Out®: No Kid Hungry campaign, funds raised will continue to support the most effective and efficient anti-hunger organizations in the state:
- Good Shepherd Food Bank. The state’s largest food bank collects and distributes food to nonprofit organizations, including many in York County. gsfb.org
- The Preble Street Teen Center. Provides free, low-barrier services to thousands of youth, adults and families from all around Maine experiencing homelessness, hunger and poverty, and advocates for solutions to these issues. preblestreet.org
- Cultivating Community. Grows more than 10,000 pounds of organic produce annually for families living in poverty and engages more than 1,000 community young people in growing and distributing food each season. cultivatingcommunity.org.
- The Opportunity Alliance. This community action agency is committed to identifying and addressing social, economic, educational and health needs in Maine. propeople.com
About Miyake and Pai Men
After many years of experience in restaurants in Tokyo and New York City, chef Masa Miyake opened his first restaurant in Portland in 2007. He has recently relocated Miyake to a stunning, contemporary space in the Old Port, where he blends Japanese technique with Maine seafood and other local ingredients to create sushi that The New York Times said “raises the bar.” In 2010, he opened his second restaurant, Pai Men, in Portland’s West End, where a more casual menu centers on Japanese noodle dishes and, in the evening, offers foods from a traditional yakitori grill. For more, visit miyakerestaurants.com.
About Grace
Portland’s most visually distinctive restaurant is housed in a former church, faithfully restored in 2009 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In this dramatic, inspiring space, centered by a large, lively bar and surrounded by vaulted beams and stained glass, chef Peter Sueltenfuss serves inventive, locally sourced New American food, offering what Boston Magazine called a “divine experience.” For more, visit gracerestaurant.com
About The Foreside Tavern
Just 5 miles from downtown Portland in Falmouth Foreside, The Foreside Tavern is a family friendly gathering place known for its warm welcome and inventive American bistro menu featuring Maine ingredients. At the bar watching the game, relaxing by the fireplace in the winter or listening to live music on the terrace in the warmer months, there is something for everyone, in every season. For more, visit theforesidetavern.com
About Share Our StrengthShare Our Strength is the leading national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. We weave together a net of community groups, activists and good programs to catch the children at risk of hunger and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. We work with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®, Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale®, Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry: dinners®, Share Our Strength’s Dine Out®: No Kid Hungry, and Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters®. Visit Strength.org to learn more.