My first job was serving lunch to my peers in the 4th grade cafeteria. I thought I was chosen because I was special. In reality, serving meant I got my lunch for free.
Fortuitously, I am now in a position to "feed it forward." And I am doing just that by donating 10% of the royalties of my book, "Simply Sugar Free: 6 Simple Steps to Conquer Sugar Addiction", to the FEED Foundation.
The FEED Foundation has raised funds to provide 35,000 hungry children with a daily school lunch for an entire school year through the UN World Food Program. To date I have funded 4,000 individual school lunches.
Research shows that when children are given school meals, attendance doubles and performance greatly improves. Girls with just a few years of education have fewer children, have them later in life and are better prepared to care for and educate them.
The FEED Foundation receives much of its funding from its sister organization, FEED Projects. FEED Projects was founded in 2007 with the simple idea of creating products that would engage people in the fight against hunger in a tangible way. Every one of FEED's products has a number stamped on it that signifies the amount of meals or micronutrient packets provided with its purchase.
FEED is a social business, with an enduring principle at the heart of what they do: people’s choices of what to buy and wear have the power to change the world. As such, all of their products are produced under fair-labor conditions. They are also committed to using environmentally friendly materials, including organic cotton and burlap, whenever possible.
They also work with established cooperatives in Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Kenya and Peru to provide sustainable livelihoods to underserved populations. Through the sale of their artisan-made products, they provide meals in the countries where they were produced, closing the loop on investment in these communities.
Feeding it forward, Sue