Instead of distributing commodity foodstuffs in bulk packaging, explained Rod Brooks, President and CEO, Stop Hunger Now packages a nutritionally complete meal in a family-sized packet containing just enough food for six servings. The meals are distributed primarily through schools and churches, where children are fed their mid-day meal as part of their school day curriculum.
Desperately poor families are encouraged to send their children to school knowing that the child will receive, in addition to a basic education, at least one nutritionally complete meal a day. Children not suffering the effects of chronic undernourishment are better able to learn and retain important fundamental skills.
The benefits cascade. Children not begging on the streets or scavenging through dumps are less exposed to disease and abuse. Young people who can read and write, and who have mastered basic math skills can more easily find gainful employment that will help them break the cycle of poverty.
The availability of safe and nutritious meals makes it feasible for families to also allow their daughters to go to school. In many societies, females are not highly valued, and are subject to disheartening neglect, or worse. With an education, girls are able to be productive contributors to family well-being. They are less likely to be married off at early puberty, and they will delay bearing children until they are older and more mature.
Children are also regularly given an extra packet of meals to take home to their family. This further encourages parents to make sure their children go to school, helps assure that the youngest and oldest family members get proper nutrition, and reduces the pressure on families to send their children out begging and scavenging in order to survive.
A key to making all of these good things happen is the in-country distribution system developed by SHN. They partner with local Rotary and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to receive the food shipments, distribute it in appropriate quantities, and provide proof that the food is being used for its intended purpose. The organizations are regularly audited by in-country units of SHN. In a brilliant move, SHN insists the in-country organizations raise the money to pay for shipping the food in. The local organizations have "skin in the game" and must answer to their local donors as well as to Stop Hunger Now. They are highly motivated to be effective organizers and distributors of the prized food shipments. Their local "clients" are counting on them.
In the U.S., local organizations like Rotary, churches and others arrange and fund packaging marathons where thousands of meals are measured, bagged and packaged for shipment in a hectic, day-long event. Holly Springs residents have packaged over 100,000 meals in events usually conducted on the same day as the Holly Springs Christmas parade. Residents aged seven to 70 get enthused and inspired by the incredible amount of good they are able to achieve in a single, concentrated effort.
The program in its present form began in Raleigh, NC in 2005. The goal in 2006 was to package one million meals. Rotary clubs and others helped SHN surge past that goal to package 1.6 million meals in their first year.
Since then, the organization has expanded its production centers to 13 U.S. communities in seven states, and in four locations overseas. From these locations, it serves 72 countries around the world. This past year, under the umbrella of Stop Hunger Now, Rotary members, church members, students and others have packaged and distributed over 21 million meals.
This grass roots effort, begun in Raleigh and still headquartered there, is growing rapidly and has recently received official support from Rotary International. Rotary, with its 1.3 million members in 34,000 clubs in some 200 countries is in a unique position to partner with SHN to help it scale up its impact.
As Rod Brooks explained, the mission of Stop Hunger Now is to end chronic hunger in our lifetime. We know what our bodies need to survive and thrive. We have enough food to do the job. We have the right plan to help people climb out of poverty. We are building the organization to implement the plan. We have within our grasp the opportunity to have a world free from chronic hunger. Brooks invited the Holly Springs Rotary Club and Holly Springs residents to join in this effort. Together, he says, we can change the world.
Instead of distributing commodity foodstuffs in bulk packaging, explained Rod Brooks, President and CEO, Stop Hunger Now, packages a nutritionally complete meal in a family-sized packet containing just enough food for six servings. The meals are distributed primarily through schools and churches, where children are fed their mid-day meal as part of their school day curriculum.
Desperately poor families are encouraged to send their children to school knowing that the child will receive, in addition to a basic education, at least one nutritionally complete meal a day. Children not suffering the effects of chronic undernourishment are better able to learn and retain important fundamental skills.
The benefits cascade. Children not begging on the streets or scavenging through dumps are less exposed to disease and abuse. Young people who can read and write, and who have mastered basic math skills can more easily find gainful employment that will help them break the cycle of poverty.
The availability of safe and nutritious meals makes it feasible for families to also allow their daughters to go to school. In many societies, females are not highly valued, and are subject to disheartening neglect, or worse. With an education, girls are able to be productive contributors to family well-being. They are less likely to be married off at early puberty, and they will delay bearing children until they are older and more mature.
Children are also regularly given an extra packet of meals to take home to their family. This further encourages parents to make sure their children go to school, helps assure that the youngest and oldest family members get proper nutrition, and reduces the pressure on families to send their children out begging and scavenging in order to survive.
A key to making all of these good things happen is the in-country distribution system developed by SHN. They partner with local Rotary and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to receive the food shipments, distribute it in appropriate quantities, and provide proof that the food is being used for its intended purpose. The organizations are regularly audited by in-country units of SHN. In a brilliant move, SHN insists the in-country organizations raise the money to pay for shipping the food in. The local organizations have "skin in the game" and must answer to their local donors as well as to Stop Hunger Now. They are highly motivated to be effective organizers and distributors of the prized food shipments. Their local "clients" are counting on them.
In the U.S., local organizations like Rotary, churches and others arrange and fund packaging marathons where thousands of meals are measured, bagged and packaged for shipment in a hectic, day-long event. Holly Springs residents have packaged over 100,000 meals in events usually conducted on the same day as the Holly Springs Christmas parade. Residents aged seven to 70 get enthused and inspired by the incredible amount of good they are able to achieve in a single, concentrated effort.
The program in its present form began in Raleigh, NC in 2005. The goal in 2006 was to package one million meals. Rotary clubs and others helped SHN surge past that goal to package 1.6 million meals in their first year.
Since then, the organization has expanded its production centers to 13 U.S. communities in seven states, and in four locations overseas. From these locations, it serves 72 countries around the world. This past year, under the umbrella of Stop Hunger Now, Rotary members, church members, students and others have packaged and distributed over 21 million meals.
This grass roots effort, begun in Raleigh and still headquartered there, is growing rapidly and has recently received official support from Rotary International. Rotary, with its 1.3 million members in 34,000 clubs in some 200 countries is in a unique position to partner with SHN to help it scale up its impact.
As Rod Brooks explained, the mission of Stop Hunger Now is to end chronic hunger in our lifetime. We know what our bodies need to survive and thrive. We have enough food to do the job. We have the right plan to help people climb out of poverty. We are building the organization to implement the plan. We have within our grasp the opportunity to have a world free from chronic hunger. Brooks invited the Holly Springs Rotary Club and Holly Springs residents to join in this effort. Together, he says, we can change the world.
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