Nonprofits Launch Treasure Hunt Campaign to Help Kids During Coronavirus Pandemic

WAKE FOREST, N.C., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Four nonprofits fighting hunger have launched a fundraising campaign offering printable treasure hunts on their websites. During this unprecedented time of closures and quarantines, with activities like egg hunts cancelled, Real Food for Kids, Rise Against Hunger, Children's Defense Fund, and First Fruits Farm are offering printable home-based hunts as an alternative to screen time for kids, with the goal of raising funds to fight food insecurity.

"School closings hit hardest for families that are food insecure," said Jenn Yates, Executive Director of Real Food for Kids based in Northern Virginia. "And unfortunately, nonprofits serving families are going to be hard hit as fundraising events are cancelled; we need to be proactive and creative in raising funds and awareness digitally."

Real Food for Kids is partnering with a local restaurant to feed area children during the shutdown. The organization will be offering an educational, "Healthy Easter" printable treasure hunt on its website with a suggested donation of $5 per download.

"The treasure hunts help unglue kids from screens and give a bit of joy at a very scary time," said Helen Bertelli, founder and president of Benecomms, a PR and marketing firm in Wake Forest that created the hunts and campaign. "Most of all we want to help organizations aiding hungry families, and the campaign is a treasure hunt in and of itself; each nonprofit offers a different hunt that donors can collect."

The printable hunts can be set up in any home in about 8 minutes. Each provides up to an hour of fun for one or a group of kids, and parents can encourage kids to create their own hunts afterward to extend the fun even longer.  

About Real Food for Kids, Children's Defense Fund, First Fruits Farm and Rise Against Hunger:

Northern Virginia-based Real Food for Kids collaborates with school communities to elevate the quality and character of school food, develop and deliver programs that advance literacy in nutrition and health, and more. In response to school closings, Real Food for Kids is partnering with a local restaurant to feed area children during the shutdown and is offering a "Healthy Easter" printable treasure hunt on its website with a suggested donation of $5 per download.

Children's Defense Fund, a national child advocacy organization, fights every day for the well-being of all of America's children. We do this through local and national advocacy and through community-based programs serving children and training the next generation of child advocates. The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools program serves over 12,000 children in communities across 28 states, providing over 720,000 nutritious meals and snacks and distributing 95,000 age-appropriate books each year. Children's Defense Fund will be offering a "Learn at Home" printable treasure hunt on its website with a suggested donation of $5 per download.

North Carolina-based First Fruits Farm provides fresh produce to local food agencies such as food banks and food pantries, which help feed children in need in general and certainly during this time of school closure. In addition to helping with food agencies, First Fruits Farm also supports local community gardens by starting seeds in its greenhouse and donating them to gardens throughout Wake and Durham County. First Fruits Farm also set up a Sow-a-Seed program to help local residents grow gardens themselves and donate to their neighbors in need. First Fruits Farm is offering a "Spring" printable treasure hunt on its website with a suggested donation of $5 per download.

Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization, aims to show the world that it is, in fact, possible to end hunger by the year 2030. With 28 U.S. locations and five international offices, the organization is committed to nourishing lives, providing emergency aid, empowering communities and growing the hunger movement. 820 million people face hunger worldwide, and that doesn't change during a crisis. In times of global crisis like the one we face today, vulnerable and undernourished communities are at even greater risk of contracting illness and disease. With the cancellation or postponement of 150+ of our meal packaging events, Rise Against Hunger needs financial support for us to serve the children and families counting on us around the world. First Fruits Farm is offering a "Happy Tummy" printable treasure hunt its website with a suggested donation of $5 per download.

Contact: Angela Stanley
[email protected] 

SOURCE Benecomms LLC