About a year ago, I was approached to review some cleaning products here on Toronto Teacher Mom. When an extra large box arrived at my door full of the stuff, I thought I was one lucky gal. So I shared some with family and members of my staff. Since then, I have had numerous opportunities to test out a wide variety of products and attend special events. Really, I consider myself quite lucky. Because there are people out there, both young and old, who don't even know where their next meal is coming from.

If you've been following my blog, then you know I am a supporter of Me to We. Our school is trying to raise enough funds to complete our goal, which is to adopt a village in Kenya. And we hope to achieve this goal by the end of this school year. To help expedite the process, I decided to take advantage of the perks of being a blogger and use a product I received for testing as a raffle prize among my staff. It was a Kobo eReader. And as much as it was hard to part with such a neat little gadget, it made me smile knowing that we raised nearly enough money to buy a cow for our village. Yes, a cow. Just one animal can be an incredible source of income and livelihood for the people of Kenya. Because they, too, struggle to feed the hungry.

What else makes me smile? The act of sharing makes me smile. Whether it be a material object, a hug or a useful tip, it gives me great pleasure when people reach out and connect on a human level. It's the reward of sending out good karma, the idea of paying it forward, that can touch the lives of people you've never met. And who knows, maybe karma will grant you the good fortune of one day meeting these very kind and giving people, like Sherrie who, after coming across one of my tweets, shared an important tip when our family was staying at Great Wolf Lodge this summer. When I finally met this lovely lady from Ottawa, it brought a huge smile to my face to be able to thank her in person. She has one of those smiles that makes you want to smile, too.

And so I introduce you to the Snack Pack Share a Smile Campaign. With the goal of raising $20,000 for Food Banks Canada in time for the holidays, Snack Pack will donate $1 to Food Banks Canada each and every time you share a smile with a friend. And, to add an extra smile to your day, you are also entered to win a great weekly prize from Sony. Every day for the next 10 weeks there will be a new idea for different ways to enjoy a smile with a Snack Pack. Indulge in a little afternoon fun and accept the challenge. It's so easy to take part in the Snack Pack Share a Smile Campaign and raise funds that will help feed the hungry. Simply log onto Facebook, like the Snack Pack Canada page, Share a Smile and a $1 donation will be made on your behalf to Food Banks Canada. You can also opt to Share a Smile and Snack Pack will make the donation on behalf of one of your Facebook friends. You will then be given the option to register for the contest and receive a ballot into their weekly prize draw. Plus, you’ll earn a point towards one of the fun Smile badges! Remember, the more often you smile, the more donations, ballots and badge points you’ll collect. It’s no surprise that Smiling everyday would have its perks.

To find out more about Snack Pack products (including Juicy Gels and low-fat puddings), visit them at snackpackcanada.ca/.

If you’d like to join me in spreading the message on Twitter, feel free to use the hashtag #SnackPackSmile.

And don't forget to smile. It's contagious!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Snack Pack program by Mom Central on behalf of Conagra Foods Canada. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.