Imagine—if just 5 people give $5 each, then that would be enough to make a life-changing loan. The $700 you raised goes very far in developing countries. In countries where people live on $1 a day, $700 can make a BIG difference for MANY families.

While the most immediate way to help is to make a donation, there are many other ways you can make a difference in the world. By hosting a party, you shared our mission with your friends. We need volunteers like you to help us build awareness about the problem of chronic hunger, and to spread the word about the potential of self-help solutions for families living in deep poverty.

To help you host a truly meaningful event, we can provide you with:
• Our brand new DVD, featuring Jane Pauley
• Event checklist (PDF)
• Invitation template (PDF)
• Flyer you can send via e-mail (MS Word Document)
• Donation form (PDF)
• Access to create your own event Website (available for large events)

Many thanks for your continued support!

I have worked with orphans in Honduras and low income children in Guatemala, and in both cases I encountered children who came from a background of extreme poverty. After meeting them and being touched by their stories, I knew there was no way I could NOT work toward ending hunger. With this background, I jumped at the opportunity to intern with Freedom from Hunger, and every day I'm here I consider myself so fortunate to be able to work for something I truly believe in.

While working in a rural community in Costa Rica during my Junior year of college, I became acquainted with the concept and benefits of microfinance. The sister of my host father began a poultry farm with a small loan. I watched her small business expand with each new batch of chicks, improving not only her personal economic status, but also the nutritional options of the village. I returned to the U.S. committed to help those less fortunate.

Due to our small size and limited resources, volunteers can help us the most and have the greatest impact by becoming advocates on our behalf. When more people hear about hunger in the world, and when more people learn about Freedom from Hunger's proven solutions and decide to support our efforts, more hungry people will be reached with resources they need to end their own hunger.

Charter an official Freedom from Hunger Club at your high school or university. Help raise awareness and funds to support our efforts in ending chronic hunger, for good! Students in the past have focused on spreading awareness by tabling on campus and local events as well as putting on various fundraisers to end chronic hunger in an engaging way.

Upon successfully completing and returning your club application, we will provide a welcome packet to get you started—including a certificate of membership and our DVD.

Part of my decision to intern at Freedom from Hunger came from my own travels in which I met people living in poverty. Another reason I wanted to intern here came from studying International Relations for five years. After approaching issues of poverty and development academically for all those years, I wanted to do something about it and make a difference. And it is actually being able to do something that keeps me here. The stereotype of an intern is someone who gets coffee or makes copies, but it's not like that here at Freedom from Hunger. Whether it's helping prepare for Freedom from Hunger Day, working on outreach activities, or raising awareness of chronic hunger, I know that not only am I supporting people who are changing the world, but that *I* am helping to change the world.

When I first heard about microfinance, I immediately wanted to learn more about “banking for the poor.” I sought out Freedom from Hunger because it takes a different approach to Microfinance. Through our Credit with Education program, we add health and business education because we feel that credit alone isn’t enough to create lasting change. I love being a part of an organization that is so cutting-edge and committed to reaching the chronically hungry poor.

There are many ways to support our mission. Get active in your community by starting a club, write letters to the editor, or plan a potluck and have your guests donate what they would have spent going out to dinner at a restaurant. You can end hunger for generations to come by designating Freedom from Hunger a beneficiary on a life insurance policy or in your will. Here are some other suggestions:

5 Ways You Can End Global Hunger

1. Become a virtual volunteer and spread the word online—add Freedom from Hunger to your e-mail and forum signatures. Here's a suggestion: "I dare to dream about a world free from hunger. Will you?
Visit: www.freedomfromhunger.org." Email a global hunger awareness e-card to your friends. Find e-cards at https://www.freedomfromhunger.org/ecard/.

2. Party like you just DO care—host a party to make a difference and inspire others. Plan anything from a formal sit-down dinner to a potluck; just remember to share your belief in ending chronic hunger and your passion for Freedom from Hunger with friends and family. To help you host a truly meaningful event, download our party kit at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/action/party/index.php.

3. Start a Freedom from Hunger Club at your school, club, or place of worship. Your club can spread the word about global hunger and hold fundraisers to help chronically hungry families. Find resources to help you start on our website, at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org.

4. Host Awareness—add a Freedom from Hunger banner to your website or MySpace page. You can also add the cause on Facebook. Find banners at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/action/virtual/banner.php.

5. Give a little and get a lot. It’s easier than you think to make a sacrifice that changes lives. By skipping just one latte per week, you could send $15 per month to charities that equip women and families living on less than $1 per day for self-sufficiency. You can start at www.freedomfromhunger.org.

We’ve already mentioned some ways to help in previous responses. In addition, you might have heard about the three C’s for Action:
1. Raise your Consciousness: the purpose of Freedom from Hunger Day is to raise awareness about chronic hunger. By joining this chat and learning about microfinance you are doing just that!
2. Communicate what you’ve learned, share it with others, and educate those you think might be interested in our mission
3. Contribute you time, skills or dollars

The loan is given out by a lending organization (a credit union, rural bank, or non-government organization) directly to the person who applied for the loan, in a group setting so that everyone can see transparently what is going on.

In most circumstances, the lending organization goes to the community and gives them a several-week orientation about the loan cycle and repayment.

We work with local partners--credit unions, non-governmental organizations, and local nonprofits-- that share our commitment to ending hunger and poverty in their own country. Our staff travel to the countries in which we operate in order to transfer our skills and knowledge to the local organizations. Local people then go out and provide the services directly to the women. The knowledge is theirs to own, and that’s why it lasts.

The second reason we work through partners is leverage. Our organization employs only 60 full-time staff. We are currently working with more than 50 partner organizations, and together helping 3 million people. If we did everything ourselves, our outreach would be a fraction of that number.

Before Freedom from Hunger I hadn't had a lot of practical experience with microfinance. I had studied it in my Econ and Development classes in college, but I hadn't seen it firsthand. One of the reasons why interning at Freedom from Hunger is such an amazing opportunity is how much I'm able to learn about microfinance and non-profits. All the staff members here are very patient with my questions and will always take the time to explain to me what they do and why they do it. Being here is a learning experience for me, and I have SO MUCH more to learn, but I am very fortunate to be able to work with such committed, knowledgeable people, and I know that my internship here will be one of the most valuable experiences of my education.

I have worked here at Freedom from Hunger for over a year, and I plan on staying here for many years to come. I have learned so much about microfinance, public health, adult education, and various cultures around the world.

More importantly, working here has changed my outlook and attitude towards the problems of poverty. Before joining Freedom from Hunger, I felt hopeless and overwhelmed by tragic statistics such as the fact that 16,000 children die EVERY day of hunger-related causes. Now, I have hope. I am proud to be a part of the solution.

Because of the technical methodology we use in the field, the only volunteers we place overseas are those with advanced degrees in medicine, public health, research, and/or experience in microfinance implementation and technical assistance. Even those volunteers must go through a rigorous application and screening process.

If you would like to volunteer in our Davis office, send your resume and cover letter to internships@freedomfromhunger.org. Because we are located in Davis and our office is small, what we really need are people who are willing to take initiative and be activists in their own community. The more people we have spreading the word in multiple places, the more we're likely to put an end to chronic hunger!