Kids Against Hunger - Toledo Region
Kids Against Hunger is a nonprofit humanitarian food aid organization whose mission it is to significantly reduce the number of starving children around he world.
In 2009, a small group of people from Toledo, Ohio joined with SewHope to start a local satellite of Kids Against Hunger in order to obtain nutritious food that could be shipped to the malnourished children in the villages of Guatemala that we are working in. Those involved in the work of SewHope saw an emergency need for adequate nutrition for the chldren in this region. While we realize that a long term solution to solving the problem of malnutrition is complex and involves much more than these meals, we see that this program is clearly addressing the immediate need and allowing children not just to survive, but to thrive.
KAH meals provide a rich source of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins needed by a malnourished child's body and mind. The food is well accepted by the communities we work in and the meals offer all nine of the essential amino acids required for complete nutrition - something that can't be said about other typical food relief sources such as rice or beans alone. The food is easy to package and store and easily prepared using only boiling water.
Another group of unplanned - but very real - beneficiaries of Kids Against Hunger are the volunteers who package the food. The manual food packaging process not only feeds many children, it also brings satisfaction and deep engagement to the volunteers who package it. For most volunteers, it is the ultimate hands-on contribution that, because of its simplicity, individuals of all ages can perform. Volunteers from all walks of life and society - including schools, churches, civic & scouting troops, corporations, neighborhood kids, and families package the food for distribution to starving people all over the world.
Through the packaging efforts of these groups, volunteers learn and reaffirm the importance of looking beyond themselves, towards serving the needs of others. After two hours of time spent packaging food, a group could easily have helped to create several thousand servings of food. At the end of that time they can see the cartons of food they packaged, stacked, and ready to be sent .
In 2009, a small group of people from Toledo, Ohio joined with SewHope to start a local satellite of Kids Against Hunger in order to obtain nutritious food that could be shipped to the malnourished children in the villages of Guatemala that we are working in. Those involved in the work of SewHope saw an emergency need for adequate nutrition for the chldren in this region. While we realize that a long term solution to solving the problem of malnutrition is complex and involves much more than these meals, we see that this program is clearly addressing the immediate need and allowing children not just to survive, but to thrive.
KAH meals provide a rich source of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins needed by a malnourished child's body and mind. The food is well accepted by the communities we work in and the meals offer all nine of the essential amino acids required for complete nutrition - something that can't be said about other typical food relief sources such as rice or beans alone. The food is easy to package and store and easily prepared using only boiling water.
Another group of unplanned - but very real - beneficiaries of Kids Against Hunger are the volunteers who package the food. The manual food packaging process not only feeds many children, it also brings satisfaction and deep engagement to the volunteers who package it. For most volunteers, it is the ultimate hands-on contribution that, because of its simplicity, individuals of all ages can perform. Volunteers from all walks of life and society - including schools, churches, civic & scouting troops, corporations, neighborhood kids, and families package the food for distribution to starving people all over the world.
Through the packaging efforts of these groups, volunteers learn and reaffirm the importance of looking beyond themselves, towards serving the needs of others. After two hours of time spent packaging food, a group could easily have helped to create several thousand servings of food. At the end of that time they can see the cartons of food they packaged, stacked, and ready to be sent .
