[Important] 300 Yen Becomes 100% of a Child's Meal. The 'Food Ribbon Project' Supports Meals with Goodwill Gathered at Restaurants, Launches Crowdfunding for Nationwide Expansion to 1,000 Locations.

The General Incorporated Association Long Spoon Association (Location: Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, Representative Director: Nobuyuki Hashimoto) will launch a crowdfunding campaign on the crowdfunding site "CAMPFIRE" starting April 4, 2026 (Saturday) to accelerate the nationwide expansion of the "Food Ribbon Project," which supports children's meals with goodwill gathered at local restaurants. With May 5, 2026, marking the project's 5th anniversary, we aim to first expand to 1,000 locations nationwide, and in the long term, accelerate our challenge to create places where children can eat meals with peace of mind in all 18,545 public elementary school districts nationwide.

To eliminate children struggling with "today's meal"—A challenge to 20,000 stores nationwide In Japan, 1 in 9 children are said to be in relative poverty (2022, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "National Survey of Social Welfare"), and 12.1% of households with children have experienced "being unable to prepare necessary meals due to economic reasons" (Calculated by the Children and Families Agency, from the "Survey on Life and Mutual Support" 2022 by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research). The number of children who worry about "today's meal" is by no means small.

However, these problems are difficult to see from the outside, and families who need support are often less likely to speak up. That is precisely why an environment that can be naturally relied upon in daily life is necessary.

We believe that local restaurants can play this role, and we have been expanding the Food Ribbon initiative by supporting the introduction of the program in restaurants in cooperation with local governments. Currently, there are 303 participating stores. We aim to expand to 1,000 locations nationwide first, with the long-term goal of creating places in all public elementary school districts (18,545 locations) where no child has to worry about "today's meal."

As we approach the project's 5th anniversary on May 5, 2026, we will accelerate our efforts to expand reliable "food places" for children nationwide through this crowdfunding campaign.

What is the Food Ribbon Project?

Food Ribbon is a system that supports children's "today's meal" through local restaurants. Adults who use the restaurant "pre-purchase" ribbons for 300 yen each, which represent one child's meal. The ribbons are displayed in the store, and by using a ribbon, children of the target age can receive a meal for free.

The features are as follows: Available daily: Can be used on store operating days, including during summer vacation and days without school lunches. Age is the only condition: Economic status is not a factor. 100% of support goes to a child's meal: A 300 yen ribbon donation directly translates to one meal.

By being located in familiar, everyday places like local restaurants, "places to rely on when in need" are created within the community. Furthermore, a 300 yen ribbon from the community...