If you’re familiar with COOK’s boutique, then you know about our private label pantry items, soaps, candles, cookbook collection, and local artisan foods such as Side Project Jerky, Rival Bros. Coffee and Jersey Gina’s Jems. But now there’s something on our shelves specifically for the youngins: The Fresh Food Memory Game, a creative take on the classic family box game that you may know simply as “Memory” or “Concentration.” An added bonus: all proceeds benefit art programs in under-resourced public schools.

How’s that work? The game was a collaboration between young artists and Fresh Artists, an innovative nonprofit organization that empowers young lives through art. The organization teaches children about philanthropy while giving them tangible opportunities to take bold action to help others. Fresh Artists displays K-12 children’s art in highly visible, unexpected places, and delivering art supplies and innovative art programs to schools struggling with severe cutbacks in arts funding.

The idea of the game came from a third-grader, who said, “How ’bout we use our artwork on children’s games.” From that idea, 27 local children provided artwork to be used on five editions of The Memory Game: Fresh Art, Fresh Faces, Fresh Architecture, Mini-Masterpieces from the Barnes Foundation, and of course Fresh Food, which is the edition available at COOK. The young artist-philanthropists continued to be involved throughout the development process, and Fresh Artists raised the money needed to turn their idea into a reality on Kickstarter, the popular online crowd-funding phenomenon.

With proceeds benefiting K-12 schools that are struggling with massive cutbacks in arts funding, the children see that they have made a difference in their world through creativity and generosity.

Included with the game is a self-addressed note card on which you may send a short message to the young Fresh Artists. The organization will share your note with the children. Patron and artist correspondence in action!

The Fresh Food Memory Game ($24) makes an excellent gift for the young artists (or budding chefs) in your family and with summer now upon us, you’ll need all the help you can get to keep them occupied! And speaking of ‘memory,’ to refresh yours, COOK’s boutique is open daily from noon to 5pm!