Family to family aid

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t want to support efforts to relieve hunger and poverty, which continue to be a problem even in developed countries. But donating money or non-perishables to food banks, while philanthropic, can feel a bit detached—and therefore easy for consumers to overlook. Family-to-Family, a non-profit hunger relief program is looking to change that by making charity personal. Family-to-Family links middle class or well-to-do families to less privileged counterparts in poor rural areas of the United States. There are two options for sponsoring a family. With the first option, the sponsoring family actually shops and packages shipments of food and other essential items—such as warm winter gloves, over-the-counter medicine or shampoo—once a month. Alternatively, a family may choose to send a gift certificate or check in the amount of USD 35 earmarked toward the purchase of food each month with an essential item. Families also are encouraged to write letters to get to know one another, making the mission all the more personal. The organization, which was started with a meagre 17 names of families who desperately needed support, now serves more than 700. In the past, we’ve featured initiatives like Kiva and C4-World, both aimed at patrons in wealthy countries supporting businesses and individuals in developing nations. Unfortunately, poverty also exists in those donor countries. For example, Family-to-Family aids people in Mingo County, West Virginia where many residents do not have running water or telephones. Entrepreneurs who want to lend their business sense to making the world a little brighter for the less fortunate: take note! Spotted by: Roderick Cremers