Gift For Life’s “Feed the Hungry – Feel the Good” Campaign Raises Nearly $50,000 for World Central Kitchen during Atlanta Market

Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and home decor industries’ leading charitable organization, announced that its “Feed the Hungry – Feel the Good” fundraiser yielded nearly $50,000 for World Central Kitchen, an organization which distributes individually packaged, fresh meals in communities that need support during times of crisis.

The campaign, which ran in connection with this summer’s Atlanta Market (July 13-19), raised a total of $48,403 for World Central Kitchen. Individual donations ranged from $50 to $1000, with large gifts from J Douglas, Loloi Rugs and Worlds Away and a $10,000 matching grant from International Market Centers.

“Nearly $50,000 translates to almost 5,000 meals and 30 restaurants supported,” said Cole Daugherty, chair of the Gift for Life board. “We are grateful for the industry’s support of our first at-market fundraiser for World Central Kitchen, and hope that we can continue this momentum in August for campaigns connected with the Retailer Excellence Awards and Las Vegas Market.”

Through Gift for Life’s “Feed the Hungry – Feel the Good” campaign, participants qualified to win raffle prizes which featured nine unique prizes secured by IMC: five two-night hotel stays redeemable during the January 2022 Atlanta Market and another four hotel packages redeemable at any time, based on hotel availability. Donors of at least $50 were eligible for the raffle drawings.

Raffle Winners:
Stu Teller – Four Seasons Midtown (value $600)
Jen Dolan – Loews Midtown (value $450)
Randy Eller – Renaissance Midtown (value $450)
Caroline Kennedy – Twelve Downtown, Autograph Collection (value $620)
Amir Loloi – Westin Peachtree Plaza (value $500)
Allison Sherill – Atlanta Marriott Marquis (2-night stay with complimentary valet parking)
Jess Remillard– Hilton Atlanta (2-night stay with dinner for 2 at Trader Vic’s)
Renee Marie Lee – Ritz Carlton (2-night weekend stay)
Scott Smith – Westin Peachtree Plaza (2-night stay with complimentary valet parking, internet, and breakfast for 2 in The Café)

Gift For Life’s next at-market “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good” Fundraiser will take place during the Las Vegas Market (August 22-26) with IMC once again committing to match donations up to $10,000. Las Vegas Market raffle prize packages include two-night stays in four hotels, with dining credits and tickets to local attractions.  Connections Housing, Las Vegas Market’s official travel partner, also has donated round-trip airfare for Las Vegas Market.  Donate online at: https://donate.wck.org/LasVegasMkt.

Gift for Life also has partnered with Gifts & Decorative Accessories to host a virtual campaign in connection with the 70th annual Retailer Excellence Awards (August 3).  Donate online at: https://donate.wck.org/REA.  

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond.      In 2020, with COVID-19 straining traditional food security safety nets like school feeding programs, city services and food banks, WCK pivoted to safely distribute individually packaged, fresh meals in communities that need support and launched the Restaurants for the People program to scale nationwide. This program meets critical needs on two fronts: buying meals directly from restaurants and delivering them to Americans who need help. To date, the program has worked with 2,500 restaurants to serve over 12 million restaurant meals and have disbursed more than $135 million dollars directly to restaurants owners in 400 cities across 35 states. For information, visit www.wck.org.

Atlanta Market is the industry’s premier gift, décor and lifestyle market. Housing the nation’s largest gift product mix complemented by a broad selection of home décor, it features more than 8,000 brands across all categories. Held semi-annually at AmericasMart Atlanta, Atlanta Market attracts retailers and designers from every U.S. state and more than 60 countries. For more information, visit www.AtlantaMarket.com.

Las Vegas Market is the leading home furnishings and gift market in the western U.S., presenting 4,300+ furniture, home décor and gift resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market features thousands of product lines, allowing for cross-category commerce among these industries. The next Las Vegas Market runs Aug. 22 – Aug. 26, 2021, at World Market Center Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.lasvegasmarket.com.

Gift for Life was founded by Peter Schauben of Appleman Schauben in 1992 in response to the tragic loss of industry lives to AIDS. The organization’s first meeting at the National Stationery Show brought together a cross-section of the industry’s leading publishers, market centers, sales reps, manufacturers and retailers – all willing to convene and work together towards a common goal. Since that time, Gift for Life has raised nearly $6 million for AIDS research, education, treatment and care through nationwide at-market events, cause marketing programs and direct donations. With COVID-19 temporarily causing cancelation of in-person events at industry markets, Gift for Life has pivoted towards online digital events for the balance of 2021, with a specific emphasis on COVID-related hunger relief. Adam Glassman, creative director of Oprah Daily, serves as Gift for Life’s 2021 honorary chair and spokesperson. More information is available at www.giftforlife.org.