There are places around the world that don’t have the means to choose or develop their community. Many are trapped in a culture of poverty and despair. This is exactly why we are so excited about our partnership with Food for the Hungry (FH). They have a unique approach to addressing poverty in struggling countries and we will be coming alongside them to aid their work with the communities of the Dominican Republic (DR).
The problem of poor healthcare, unclean water, and a lack of food is not a new issue, but FH is changing the way we give to those in need. Our goal within our partnership will be to take a struggling village in the DR and, over the next 3-10 years (as needed), transform them into a striving, self-sustained community.
Many humanitarian efforts have gone into a developing country and given food, clean water, and medicine; while we are extremely grateful for their global efforts, we really want to be a part of transforming the community as a whole. When FH enters a community, they meet with various male and female people of importance in the community to identify what the greatest needs are and in what order they should be addressed. After there is a goal in place, the community leaders and FH representatives work together to create a plan of action for the community.
The funds donated by partners are deposited into an escrow fund for the community and are distributed as needed. Instead of bringing a resource and leaving it to be consumed, FH communities work and contribute to the developmental process using the donated funds to move toward becoming economically independent. Once the community has reached a sustainable state, FH pulls out and moves on to another community while still checking in from time to time.
FH has shown us various stories of monumental change as a result of their method. It only seemed natural as a company who identifies so strongly with a sense of community to become a part of what FH is doing. We are optimistic and ecstatic about the journey ahead in the DR and we invite you to be a part!