Kids Against Hunger

This is something I've done and really enjoyed. I'm going to try to get my church to do it, too. Thought some of you might like to help, too. : )

Founder: Richard Proudfit founded the Kids Against Hunger Organization in 1999 to feed starving children.

Goal: To significantly reduce hungry children in the U.S. and feed starving children around the world.

How big is the need? Over 1.02 billion people do not have enough to eat and are starving. That is more then the populations of the U.S.A., Canada and the European Union! (Source: FAO news release, 19 June 2009.) Every six seconds a child dies of hunger and related causes! (Source: FAO, 2004.) 10.9 million Children under the age of five die per year and 60 percent of those are from malnutrition.

How do they know their food has everything it needs in it? The Kids Against Hunger organization have worked with scientist to learn what the starving children around the world need in their diets, not only to fill them with little, but to actually start reversing the effects of long term hunger.

What is in their food packages? The packages include four dry ingredients that are specially prepared and researched to help heal. They include rice, vitamin-fortified, crushed soy (for protein), a dehydrated blend of six vegetables, and chicken flavored, vegetarian, vitamin and mineral powder. They are simple to prepare: just boil the amount of water the package calls for, for twenty minutes (which is important to get rid of anything bad in the water) and add the package. Each package can feed six people.

How much does it cost? Each package (six servings) costs $0.23. Each 32lb. box of food holds 36 bags of food (216 meals) and costs $50.00. Each 40 foot container load of food includes 285, 120 meals at a program cost of approximately $65,000.

Where do they get the money? The money comes from donations from individuals, corporations, churches, and other organizations.

How is it distributed? They work closely with their distribution partners – churches, missionaries and other nonprofit organizations, and U.S. government agencies operating in foreign countries - to manage the distribution of Kids Against Hunger’s meals. Accountability is essential. They seek out organizations that have a proven track record of successfully getting the food to the children, distributing it properly, and being able to handle the responsibilities of a feeding program. We require our feeding partners to document how they distribute the food and to provide us with testimonials and pictures of the children who receive the meals whenever possible.
Also, since it is just rice, vitamins, minerals and vegetables almost every country will allow it across their borders.

What happens after they get the food? Kids Against Hunger has realized it isn’t enough to simply feed people. They work with programs that are working to teach stability to the recipients. They are building schools, showing them farming, teaching them proper hygiene, basic first aid and helping them learn other necessary tools for life. Their food is often used to ‘jumpstart’ a community that is then taught to help themselves.

How do they package their food? One of the Kids Against Hunger organization’s problems is that they don’t have the people to package their food. They struggled with this for quite awhile before someone came up with the suggestion. Why not use volunteers? They now have almost 100, non-profit ‘satellites’ throughout the U.S. and Canada.

How much food do they send out? Last year alone they packaged forty million meals for the children and their families. Since its launch it has sent our over 200 million meals.

How can we help? They need people to package their food. If one person packages food for two hours it is enough to feed one child for a year. They also ask that we make a small donation because of the cost of the food.

Website: www.kidsagainsthunger.org