Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of Children Hunger Fund's Office Space and Global Distribution Center in Sylmar, California. Children's Hunger Fund is one of Project 7's Feed the Hungry partners and so it's wonderful to see how they are expanding their capacity to hungry kids in America and throughout the world.
I joined board members, volunteers, and other corporate partners, in a tour of the 66,000 square-foot facility. Highlights included getting a sneak peak at The Poverty Encounter (an immersive learning experience), hearing from founder and president Dave Phillips, and wrapping, or trying to wrap, toys donated by Ty that would be distributed children across the country who might not otherwise have gifts this Christmas.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, CHF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, alleviating the suffering of needy children across America and around the world. CHF provides training and resources to local churches to help them meet the needs in their communities. Since CHF's beginning, an average of 99% of total contributions has gone directly to programs serving children. CHF has distributed one billion dollars in aid and is recognized for efficiency by Forbes.com, MinistryWatch.org, and CharityNavigator.org. Visit www.ChildrensHungerFund.org for more information.
Here are some more pictures of the big day. (And don't you for one minute judge my gift-wrapping abilities! :))
Due to the incredible support of Facebook fans and Twitter followers during our Thanksgiving Feed the Hungry campaign, we will be providing 7,688 meals in American communities.
7,688 meals? Isn't that wonderful?!?
For every new facebooker who liked us AND every new twitterer who followed, Project 7 is working with our Feed the Hungry partner, Children's Hunger Fund, to provide a meal. This donation is in addition to our everyday giving from the purchase of our product (For example: buy a canister of "Feed the Hungry" coffee, provide 7 meals, etc.).
Thank you for all of your help following, liking and spreading the word.
Together, we are changing the score!
Want to help feed the hungry? Here are four simple ways you can make a difference right now:
1. Buy Project 7's Feed the Hungry Promo Pack. (Each Feed the Hungry Promo Pack provides 15 meals in American communities. And it is a great way to try all of our Feed the Hungry products!)
2. Follow Project 7 on Twitter. (For each new follower this week, Project 7 will providing a meal in a US community.)
3. Like Project 7 on Facebook. (For each new 'like' this week, Project 7 will be providing a meal in US community.)
4. Get involved with a 7 Day chapter near you and volunteer at a local food bank.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your organization, when and how it got started?
A: When Dave Phillips visited a Honduran cancer ward for children, his heart was broken and his eyes were opened to the needs of suffering children around the world. This encounter with poverty moved him to form Children's Hunger Fund (CHF) in 1991 to help underserved children in Los Angeles. The needs and opportunities to serve soon grew allowing CHF to expand ministry to children across the country and around the world. Today, CHF has distributed one billion dollars in aid to children and families in thirty-five U.S. States and seventy-two countries worldwide from centers in Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Antonio.
Q: Where and how do you provide meals on behalf of Project 7?
A: Project 7’s gifts are utilized in Children’s Hunger Fund’s (CHF) ongoing Food Pak Program. Food Paks are cardboard boxes containing about 20 pounds of nutritional staples (e.g., beans, pasta, cooking oil, soup mix, peanut butter, canned vegetables) that supplement a family of four-to-six members’ food source for several meals. These Food Paks are filled through generous corporate and individual donations and CHF food purchases. They are then distributed directly into the homes of poor children and families by caring volunteers from local non-profit agencies that partner with CHF. CHF’s unique home delivery model provides local community leaders and volunteers with a strategy to build relationships with the poor in their neighborhood. Through regular contact and kindness demonstrated in words and actions, CHF network partners assist children and families in making positive changes in the way they eat and live. Often the most immediate benefit of this home delivery approach is the restoration of hope. Twenty pounds of nutritious food: twenty pounds of compassion and hope.
One Food Pak typically provides 20 pounds of food, but only costs about $7.00 due to CHF partner support. CHF receives a generous amount of in-kind donations from partner corporations, local farms, and foundations. Funds received for the Food Pak Program are used to purchase the key bulk food items used in Food Paks that are not donated. These items typically include dried beans, pasta, and canned vegetables. The gifts from Project 7 will help to provide meals in California, Illinois, Indiana, Western Michigan, and Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Atlanta, Northeast Florida, Seattle, New York, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Q: Can you speak to hunger in the United States and what trends you are seeing in the hurting economy?
A: The hurting U.S. economy is obviously affecting nearly everyone in a negative way. But we've seen that many of the families we are serving are in need for the very first time. This may have been the first generation to have never faced economic adversity. Young families today are learning how to recognize their need, reach out for help, and work out their own solutions. On the other hand, we are also seeing unprecedented generosity from those who choose to help. It seems that young people, families, and companies these days are more likely to be compassionate and do something to help others.
Q: Is providing meals all Children's Hunger Fund does?
A: CHF does focus primarily on hunger, but in the impoverished communities in which we work, there are more needs that we are able to respond to. As product donations become available, CHF provides clothes, school supplies, toys, medicines and medical supplies, nutritional supplements, and disaster relief. We have funded orphan care, clean water projects, agriculture programs, and the building of medical centers around the world. These are all done in an effort to help local churches build relationships with children and their families so that they may meet their physical, emotional, and deeper spiritual needs.
Q: Besides buying Project 7's FEED the Hungry product, how can individuals and organizations support the work you are doing?
A: CHF has many support options for individuals and organizations. Individuals can donate money or their time through our volunteer opportunities or by doing their own personal fundraisers. Companies can donate useful products in pallet or truckload quantities. Churches and community organizations can work together to accomplish a Project Food Pak drive where members take home empty boxes to fill on their own for CHF's home-delivery program. Anyone can help in their own unique way by finding themselves on our "Get Involved" page. http://www.chfus.org/en/get-involved.html. Spread the word to Children's Hunger Fund through email, social media, etc. facebook.com/ChildrensHungerFund, @iSupportCHF, join CHF's CompassionConnection email updates at ChildrensHungerFund.org/email.
Q: What is your favorite Project 7 product?
A: We like them all. Some here are particularly partial to "FEED the hungry" coffee, while others chomp the "FEED the hungry" mints all day long.
And...Don't forget that this week we are providing a meal for every new fan of our Facebook Page and every new Twitter follower. Help us "Change the Score" and feed the hungry!
It’s almost Thanksgiving and we wanted to do something special for our friends and neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table. {Did you know that American families are still struggling from the economic crisis in 2008 and that in the last year we had the the largest number of food-insecure households ever recorded? (Source)}
From today {November 14} until November 22, we have created a FEED the Hungry campaign for both our Facebook and our Twitter accounts. For every new fan we acquire on Facebook and every new Twitter follower, Project 7 will donate funds to Children’s Hunger Fund to provide 1 meal in an American community. This donation will be in addition to our everyday giving from the purchase of our products {For example: buy a "FEED the Hungry" tray of mints, provide 7 meals, etc.}
It’s this simple.
If you're not a follower of us on Twitter, click "Follow" and together we'll provide a meal. The same thing applies for "liking" us on Facebook. Pretty cool, huh?!?
Now get to liking, following, RTing, sharing and anything that will help us provide more meals! And don’t forget this offer ends on November 22.
With Love and Much Gratitude,
The Project 7 Family
