WILL WORK FOR FOOD

High Five to Lauren Yaffe!

2012-01-22T15:32:00.008-05:00

Last week on Monday (1/16/12), Americans across the country observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While some spent the day off from work and classes relaxing, others spent the day giving back to the community. Lauren Yaffe falls into the latter group. After hearing about Will Work for Food from her cousin, co-founder Steve Weinberg, Lauren has spent the last four Martin Luther King Jr. Days at the Chicago Cares MLK Jr. Day of Service event. We caught up with Lauren to talk about how she spent her MLK Jr. Day, how she has maintained sponsorship for three years (a difficult feat!), and her advice for those who are interested in Will Work for Food.

Lauren (wearing the Michigan sweatshirt) with fellow volunteers.

What activities did you do for MLK Day this year?

I annually attend the Chicago Cares MLK Jr. Day of Service volunteering event. I have attended the event the last four years and it's a well organized event with lots of volunteers from all over Chicago.Chicago Cares assigns each volunteer to a project each year so you never know what you'll do until the day of the event! This year, I volunteered at an elementary school on the south side of Chicago. The event was open to children and teenagers to participate in activities at the school for most of the day on Saturday Jan 14th. I volunteered with older kids ages 8-14 doing interactive activities throughout the day. We did a "love your neighbor" activity allowing the kids to interact with their peers as well as learn that we are all similar in many ways. We then did a game called the Bully Machine in which we taught kids about bullying and how to respond when they get bullied or if they see a friend or fellow student getting bullied. Cyberbullying is a major issue in schools right now due to Facebook, Twitter and even texting, so it is important to teach kids tolerance and acceptance as well as how to respond if they are being bullied. The last activity allowed the kids to paint their ideas of what symbols of peace look like throughout the world. We glued all the paintings together into a mural that was hung in the school foyer for all the kids to see.

Describe how you have continued your relationship with your sponsors over the years.

I only choose one volunteer event each year to get WWFF sponsorship for. I have decided that a large annual full day volunteer project seems worthy of asking for sponsorship from my friends and family. Plus, it is an annual commitment that I have made to Chicago Cares and WWFF that most of my friends and family recognize. I also make it known that any form of financial support is appreciated and can make an impact on child malnutrition. I also encourage my friends to volunteer with me each year! Each year, I've had 1-2 friends to volunteer with me (usually U of M grads!). When asking for sponsorship/donations, I usually only reach out to friends that I have a strong relationship with. I also like to ask co-workers that I'm close with if I think that they would be passionate about the WWFF cause. Lastly, after the volunteer activity, I write all the sponsors a follow up email sharing with them what volunteer activity I did for the day (with pictures attached) as well as how much they helped to raise in total. I think this email allows the sponsors to feel included in the work effort rather than feel just like a person who donated.

Do you have any advice for those who are interested in Will Work for Food but need ideas or inspiration going forward?

I think that people should volunteer for a cause that they are passionate about. I am passionate about fighting child malnutrition in Africa (I've traveled to Kenya, Morocco, South Africa and Zambia and have seen the living conditions, poverty and lack of clean water) and think the cause is worthy of our support. Also, I enjoy giving back to my community while also making friends. Thus, I often try to volunteer with Chicago Cares activities which has many young professionals. I also enjoy volunteering with University of Michigan alumni to stay connected to my college roots. It's important to be selective in asking for sponsors. If someone chooses to tutor children every other week at a local elementary school, that person could ask for sponsorship for the entire year based on their bi-weekly commitment to serve in the community. I have chosen to partner with WWFF for my annual Chicago Cares MLK Jr. Day of Service.

Lauren, thank you so much for your continued support for Will Work for Food and your philanthropic spirit. We look forward to hearing about your future accomplishments!

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High Five to UNC's Troy Homesley!

2011-11-12T14:46:00.008-05:00

As as sophomore, Troy Homesley has already made incredible strides towards building the WWFF chapter and morale at UNC Chapel Hill. Check out what he has to say about his role in WWFF and where he finds inspiration!

Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD? What you do for the organization?

One of the best experiences during my time at UNC has been the establishment and development of UNC's chapter of WWFF. My freshman year, I was contacted by Ben Vollmer, co-founder of this chapter, and he told me what WWFF was all about. The philosophy behind WWFF intrigued me, it intrigued me because it was something much more than a volunteer organization and had much higher goals than merely raising money. That's when I decided to become involved. One year later, WWFF has received UNC recognition and new members join daily. Today, I also serve as the Chair of the Volunteer, we oversee the development and implementation of weekl Committee y work efforts.

This past summer, I was in India for two months working on an education development project in a local slum area. Through my work in India, I gained a better appreciation for the fact that the work that we do at WWFF has very meaningful and far-reaching effects upon countless human beings. To see the suffering of starving children and families allowed me to understand the dire needs of places such as India, Somalia, the French Horn and other areas around the world. The realization of this need motivated me to come back to campus and do my best to help WWFF help others.

Please describe the event for which you raised money recently. Was this donation expected? How did you feel after receiving such a donation?

Recently, we organized a work effort to help clean up a local park known as Battle Park. We met at the park around 10:00 a.m. and went through to clear out weeds that would otherwise turn the park into a monoculture. This is an event we volunteer at multiple times each year, and something that leaves a tangible difference at the end of the day. I created the work effort and soon I had my first donations rolling in. Not only was I getting donations, but so were others from UNC who had signed up for the work effort. It's a great feeling to know that people are putting their money where their mouth is and literally pledging to support local volunteering and global action simultaneously.

What else do you partake in outside of WWFF?

Outside of WWFF, I am a member of the UNC Attorney General's Staff, a captain of the Carolina Mock Trial Team and a founder of The Sigma Phi Society. I am majoring in Political Science and Philosophy and I hope to attend law school after I complete my undergraduate studies. In the meantime, I pride myself on being a friend of the one and only Ben Vollmer.

List the top 5 places you wish to travel to:

1.) Iran

2.) Turkey

3.) Chile

4.) Nepal

5.) Israel

Many thanks to Troy Homesley, Ben Vollmer, Peter Helvie, Jesse Marques, and everyone else at the WWFF chapter at UNC for continuing to accomplish amazing things. We look forward to hearing about your future efforts!

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at @willwork4_food

Or "Like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WillWorkForFood.org

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Drought in Somalia

2011-11-10T15:19:00.005-05:00

Did you know that it has been over 100 days since famine was declared in Somalia?

As our goal is to help malnourished children around the globe, the current condition in Somalia is extremely relevant to our cause. This past summer, Somalia experienced one of the worst droughts in 60 years and has caused famine. Tens of thousands of Somalis have died and others have fled to neighboring countries.

How bad really is it?

Between July and September, over 110,000 malnourished children in the region were taken to health centers due to moderate and severe malnutrition.

What is America doing to help?

Aid groups around the country have raised about $60 million from private donors. While this should not be overlooked, it is noticeably lower than the $1.29 billion that we raised for Haiti.

What can you do to help the cause?

Get involved and raise sponsors--“volunteer locally to save children globally!”

Click here to see a video of a three-year-old boy who had severe acute malnutrition, the most extreme kind. He is one of the 336,000 children who suffer from this malnutrition across Somalia. Yet, after two months of treatment with therapeutic foods and medication, he is currently recovering!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Lauren Hasday's Experience in Bogota!

2011-10-24T18:24:00.006-04:00

University of Michigan graduate, Lauren Hasday, tells us about her experience living in Bogota and her unbelievable work. She was a very active member of Will Work For Food while she was at Michigan and is continuing her community service in Bogota. We sent her some questions and she was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer them for us. They are below:

1) Who you are, what you are all about, how did you get involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD, what you do for the organization, anything else cool that you do outside of WWFF?

I just graduated from U-M in April with a degree in Psychology, History and Women’s Studies. I’m originally from Long Island, but I’m living in Bogota, Colombia for the year teaching English, travelling and learning Spanish. I got involved with Will Work for Food my junior year because my friend told me about it and it sounded really interested. I’m really into social responsibility and giving back to the community so I thought WWFF had a really great philosophy reaching out to our local community and the world at large. I started out as a Regional Manager organizing and maintaining relationships with reps from other colleges in the US. I moved on my senior year to be a member of the marketing team helping with some publicity and website stuff and the larger U-M events.

2) What are you currently doing/working on for WWFF?

Right now since I graduated I am just doing some volunteering, I am teaching English to wounded soldiers on an army and a navy battalion in Bogota. We are teaching them English as a marketable skill that could help them get a job in the future. We teach basic conversation and vocabulary that will be useful in their day-to-day lives. It’s a pretty good experience because many of the men I am teaching haven’t had very much formal education and it’s cool to see their progress week-to-week. I immediately thought of WWFF when I got started so I asked Steve if I could get it sponsored so that I could stay connected to the club because I really enjoyed working for WWFF in school.

3) A top five list of a category such as "Favorite Things About Fall," "Favorite Things About Halloween," "Places I'd Like To Visit," "Favorite TV Shows," or any other category that you can think of.

Top Five Places I’d Like to Visit: 1. Cairo 2. Santorini 3. Budapest 4. Jerusalem 5. Abu Dhabi

Lauren, thanks so much for telling us about your experience in Bogota.  We love to hear about the good work our WWFF members are doing around the world!

Furman U. hosts clever fundraiser

2011-05-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

Furman University recently hosted one of the most innovative, creative, and most importantly, au natural ways to raise money for our cause: Mustache March for Malnourishment. Pretty witty name, no? We recently interviewed one of the brave men who sported a mustache for the entire month--Zach Greene.

How did you get involved? Why?

In regards to how I got involved with WWFF, my friend Sarah Caldwell (who is the chapter president at Furman) and I had been talking about starting a non-profit organization branch at Furman, and Will Work for Food seemed like a great organization to be affiliated with. Also, our friend from high school Ben Vollmer, who participates in the Will Work for Food chapter in Chapel Hill, had suggested the organization as a great non-profit to be a part of.

What about Furman University makes it a good place for WWFF?

Furman University is comprised of students who are willing and able to invest their time and effort into activities outside of the academic realm, which made the Mustache March for Malnourishment fundraiser easy to manage. It's difficult to generalize, but I'd say Furman students are cognizant of problems that are globally relevant, such as malnourishment, as well as problems that affect our nation specifically, such as widespread hunger. Ultimately, the Furman students who participated in Mustache March for Malnourishment showed the initiative to sacrifice their time in order to raise money in order to help a cause that they felt was of great importance.

Tell us about the work effort. What did you do to make it succeed? How did you market it on campus?

Initially we put flyers up around campus advertising Mustache March for Malnourishment, stating, "Support your favorite mustache" and "Your change makes a change." I felt like getting big donations from college students would be difficult, but "tapping into" their parents and Furman alumni would yield the biggest donations. We spread the word through email to our peers and our professors, and we also made a large poster that we put up in the dining hall with the pictures of the contestants with mustaches. Ideally next year we will get the Furman president Dr. Smolla as well as other Furman faculty members to grow mustaches in support of the fundraiser.

Tell us about the contestants who participated. How did they raise money? Any funny stories?

The contestants who participated were: Dakota Derrick, Zack Houghton, Parth Thakker, Michael Kelly, and myself. I was skeptical all along of my mustache growing abilities, and I knew that some of the other participants would not have my same difficulties. When we came back from spring break, our friend and contestant Parth Thakker already had a much thicker mustache than any of the other participants, and proceeded to tell us that he had already shaved twice for a family wedding. My friend and roommate Michael Kelly had to compete in multiple track events (200m sprinter) with a mustache, so I'm sure that was entertaining for his competitors. Other than constantly being asked if I had lost a bet, or if I was rushing for a frat, or being called "sir" outside of Furman, not too much was different with having a mustache.

Any future plans to raise money for WWFF?

We intend to hold Mustache March for Malnourishment again next year at Furman. Ideally, it will be an intercollegiate competition, each college raising a minimum amount of money between the contestants and then competing for the prestigious award "Best Mustaches in America." This year's fundraiser was quite the learning experience for Michael Kelly, Sarah Caldwell, and I, and I think knowing now what goes into managing a successful fundraiser, we should expect to see a great increase in the amount of donations raised for next year's Mustache March for Malnourishment!

A big thanks to Furman University for this clever idea to raise money and awareness for child malnutrition!

High Five From WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Elizabeth Watchowski

2011-04-07T23:37:00.009-04:00

This installment of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD High Five features Elizabeth Watchowski, a University of Michigan freshman who, back in mid-March, had one of the most impressive performances during the highly successful HQ Team Food Drive. Elizabeth, who decided to volunteer for the Food Drive with her Delta Delta Delta sorority, managed to raise $2,440 from nearly 30 different sponsors, all in less than 48 hours!

Elizabeth found that getting sponsored for her volunteer work wasn't complicated, it just took a little time and thoughtful effort. She started out by sending the generic WWFF-provided email to prospective sponsors before following up with her own personalized note, sending both to her entire list of online contacts as well as those of her parents. And while Elizabeth acknowledges that her success is largely due to "the extreme generosity of [her] friends and family," her strategy of getting sponsored obviously proved to be successful. It's a simple concept (personalizing emails and sending follow-ups), but doggone it, it works.

Following the Food Drive, Elizabeth mentioned that it was her first experience with WILL WORK FOR FOOD, but that it won't be her last. We are glad to hear that and look forward to having Elizabeth on board for future WWFF-HQ Team events. And since she'll be sticking around, why not get to know Elizabeth a little more. And is there any better way to get to know somebody new than finding out their favorite PG rated Youtube videos? There isn't. And that's why we are proud to present Elizabeth Watchowski's

Pre-Event Highlight: UNC Battle Park Cleanup & Block Party

2011-03-31T19:11:00.005-04:00

From 10am-12pm on April 2nd, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, WILL WORK FOR FOOD-UNC will be hosting the Battle Park Cleanup. More than 20 volunteers are expected to take part in this service project which aims to beautify Battle Park, located on-campus at the University of North Carolina.

"[Battle Park] is a great place for students to run, hike, or just hang out," said WWFF-UNC Co-Chapter Represntative, Ben Vollmer, "This will be the second time we've helped to clean up Battle Park."

Following the service project, students at UNC are invited to attend a Block Party on Amity Court. There, attendees will be treated to food and live music, all intended to raise awareness for the UNC Chapter of WILL WORK FOR FOOD. According to Vollmer, the Block Party was the brainchild of marketing manager, Jayce Walker.

"We've just finished applying for official university recognition, which we should have in the fall, and we wanted to make the student body familiar with WILL WORK FOR FOOD," said Vollmer, "Jayce contacted a number of bands to play and really took the lead on this project."

With the help of their other Chapter Rep, Peter Helvie, as well as everyone else at WWFF-UNC, our folks down in Chapel Hill certainly are on the quick path to success. Great job Tar Heels and good luck this weekend with the Battle Park Cleanup and Block Party!

WILL WORK FOR FOOD is fortunate to have many great chapters all over the country. It seems like every week, another great work effort s is being hosted by WWFF somewhere. If you think you have what it takes to be a great Chapter Rep and come up with your own service events, learn how you can become a Chapter Rep today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Event Highlight Update: Top Teams from the HQ Food Drive

2011-03-22T17:07:00.003-04:00

The WILL WORK FOR FOOD Headquarters Team's Food Drive (March 11-12) was a through and through success ($6,000 raised and 3012 pounds of food collected). With the final numbers in, we are excited to announce our top teams! First off, Team Delta:

Led by team captain Becca Kendis, Team Delta raised $3,460. We appreciate all of the hard work each and every team put into the Food Drive, but Team Delta particularly blew us away with their unprecedented success with fundraising.
Team Delta was comprised of 10 members of the University of Michigan's Delta Delta Delta chapter. After being informed about WILL WORK FOR FOOD by an academic advisor, Becca attended a WWFF Food Drive mass meeting back in January, where she decided to become a team captain. Utilzing the outreach resources provided to team captains from WWFF, Becca was able to organize Team Delta and get them on track to raise their record sum with support from friends and families.

"We feel very fortunate that our team members' families and friends were incredibly supportive of our efforts and responded so generously," said Becca.

Understanding that not everyone is in a position to donate generously, it was definitely helpful that the members of Team Delta reached out to nearly 100 friends and family asking them to contribute.

One member of Team Delta did an especially outstanding job. In less than 24 hours, Elizabeth Watchowski managed to raise $1,835 from over a dozen different family members and friends that sponsored her! The donations kept rolling in and Elizabeth ended up raising $2,400 from about 25 sponsors. Look for another blog post coming soon about how Elizabeth had so much success.

Another noteworthy performance came from Team KKG. This team, led by Lucy Przybylski, Stephanie Priel, and Jess Lazar, worked its way to raising $1,150. Jess, the designated team captain, mentioned that she had so much success fundraising by simply sending a pre-drafted email from WWFF out to over a dozen family members and friends. It definitely helped that Jess wrote a compelling bio in her WWFF profile and also followed up with an additional personalized email to them all.

"Almost everyone that I emailed donated," Jess said, "I am really lucky to have such generous and supportive people in my life."

And WILL WORK FOR FOOD is lucky to have had such great people working hard to ensure the food drive's success. Becca, Elizabeth, Jess and the rest of our "Workers" that participated in the food drive and got sponsored perfectly demonstrate how big of an impact you can have when you just get involved and ask friends and family to support your work.

We couldn't have pulled off this food drive without our team captains, volunteers, and of course everyone that contributed as a sponsor. We sincerely thank everyone that was involved! We also encourage you all to continue volunteering locally to save children globally!

Want to get involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD but you don't know how? Stop thinking and dive right in!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Event Highlight: HQ Team Food Drive

2011-03-14T23:26:00.009-04:00

Based in Ann Arbor, MI, the WILL WORK FOR FOOD Headquarters Team works very hard to ensure WWFF spreads itself into high schools and colleges across the nation diligently and successfully. With goal-setting, branding, and consulting services, dozens of (mostly) University of Michigan (UofM) students spend dozens of hours each week ensuring WILL WORK FOR FOOD's success. This past weekend, however, the WWFF-HQ Team practiced what it preaches and hosted a large-scale event at UofM:

The HQ Team Food Drive.

The Food Drive was a two-day event that started on Friday, March 11th. Groups, led by designated and trained team captains, were assigned neighborhoods near the Michigan campus and around Ann Arbor where they flyered and distributed collection bags to nearly 1,000 houses advertising the food dirve. Then, the next day from 12-3pm, volunteers spent their afternoons collecting canned goods left out by residents on their porches. Following the collection, each group returned to campus for a sorting party at which the HQ Team, Team Captains and volunteers gathered to see the impressive amount of food that they gathered.

"It was really inspiring to see so many students who truly wanted to make a difference." ~Levi Barry, WWFF Evaluation Manager

The final weigh-in for collected canned goods came in at a whopping 3,012 lbs. That is heavier than most mid-sized cars! Every pound of that food went to Food Gatherers, an Ann Arbor-based food bank that provides over 10,000 meals a day for those in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County who are in need.

With over 15 groups and over 80 volunteers, this group of dedicated U-M students did the Maize & Blue proud en route to raising over $5,000 (as of 3/14/11; new donations continue to pour in).

Levi Barry, a U-M junior and in his second year as WWFF's Evaluation Manager, was very impressed with the dedication put in by the volunteers and Team Captains, especially considering the timing of the event.

"Because so many of the volunteers' friends were spending this past Friday and Saturday partying in preparation for St. Patricks's Day [this coming Thursday], it was really inspiring to see these students who truly wanted to make a difference dedicate their weekend to making the Food Drive a success."

While a number of Food Drive volunteers have been a part of WILL WORK FOR FOOD's HQ Team for at least a few months, many were participating in their first WWFF event.

"I decided to be a team captain because it seemed like a great opportunity to
get some leadership experience and to help out a worthy cause," freshman Lauren Nieman said, "I think this type of event has a strong future at U-M because it was a great way for college students to get involved in the community while also helping malnourished kids abroad without taking up too much time from their busy schedules."

And with these kinds of endorsement from Michigan underclassmen, it is easy to understand why the future of WILL WORK FOR FOOD has the students at U-M so excited.

"I think it's great that WILL WORK FOR FOOD at Michigan is now practicing what it preaches," said Barry, "I look forward to next year's Food Drive as we work to build upon the success of this year's."

And they will.

Be on the lookout for blog posts this week about top captains and participants from the Food Drive.

There are so many great work efforts that have gone on across America through WILL WORK FOR FOOD, and it's easy to bring WWFF to your school. Don't hesitate, become a WWFF Rep today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Event Highlight: Hunger Banquet @ OSU

2011-02-27T14:59:00.004-05:00

Last Wednesday (2/23/11), WWFF-OSU, led by campus rep Molly Morse, raised $275 by participating in the "Hunger Banquet". The event was put on by an Ohio State Honors College service organization - Serving With Honor - and is a yearly event that WWFF-OSU hopes to be a part of on a traditional basis.

"Before the event we thought if we could raise about $80, we would all be happy," said Morse, "When we realized that we had raised $275 we were over the moon since it is only our first year on campus."

At the Hunger Banquet - where all proceeds went to WILL WORK FOR FOOD - WWFF-OSU gave a presentation about their work and the organization which was followed by a screening of the Doctors Without Borders documentary, Starved For Attention. At the end of the event, everyone signed a petition to change the nutritional guidelines for donated food aid. The petition will be presented to world leaders at the G8 summit in May by Doctors Without Borders representatives.

While the Hunger Banquet at Ohio State did a great job of spreading the WILL WORK FOR FOOD message, the "main event" was easily the coolest part of the entire experience. Finding a creative way to express global food inequality, participants were randomly divided into 3 classifications and received a meal based on their classification. The smallest group of participants was in the "Wealthy Class" and was served a 3-course meal of lasagna, salad, and desert. The next group, modestly larger than the wealthy class was the "Middle Class" who had to wait in line to receive one slice of pizza and water. Finally, the largest class (which made up the majority of the participants) was the "Lower Class" who had to wait in line to receive only a small plate of rice. After everyone had their meal, participants were seated at a table that had people from each classification in order to facilitate discussion about class inequalities, especially pertaining to food.

With the advice of their faculty advisor, Julie Humbel, WWFF-OSU's core team of Morse, Megan Bennett, and Adrienne Darah got in contact with Serving With Honor about volunteering at the Hunger Banquet as a work effort. Impressed with WILL WORK FOR FOOD, however, it was decided that the focus of the 2011 Hunger Banquet would be on global hunger and that all of the proceeds benefited WILL WORK FOR FOOD. This certainly got Morse excited about the event.

"The Hunger Banquet was a really great idea and we were just lucky enough to be a part of it. I really hope that we can continue to do something similar in the future to benefit WILL WORK FOR FOOD because the participants really seemed to respond well to the discussion about global food inequality and child malnutrition."

I encourage you to learn more about world hunger and the work Doctors Without Borders does. And while your at it, if you are interested in finding a group that is as involved with spreading these important messages like the girls at Ohio State are, don't hesitate; get involved today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

WWFF Participant Spotlight: Lauren Yaffe

2011-01-20T19:40:00.010-05:00

This past Monday (1/17/2011), schools, workplaces, and many other activities and establishments took a break to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This federal holiday is at times viewed as "just another excuse to get a day off," but since 1994, it has been much more than that. When then-President Bill Clinton signed off on King Holiday and Service Act, MLK Jr. Day became (to many) Martin Luther King Day of Service.

The idea of having a day of service every year in mid-January has been a great way to honor Dr. King and his ideas of nonviolent activism. WILL WORK FOR FOOD has always been a great supporter of MLK Service Day and we would like to honor one member who has continually done an excellent job raising money for the WWFF cause through Service Day work efforts.

Lauren Yaffe heard about WILL WORK FOR FOOD from her cousin, co-founder Steve Weinberg. She was automatically inspired by WWFF's slogan: Volunteering locally to help children globally.

"I think that donating to sponor someone's work effort is a really ingenious idea," Yaffe said, "[It]is a strong motivator for people to donate because their money is turning into action!"

This past MLK Service Day, Lauren raised $515 in the fight against child malnutrition, bringing her to an impressive 3-year Service Day total of $1,010!

"Dr. King believed that giving back to the community was crucial and this day is to honor his legacy," added Yaffe.

During past MLK Service Days, Yaffe has taught at an after-school program intended to educate children on Martin Luther King, Jr. and diversity, created murals and paintings for a elementary school on the South Side of Chicago, and - most recently - volunteered at a homeless shelter on Chicago's North Side organizing clothing donations for the homeless.

When it is not MLK Service Day, Lauren Yaffe likes to volunteer through Chicago Cares and has attended several professional networking events that allow her to merge her business interests with philanthropy. For example, she attended a charitable networking event for a law firm where the attendees assembled gift bags that were sent to the Battered Women's Shelter.

Lauren Yaffe's involvement has been inspiring and is a perfect demonstration of how powerful the WILL WORK FOR FOOD model can be. According to Yaffe, her secret to success is something we are all capable of: taking pride in what you do. While she has never been shy in asking for donations from family, friends, and co-workers, Yaffe has made it a point to always personalize her messages to let everyone know exactly how she is involved.

"Volunteering in the community is truly a way of giving back to society and focusing your time and energy on an initiative that is close to your heart. Also, any time you can give is better than nothing, whether it is once a year, once a month or once a week," Yaffe said, "Volunteering doesn't have to be a full day affair - any time that someone can give is better than nothing and will make a difference.

Would you like to make a difference? Have a minute? Get involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Food For Thought: World Hunger vs. World Malnutrition

2010-12-08T15:30:00.003-05:00

This week, Food For Thought will help distinguishing features between world hunger and malnutrition.

One major difference between Hunger and Malnutrition is the cause. According to KidsHealth.org, people who have plenty of food to eat can still suffer from malnourishment. If people are not eating the right food that provides the appropriate nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, they could suffer from diseases associated with the deficiency of certain nutrients.

As the article continues, it also mentions that there are some people become malnourished because a disease prevents them from absorbing or receiving the nutrients from food that they intake.

Despite the difference in the cause, world hunger and malnutrition, however, are highly associated in a larger scale. World hunger and malnutrition most predominantly exist in a world of poverty. Solving issues caused by world hunger could help to alleviate world malnutrition in areas where nutritional foods are not abundant. (eatright. org)

The primary goal of WILL WORK FOR FOOD is to raise funds for the distribution of Plumpy'nut® for malnourished children in countries of poverty.

How to get Plumpy'nut®?
Get involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD!

One hundred percent of the money we raise together will help Doctors Without Borders purchase and distribute nutritional supplements, like Plumpy’nut®, to help save malnourished children.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five From WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Meredith Rizzo

2010-12-06T19:46:00.005-05:00

This installment of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD High Five features Meredith Rizzo of Saint Mary's College (IN). Yesterday, WWFF-Saint Mary's successfully completed their 40-hour work week (November 29-December 5). Participants in the series of work efforts, amongst other activities, wrote letters to soldiers and served brunch at a local homeless shelter. This comes on the heels of a community food drive held in early November. Even more impressive, though, is that WWFF-Saint Mary's was just launched during the last week of October. Multiple successful work efforts at this Indiana private school translates into high hopes for the future!

Meredith first heard about WILL WORK FOR FOOD from some former East Grand Rapids High School classmates, including current Director of Operations, Matt Woelfel. Meredith watched WWFF from a distance the past two years, but always wanting to serve her community while making a difference globally, she started talking to some friends in September about starting a chapter at Saint Mary's. Along with Fundraising Coordinator, Katie Herbig, Volunteer Coordinator, Anna Holod, and Marketing Coordinator, Christina Quinn, Meredith has gotten WWFF-Saint Mary's to hit the ground running.

Had it not been for Meredith spending the entire 2009-2010 academic year studying abroad in Rome, Italy, we could have been fortunate enough to have WWFF-Saint Mary's a whole year earlier. But we're not blaming you, Meredith - I want to go to Rome, too - we're just fortunate to finally have you part of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD family. But just in case Meredith decides to take off somewhere again, we can start by looking at one of her TOP FIVE FAVORITE PLACES IN THE WORLD:

1) Grand Haven, MI
2) Rome, Italy
3) Madrid, Spain
4) Capri, Italy
5) New York, New York

While Meredith's favorite places certainly has an international flavor to it, she knows how important it is to remembers that big differences can start right in your own community. If you would like to find a WWFF group to join, check our group directory; there may be a group at your school already. WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Volunteering Locally to Help Children Globally.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

(Pictured Above L-R: Christina Quinn, Anna Holod, & Meredith Rizzo)

High Five From WILL WORK FOR FOOD: The Buckeye Trio

2010-11-24T11:12:00.005-05:00

Though WILL WORK FOR FOOD is headquartered at the University of Michigan and the annual Michigan-Ohio State football game is this Saturday, in honor of Thanksgiving, this installment of the High Five gives thanks to the hard work by three Buckeye ladies who have accomplished so much down in Colombus.

Led by Chapter Representative, Molly Morse, Volunteer Coordinator, Megan Bennett, and Marketing Coordinator, Adrienne Darah, WWFF-OSU completed its first 40-hour work week (with 45 service hours!) by volunteering at the (Ohio State vs. Michigan) Blood Drive, babysitting for mothers in a local ESL class, and by preparing and serving food at an International Potluck Dinner. These girls have done so much, I can't help but write in run-ons!

The highly-successful WWFF-OSU chapter was started by Molly who, upon transferring to Ohio State from U-M - as a Wolverine, it stings to say that - decided to start up a chapter at OSU since she enjoyed her time with WWFF-Michigan. Megan and Adrienne got involved with WWFF after hearing about it from Molly, and all three of them cited their "WORKIN' FOR FOOD"-motivation as fighting child malnutrition and the excitement of starting their own WWFF-chapter. Well, even in Ann Arbor, we can get excited about this Buckeye trio's work!

In honor (and in irony) of WWFF-OSU's rise to success, Molly, Megan, and Adrienne have decided to share with us their TOP 5 FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT FALL:

1) Thanksgiving
2) Ohio State Football
3) Black Friday Shopping
4) Apple Picking
5) 2/3 of their Birthdays!!

While the next few days appear to be chock full of their favorite Fall things, WILL WORK FOR FOOD would like to wish everybody a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! And as our focus turns to turkey day tomorrow, this is still a perfect time to start your own WWFF chapter, just like Molly, Megan, and Adrienne did. It only takes 5 minutes to become a Chapter Representative today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Food For Thought: Thanksgiving Sweet Potato helps to alleviate world malnutrition?!

2010-11-22T11:25:00.005-05:00

Hi there, everyone, Happy Thanksgiving! We hope everyone will have an awesome Thanksgiving break, but malnutrition in the world does not cease.

This week Food for Thought will share with you a Thanksgiving special blog post on one of the staple in Thanksgiving meal besides Turkey. ;)

According to McClatchy newspaper, agricultural researchers have discovered that orange sweet potatoes, rich in zinc and iron, may help improve the immunity system of malnourished children.

Traditional African sweet potatoes are not orange; they are red outside and white inside. These potatoes do not provide sufficient amount of beta-carotene,which helps the body to convert vitamin A.

The lack of vitamin A would like to blindness in children.

"Experts estimate that vitamin A deficiency blinds 500,000 preschool children globally each year, and that about two-thirds of them die within months of going blind because the deficiency destroys their immune system and makes them vulnerable to diseases."

Agricultural researchers have demonstrated success in an alternative cultivation of sweet potatoes to make them "more orange".

Like plumpy'nut®, orange sweet potatoes could help nourish children with malnutrition.

And how do we get Plumpy'nut®?
By getting involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Happy Thanksgiving! And Happy Orange sweet potatoes! =)

Food For Thought: "Starved for Attention" | Some of the 195 Million Stories of Malnutrition

2010-11-06T22:42:00.009-04:00

This week in Food for Thought, we will feature an create campaign that Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) launched in early Summer 2010. The purpose of the campaign "Starved for Attention" is to create a multimedia blog that features famous photojournalists from VII Photo Agency while documenting story of malnutrition happening around the world with photography and video.

Currently in the world, there is an estimated 195 million children suffering from malnutrition and 90 percent of them reside in Africa. This campaign of "Starved for Attention" serves as a mean to promote awareness of malnutrition happening in places where we don't usually pay attention to. Each video is composed by short footages and many photographs with voices over. Each video tells a true story that exists in the world right now in this moment.

The blog video that Food for Thought will feature today is "A Mother's Devotion of Burkina Faso" by famous photojournalist, Jessica Dimmock. In this video, a daily life of a mother, Burkina Faso, is shown through a series of photographs and video clips.

This video also shows the dilemma that a mother in Africa commonly faces. She knows that buying fish will help the nutrition of her child and that there are not enough food for the children to eat at home. But Burkina can't buy the fish because if she does and comes home finding her child, she won't have money to buy medicine.

WILL WORK FOR FOOD is continuously dedicated to raising awareness to this global issue and to save undernourished children. All of the money we raise will go to Doctors Without Borders for their nutritional supplies to help save children.

WILL YOU WORK FOR FOOD?

Visit our Get Involved page to sign up, Learn More pages for more information on Malnutrition and Plumpy'nut, or the Donate Now page to make a contribution.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Food For Thought: Get 'Plummy'Nut'® yet?!

2010-10-26T12:59:00.012-04:00

This week, Food For Thought will share with you some details about Plumpy'Nut®, a "life saver" product, as CBS called it, for malnourished children to improve their health conditions and nutrition.

The Plumpy'nut® product began with a French pediatrician named André Briend and a jar of Nutella. Through some basic formulation, a foil-packeted sticky peanut bar can help to renourish hungry children, according to Andrew Rice, reporter of New York Times, on the article "The Peanut Solution".

Children on a Plumpy’nut® regimen add pounds rapidly, often going from a near-death state to relative health in a month. In the world of humanitarian aid, where progress is usually measured in subtle increments of misery, the new product offers a rare satisfaction: swift, visible, fantastic efficacy.

This not only benefits the children, but also the developing countries. Some of the largest peanut plantations are located in developing countries, and the Plumpy'nut® can just be produced anywhere with a blender.

Despite controversial patent issues, Plumpy'nut® is like a revolutionizing medicine for children that are malnourished.

In an interview with Anderson Cooper on CBS, Dr. Milton Tectonidis, the chief nutritionist for Doctors Without Borders, "It's a revolution in nutritional affairs,"

"Now we have something. It is like an essential medicine. In three weeks, we can cure a kid that is looked like they're half dead. We can cure them just like an antibiotic. It?s just, boom! It's a spectacular response," Dr. Tectonidis says.

"It's the equivalent of penicillin, you?re saying?" Cooper asks.

"For these kids, for sure," the doctor says.

For more information about Anderson Cooper's cover on Plumpy'nut on CBS, please view the following video, 'Miracle' Food Saves Lives.

The next step is to get these wonderful life saver into the hands of children that are malnourished.

And how do we get Plumpy'nut®?
By getting involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD!

One hundred percent of the money we raise together will help Doctors Without Borders purchase and distribute nutritional supplements, like Plumpy’nut®, to help save malnourished children.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five From WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Anusha Sthanunathan

2010-10-22T14:39:00.003-04:00

This installment of the High Five features University of Michigan sophomore, Anusha Sthanunathan. Anusha just happens to be WWFF's new Director of Marketing, so consider this an introduction to a very important young lady. She was involved in a service group when she was in high school called Bethania Orphanage, and ever since has been inspired to work for food aid and against poverty and famine. Her dedication to community service led her to WILL WORK FOR FOOD when she got the the University of Michigan and she looks to be a great new member to the headquarters team.

In addition to her philanthropic work, Anusha is a project director for Michigan Advertising and Marketing (MAM), has held marketing internships the past two summers, and is a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi co-ed professional business fraternity. While Anusha is certain to make many lasting memories over the rest of her college career - just look at all of those activities - she has been gracious enough to share with us her Top Five Favorite Memories (as of 10-22-2010):

1) Shooting a shotgun in a shooting range in Vietnam
2) Thinking she was a robot in the 3rd grade and pretending to see numbers in her vision
3) Drinking coffee next to Ashton Kutcher in her hometown of Atlanta
4) Tearing up during her oath in becoming a US citizen last week
5) Visiting a handmade, marble-carved 600-year-old temple in India this past summer

We are so happy to have Anusha as our new Director of Marketing. With her experience with both community service and marketing, she is a perfect fit for the role and we are excited to see what she can accomplish for WILL WORK FOR FOOD. If you would like to try to make a difference with our organization, as well, find out how you can work for food today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Food For Thought: 1.02 billion people are starving right now.

2010-10-20T13:43:00.004-04:00

Although it has been a while for Food for Thought to share with you a new fact, the World Hunger statistics are still climbing. In this post, we will continue to share with you the newest update on world malnutrition and break them down to you.

According to WorldHunger.Org, "the most recent estimate, released on October 14, 2009 by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), says that 1.02 billion people are undernourished, a sizable increase from its 2006 estimate of 854 million people."

This means that the number of people that are undernourished has climbed about 16.2% in 3 years.

WorldHunger. org continued and outlined three factors that have led to these climbing numbers.

"1) neglect of agriculture relevant to very poor people by governments and international agencies;
2) the current worldwide economic crisis, and
3) the significant increase of food prices in the last several years. "

Out of the current estimate of the world population of 6.8 billion, 15% of the population is suffering from malnutrition.

On that note, here is an inspirational video to raise awareness in World Hunger that we would like to share with you.

What can we do about it?

By WORKING FOR FOOD with us!

WILL WORK FOR FOOD is continuously dedicated to raising awareness to this global issue and to save undernourished children.

All of the money we raise will go to Doctors Without Borders for their nutritional supplies to help save children.

WILL YOU WORK FOR FOOD?

Visit our Get Involved page to sign up, Learn More pages for more information on Malnutrition and Plumpy'nut, or the Donate Now page to make a contribution.

High Five From WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Ben Vollmer

2010-10-12T16:09:00.003-04:00

Though it has been awhile since the last WWFF High Five, that doesn't diminish the work that this edition's focus, Ben Vollmer, has done in North Carolina. Ben is a chapter rep at UNC-Chapel Hill and, along with his friend Peter Helvie - a fellow chapter rep - these two Tar Heels have been working hard to make WILL WORK FOR FOOD a big presence on their campus.

Ben found out about WILL WORK FOR FOOD two years ago, after Peter transferred to UNC from the University of Michigan. Since then, the two have been busy giving presentations and organizing work efforts. Last month, they helped raise over $1,000 in the fight against child malnutrition. The two have even bigger plans in store once they gain university-recognized club status next Spring.

Due to the success that they've already had and will continue to enjoy, it's safe to say that Ben is glad he met Peter. However, Ben has been gracious enough to give us The Five (Other) People He'd Like to Meet:

1) John Lennon

2) David Letterman

3) Sacha Baron Cohen

4) Lance Armstrong

5) Justin Bieber

While that is certainly an entertaining mix of people, we do appreciate everything that Ben (and Peter) do for WILL WORK FOR FOOD. If you would like to make a difference in your community and abroad, as well, all you have to do is get involved and find a group that's close to you!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Bring WILL WORK FOR FOOD to Your Campus-- Become a Rep!

2010-07-12T18:41:00.008-04:00

Are you looking for a way to make a significant difference in both your community and the world? Well, here's your chance to not only get involved, but to work at the ground level of a growing nonprofit. WILL WORK FOR FOOD is now accepting applications for new campus reps for the 2010-2011 school year. If you're a motivated, committed, and compassionate student, then joining WILL WORK FOR FOOD as a campus rep is a great way to bring your campus together for a common cause. It's not a big time commitment: reps spend on average 2-3 hours a week planning promotional events and upcoming work efforts. But that small amount of time makes a huge impact because it is the outstanding service projects organized by our campus reps that make WILL WORK FOR FOOD well... work.

To find out more about becoming a WILL WORK FOR FOOD Campus Rep, click here and apply today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Event Highlight: UNC at the Piedmont Wildlife Center

2010-05-25T20:17:00.011-04:00

As the school year comes to a close, the WILL WORK FOR FOOD reps continue to organize outstanding work efforts on their campus. Last fall, the WWFF group at UNC-Chapel Hill volunteered at the Piedmont Wildlife Center, a local nature conservatory.

This past Saturday, the group took a break from studying for their finals and returned to the conservatory once again to help the organization kick off their largest event of the year. The WWFF group, although small, was enthusiastic as they helped the Piedmont Wildlife Center run their annual "Celebrate Wildlife" benefit, a popular event that includes live music, animals, food, activities, and educational presentations.

Volunteers worked together to set up the benefit, doing everything from building stages and exhibits, organizing the parking, and cleaning up the grounds. The group has raised $100 so far, but more donations continue to come in.

Thanks, UNC-Chapel Hill for yet another successful work effort!

Do you want to bring the WWFF initiative to your high school or college? Become a Rep today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five From WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Jon Rubins

2010-05-16T11:27:00.002-04:00

Every other week, our "High Five" features a member of our Headquarters Team and five of his or her favorite things. This installment is focused on Jon Rubins, WILL WORK FOR FOOD’s trusty Web Manager. Jon deals with the day-to-day changes on the website in addition to working with Google Analytics to find ways to improve the site. Jon is not your typical computer guy. Although he is double majoring in aerospace engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan he was a swimming standout in high school and is now a frat boy at U-M.

Jon also has exceptional taste in movies. As the summer blockbuster movie season is upon us, Jon recounts his top five favorite movies for us:

1) Shawshank Redemption – Because Morgan Freeman is the man.

2) Fight Club – Some pretty intense fight scenes.

3) Gladiator – Are you not entertained?

4) The Green Mile – Who doesn’t like Tom Hanks?

5) V for Vendetta – Natalie Portman. Enough said.

The best part about movies is there is always something for everyone, kind of like WILL WORK FOR FOOD. Whether you would like to volunteer in your community, donate to save malnourished kids or help bring WWFF to your school it is always easy to go out and get involved today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Rep of the Week: Andrew Hurwitz

2010-05-01T19:38:00.007-04:00

Andrew Hurwitz, a junior at Beth Tfiloh High School in Baltimore, Maryland, has been an exemplary representative for WILL WORK FOR FOOD. He and the other Reps at Beth Tfiloh have already raised over $2,500, and they're not done yet. Despite the busy schedule that comes with a school year's end, the group found the time to organize a food drive which they anticipate to be a huge success. To thank Andrew for the great work he's done for WILL WORK FOR FOOD, we made him this week's Rep of the Week.

Q: Who is your role model?
A: My mom.

Q: If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?
A: I would love to meet Martin Luther King, Jr. and really experience how incredible of a person he was.

Q: What are your future college plans and career aspirations?
A: Right now, I'm looking at either the University of Pennsylvania or Michigan. As for my career, I really want to go into business.

Q: What else are you involved in at your high school besides WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I'm involved in the business, spirit, sports, and admissions committees at school. I'm on the varsity soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams, too.

Q: How did you hear about WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I heard about WWFF when I visited the University of Michigan. My friend told me about the organization and I was interested from the start.

Q: Why did you decide to become Rep for WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: When I heard about WWFF, I was really impressed with the way WWFF connects local community services with a global effort to fight child malnutrition. I was already involved in many community service programs in my hometown of Baltimore, and I was interested in WWFF's ability to connect my neighborhood projects with global ones.

Q: What kind of work efforts have you organized at your high school?
A: So far we've taught basketball to an inner-city grade school. In the future, we plan on having a canned food drive.

Q: If you could describe WILL WORK FOR FOOD in one word, what would it be?
A: Community. I really love the way WWFF make the entire world one big community.

Want to become a Rep like Andrew? Check out our Become a Rep page and bring WILL WORK FOR FOOD to your school!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

CGI U and Letter to President Clinton

2010-04-26T23:32:00.009-04:00

Steve Weinberg (Co-Founder and CEO), Natalie Fratto (Director of Marketing), Robbie Dembo (Director of Community Outreach) and Matt Woelfel (Director of Operations) recently returned from the Clinton Global Initiative for Universities (CGI U) conference in Miami, Florida.

The weekend was a huge success for WILL WORK FOR FOOD as the team made all types of connections across the nonprofit world. Check out some photos from CGI U.

Steve had an opportunity to speak with President Clinton about WILL WORK FOR FOOD at CGI U and President Clinton asked that he follow up with more information.

Read Steve's letter below...

Dear President Clinton,

Thank you for yet another energizing and powerful CGI U experience. I have attended CGI U every year and each conference has been tremendously helpful.

At the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust we spoke briefly about my commitment, WILL WORK FOR FOOD, and you asked that I follow up with some more information about our initiative. I think this is a story you will appreciate.

Before delving into WILL WORK FOR FOOD, I have an invitation to extend to you. On behalf of the University of Michigan, I would like to invite you to join us as a keynote speaker for the University of Michigan’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps on October 13, 14 or 15, 2010. University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, a coalition of University departments, the Brookings Institution and the National Peace Corps Association are planning the event to celebrate President John F. Kennedy’s introduction of the concept of the Peace Corps on the steps of the University of Michigan Union on October 14, 1960. President Coleman has sent a formal invitation to you that expands upon this extremely exciting event and its importance to the University Community.

Just as President Kennedy’s speech inspired University of Michigan students to help work towards the founding of the Peace Corps, the inspiration for me to start WILL WORK FOR FOOD came from the speech you gave at the University of Michigan 2007 commencement when you spoke of the need for “21st Century Global Citizens.” I was a sophomore at the time and your call to action moved me to help find a way to connect local community service to international relief efforts. In your list of challenges facing my generation you included malnutrition while also mentioning the continuing need to help our own local communities. The seed had been planted for the WILL WORK FOR FOOD “Volunteering locally to save children globally” initiative.

Students volunteer in their community and ask friends and family members to sponsor this work with a donation. The money raised helps our partners, Doctors Without Borders, deliver Plumpy’nut and similar life-saving Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food to severely malnourished children. This is all orchestrated through www.willworkforfood.org which serves as a social networking and fundraising tool.

When I attended CGI U in New Orleans, WILL WORK FOR FOOD was nothing more than an ambitious but unfocused idea. By the time I attended CGI U in Austin we had fine-tuned our model and held a soft launch at the University of Michigan that raised over $5,000 in approximately two months. A conversation with Blake Mycoskie in Austin helped us figure out how to expand WILL WORK FOR FOOD to other campuses. With the support of a grant from the University of Michigan Office of the President we began introducing our initiative to 20 high schools and colleges around the country. To date, we have raised over $30,000 with an additional $20,000 of donations coming in by the end of May from schools in Toledo, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland.

CGI U in Miami was perhaps the most helpful yet. Patrick O’Heffernan, one of the skill session leaders from Socialedge.org, spent an hour and a half with me between sessions critiquing our website and making suggestions for improvement. I was also able to connect with staff from GlobeMED and STAND and will be talking to them this week to learn more about their student-led models so we can borrow ideas as we refine our efforts on other campuses. During the CGI U Exchange we were able to introduce our initiative to hundreds of students from campuses around the world. Most excitingly, you and I had a chance to connect and you asked that I send along more information about our work.

Every year CGI U catapults WILL WORK FOR FOOD forward with fresh ideas and connections. Thank you for creating these CGI U experiences and continuing to be such an inspiration to my generation of student leaders. It would be an absolute honor if you can join us in our celebration of the Peace Corps or if you have any suggestions or opportunities for WILL WORK FOR FOOD.

Sincerely,

Steven Weinberg
Co-Founder and CEO

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Article in the Ohio Wesleyan Transcript

2010-04-23T12:34:00.004-04:00

Lily Strumwasser, our Campus Rep at Ohio Wesleyan University, recently got WILL WORK FOR FOOD some press in her school's newspaper. We obviously greatly appreciate Lily's hard work and help delivering some very positive PR! Check out the article below.

OWU community seizes an opportunity to help solve a global hunger crisis

Katie Carlin, Transcript Correspondent

Issue date: 4/15/10

"Volunteering locally to save children globally" is the initiative of the student-run, non-profit organization Will Work for Food that has been brought to campus by senior Lily Strumwasser.

Will Work for Food was started by University of Michigan graduate Steven Weinberg in 2007.

Weinberg said he was motivated to start the organization when he heard a speech former president Bill Clinton gave at University of Michigan.

"He talked about how our world is unequal and unstable and how our generation is facing daunting challenges like fighting infectious diseases, malnutrition and poverty," Weinberg said.

Weinberg said Clinton acknowledged that these issues are unsettling, but also provided a spark of inspiration by recognizing that with how connected the world is today, people have a greater potential to solve global problems.

Weinberg said he started Will Work for Food as an attempt to bridge the gap between local community service and malnutrition relief work abroad.

Strumwasser, who met Weinberg in high school, said she decided to be a campus representative and a promoter of community and global awareness because she wanted to help simulate community service.

Strumwasser said as the campus representative she is responsible for holding monthly conference calls, advertising, and organizing local community service.

Ohio Wesleyan student volunteers served a meal provided by Chartwells Food Service at Andrews House, a community center in Delaware, last week

Junior Lucy Warren, who will take over next year when Strumwasser graduates, said she thinks the event will be a great opportunity to do something good while spreading the word about Will Work for Food.

Weinberg said he hopes the organization will help people realize that although their lives may be removed from these malnourished children, volunteers can help their own communities by raising relief funds to "save children globally".

Weinberg said in the long term, he hopes to see Will Work for Food taking action at over 100 schools, with each raising an average of $2,500 every year.

"This will allow us to generate a quarter million dollars annually to fight malnutrition," said Weinberg.

Strumwasser said students can get involved by registering on the web site (www.willworkforfood.org) and doing community service.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Working Together: WILL WORK FOR FOOD and OneMichigan

2010-04-16T17:16:00.004-04:00

On Friday, April 9th, members of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD Headquarters Team volunteered with members of OneMichigan, another service group stationed at the University of Michigan. OneMichigan is a great organization that connects different student initiatives with one another. The group headed to Food Gatherers, an Ann Arbor food bank, and helped out at the warehouse where all the collected food is sorted and stored. Volunteers worked together to divide up bulk carrot cake mix into two pound bags so that it can be distributed to and used by local agencies and shelters.

It's not too late to get involved! Register and become a member today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Dr. Hodes Spotlight: HBO Special, Book Launch, & Good Morning America

2010-04-13T23:13:00.006-04:00

WILL WORK FOR FOOD board member, Dr. Rick Hodes, is back in the news, this time for a well-deserved trifecta of media glory that further introduces the world to his amazing work. You may remember that Dr. Hodes came to Ann Arbor on February 15th, and gave a speech to a packed auditorium on the U-M campus. His inspiring stories of his medical work in Africa left the crowd in awe and wanting to learn more.

Fortunately, on Wednesday April 14th a documentary about Dr. Hodes will air on HBO2 at 8:00pm ET. This Sue Rockefeller film is entitled “Making the Crooked Straight,” and it is sure to provide a powerful visual account of Dr. Hodes work with Ethiopian children in need.

The HBO special airing coincides with the release of Marilyn Berger’s book “This Is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes,” which went on sale today (4/13/2010). The book has already received a great deal of praise from some very noteworthy sources:

“This is a Soul is a fascinating, richly moving and emotionally powerful book.”
Henry Kissinger – Former U.S. Secretary of State, 1973 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient

“Dr. Rick Hodes’ life story is a reminder that giving is a privilege in which we may take pleasure, not some saintly endeavor. His approach toward medicine should be a model for our current Western system in showing that tending to the soul is at the center of healing. This is a Soul envelops the reader in Dr. Hodes’ indefatigable light and is an inspirational reading experience.”
Natalie Portman – Hollywood Actress, Political/Social Activist

“Dr. Rick’s heroic mission to come from America, not just to cure, but to provide a family for as many orphan children as he possibly can, is inspirational. And in a surprising twist, Berger’s own discovery and developing relationship with one of the little patients is deeply moving. A must read that will melt the heart!”
Christiane Amanpour – Former CNN Chief International Correspondent, Host of ABC’s This Week

Finally, Dr. Hodes appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America earlier today (4/13/10) along with Berger to promote the book and his amazing story.

Again, be sure to watch “Making the Crooked Straight” on HBO2 Wednesday April 14th at 8:00pm ET (or check the HBO site for future showings) and find yourself a copy of Marilyn Berger’s new book, “This Is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes,” in bookstores now.

Dr. Hodes is committed to making the world a better place. If you are looking for a way to start making a difference, WILL WORK FOR FOOD is a great place to start. WILL WORK FOR FOOD provides a wonderful opportunity for people to "volunteer locally to save children globally." Get started today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email admin@willworkforfood.org with the subject line "Sign me up."

EVENT HIGHLIGHT: Detroit Partnership Day

2010-04-08T09:29:00.003-04:00

Part of the WWFF crew takes a break from cleaning up Eliza Park; Detroit, MI

On April 3, members of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD Headquarters team participated in Detroit Partnership Day (better known as DP Day). Together, six members of the team spent the day “volunteering locally to save children globally” and helped to make a difference in the lives of others.

The volunteer project took place in the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit, where the WILL WORK FOR FOOD team geared up in gloves and old clothing to clean up a park. The team, along with many other University of Michigan volunteers, spent the day beautifying the park and making it a better place for the surrounding residents.

DP Day was extremely successful, allowing over 1,000 students from the University of Michigan to volunteer at over 30 different sites in Detroit’s most poverty stricken areas. The mission of the day was clear: to help the overall state of Detroit. The WILL WORK FOR FOOD team most definitely fulfilled their goals as they actively helped the city of Detroit and contributed to the WILL WORK FOR FOOD mission.

If you are interested in more projects regarding the city of Detroit, please visit www.thedp.org

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Dance for a Chance: The Sylvania Southview High School Dance Marathon

2010-04-05T11:59:00.005-04:00

The WILL WORK FOR FOOD initiative continues to thrive at high schools and colleges across the country. On Saturday March 27th, students at Sylvania Southview High School in Ohio blew us away with their energy, passion and effective fundraising efforts. 316 students participated in the school's fourth annual Dance Marathon, an event in which students give up part of their weekend and come to school to learn about troubles in our world, compete in a variety of activities and "Dance for a Chance." All without sitting down over the 12 hour stretch. Leading up to the event participants asked friends, family, neighbors, local businesses and congregations to sponsor their involvement with donations.

Molly Morse, a Sylvania Southview Alum and WWFF Headquarters team member at the University of Michigan, participated in Southview's "Dance for a Chance" in years past and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to raise funds for WILL WORK FOR FOOD. After explaining the WWFF initiative to Noah Bader, a Junior at Southview, Noah convinced his classmates to dedicate fundraising efforts this year to combat hunger and malnutrition. They decided for half of the funds raised to benefit their local community food bank and half to benefit malnourished kids abroad through WWFF.

Sylvania Southview has a history of raising a large amount of money through their dance marathons. Last year, the high schoolers raised $20,000, and this year they were determined to do even better. The students set the goal of $25,000: an ambitious goal, but by no means unattainable for a driven group of students with a great fundraising model. The students split into four teams (blue, red, green and orange) in order to create a friendly competition. Each team was led by student captains who helped recruit participants and organized fundraising activities during the school year.

After months of planning, March 27th finally rolled around and the 316 participants piled into the school's cafeteria decked out in their team's colors with spirited outfits. In addition to their fundraising efforts, participants also brought canned goods to donate to their local food bank.

The cans were used in a competition between the teams in which they built structures using the canned goods. The students used their creativity to form all different shapes and formations. One of the teams used their cans to form an outline of Africa with the word "HOPE" in the middle to help inspire the dancers and remind everyone what they were there for.

Molly and Steve Weinberg (WWFF CEO) went down to Sylvania during the event to teach the students a little more about malnutrition and how WWFF fights it. To illustrate the gravity of the malnutrition epidemic, Molly put things into perspective for the students. "Every 6 seconds, a child dies because of malnutrition," she told the group.

"Right now, there are 316 people in this room. That means that if you were all severely malnourished, it would only take 31 minutes for everyone in this room to die of malnutrition. In the 12 hours of the dance marathon, a total of 7,200 children will have died of malnutrition." The participants were stunned by the presentation, and although the statistics were difficult to hear, it seemed to help the students understand exactly how important their efforts are on a global scale.

"When I listened to the WILL WORK FOR FOOD presentation, I was really glad that Dance for a Chance was donating money to its cause. Some of the statistics Steve and Molly shared were a huge wake-up call about the type of problem that hunger and malnutrition are in the world," said Andrew Rothschild, a Senior at Sylvania Southview. "The organization really is doing a lot of good towards fighting a serious, yet often ignored problem." Eric Wolff, also a Southview Senior, told us "the presentation helped us realize why we do Dance for a Chance. We definitely picked the right organization to work with."

At 11:30pm (eleven and a half hours into the marathon) the participants gathered together and listened attentively to Steve Swaggerty, the teacher advisor for the event, announce the final amount raised. The students surpassed their initial goal of $25,000 and raised a grand total of over $30,806! Half of which ($15,403) to be donated to WILL WORK FOR FOOD. "To be honest, I got teary-eyed when I heard how much money we raised. It's amazing that only 300 people can make such a difference, " said Amy Horowitz, a Junior at Southview. "It felt great to not only reach a group goal, but to know that we're affecting the lives of so many other people that don't have the same opportunities we do. It's a truly touching experience."

We at WILL WORK FOR FOOD can't express how grateful we are to the students of Sylvania Southview High School for their passion, energy and incredible contribution to the WWFF initiative (their dance moves aren't bad either, check them out in the video below). With the end of the school year approaching, this really builds momentum for the summer and next school year. With the help of two other high schools in Portland and Baltimore, we expect to have a total of $50,000 raised by the end of April!

Are you interested in hosting a similar event at your school? Contact Molly Morse at mollyrm@umich.edu and get it started today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Event Highlight: Will Work For Food Gathers

2010-03-28T23:40:00.006-04:00

Last weekend the WILL WORK FOR FOOD Headquarters Team took to Ann Arbor neighborhoods for a door to door food drive. Coordinating with U-M Circle K – a collegiate service organization sponsored by Kiwanis International – participants walked around neighborhoods near the University of Michigan campus collecting nonperishable food. The food collected was then given to the Ann Arbor food bank, Food Gatherers.

The group had conducted a similar work effort during the Fall semester and collected 750 pounds of food. The goal this time around was to break 1,000 pounds. On the brisk Saturday afternoon the team's goal was met and far surpassed with a total of 1,777 pounds of food collected.

Headed by Chrissy Winkler and Julie Sherbill, the food drive had about two dozen more U-M students involved through Circle K while raising money for WILL WORK FOR FOOD.

“Everyone was very enthusiastic and finished their routes completely,” said Winkler of the food drivers, “the morale was amazing.”

If you'd like to organize a similar food drive on your campus it really doesn't take too much work at all. Email information@willworkforfood.org and we'll help by giving you some tips!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Participant of the Week: Shelby Cashman

2010-03-24T12:05:00.008-04:00

The WILL WORK FOR FOOD Greek Week Service Day at the University of Michigan was a huge success thanks to the incredible efforts and donations from all its participants and their supporters. Over 150 students volunteered in the Ann Arbor community and raised nearly $3,000 to fight malnutrition. Among all of the participants, one particular Sigma Kappa stands out from the crowd. Shelby Cashman, a freshman from Morristown, NJ, personally raised $1,000 with the help of a dozen sponsors! Shelby, who volunteers regularly in her community, has shown an incredible devotion to community service and the WILL WORK FOR FOOD initiative. To thank Shelby for her outstanding work, she is this week's Participant of the Week.

Q: What are you studying at Michigan?
A: I'm a Communications major with a possible minor in Greek studies. I eventually want to become involved in broadcast journalism.

Q: What else are you involved in at Michigan?
A: I'm in Sigma Kappa sorority, the Michigan Association of Communication Studies, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars here on campus.

Q: If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?
A: I would love to meet Katie Couric. I aspire to have the incredible career she has in broadcast journalism. I would ask her about the steps she took to get where she is today (and I would follow them exactly, of course).

Q: Who is your role model?
A: My role model is my father. He grew up with not much at all and created an amazing life for me and my family. He is also one of the most intelligent (he always knows every answer to every Jeopardy question- no lie!) and charismatic people I know.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: I would travel all over Greece, from Athens to the Islands. I am studying the language and really want to immerse myself in the culture and learn more about my heritage!

Q: How did you get so many people to sponsor you?
A: I got so many people to sponsor me by reaching out to all different members of the Michigan community, as well as my hometown. I told people about what we were doing for WILL WORK FOR FOOD, and everyone was really eager to help sponsor me for such an amazing cause.

Q: What exactly did you do for the service day?
A: I participated in publicity for the Ann Arbor Autism Foundation on Service Day for Greek Week. We passed out brochures about the organization to local doctor's offices to spread the word. I also volunteered at Brookhaven Nursing Home, where we threw the occupants a Valentine's Day party.

Q: What was your favorite aspect of service day?
A: My favorite thing about participating was the fact that I got to help so many different causes, all at the same time. My service efforts in the community benefit people locally, but with the addition of WILL WORK FOR FOOD's involvement, malnourished children on the other-side of the world are benefiting from my labor as well.

Q: Why did you decide to get involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: WWFF is a one-of-a-kind program. It allows people's service efforts to benefit so many different people. Not many people realize how severe the issue of malnutrition is, and WWFF brings it to the front line. By bringing people's attention to this serious problem, WILL WORK FOR FOOD is helping the fight by making people want to not only do local community service, but get involved in a more serious global problem.

Still not a member of WILL WORK FOR FOOD? Get signed up and start working for food today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five From WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Doctors Without Borders

2010-03-24T01:54:00.005-04:00

The “High Five” is back by popular demand, and this installment focuses on Doctors Without Borders, our affiliate organization that helps us get life-saving nutritional supplements to severely malnourished children abroad. Doctors Without Borders was founded in 1971 by a group of physicians and journalists in France. Today, Doctors Without Borders provides medical aid in about 60 countries around the world. While many of you may be familar with Doctors Without Borders, you may not know these five interesting tidbits about the organization:

1)Doctors Without Borders (internationally recognized by it's original French name Médecins Sans Frontières or simply MSF) was the 1999 Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

2)More than 27,000 individuals may work for Doctors Without Borders in any given day

3) Donors, like WILL WORK FOR FOOD, make up 80% of the organization’s budget with corporate and government donations making up the rest.

4)During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, with the help of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders was able to keep all of the main hospitals in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, operational because the organization is politically and religiously neutral. MSF eventually had to leave Rwanda for security reasons, but the relief provided during the main part of the genocide was immeasurably helpful to those in need.

5)Doctors Without Borders uses a two-step process to treat malnutrition. The first step is a 24-hour period where basic health care is provided and the patients are given several small low energy/protein meals spread throughout the day. In the second step, the patient is medically-monitored and is given several high energy/protein meals, again spread throughout the day. The second step is repeated until the patient’s weight approaches a normal level.

As we learn more about what Doctors Without Borders does, we are able to understand why WILL WORK FOR FOOD enjoys working with them so much. Hopefully, you will decide to take a few minutes and get started on supporting these two great organizations today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Event Highlight: MCSP Soccer Tournament

2010-03-20T14:50:00.008-04:00

WILL WORK FOR FOOD reps and participants continue to organize unique and creative opportunities to get students on campus involved in the WWFF initiative. On Saturday, March 13, the Michigan Community Scholars Program (MCSP) held their first annual soccer tournament to benefit WILL WORK FOR FOOD. MCSP is a group of UofM students who are dedicated to community service, diversity, and social justice. 15 teams of students and athletes came out to play in the 4v4 soccer tournament. Each team paid a $20 entry fee and brought canned goods to donate to local food banks. With the combination of entry fees and individual donations from players and spectators, the event raised a total of $350 for WILL WORK FOR FOOD. "The tournament was awesome!" said event coordinator Emily Knowles. "Everyone really enjoyed it and expressed that they hope we'll have another one next year. The cooperation between WILL WORK FOR FOOD and MCSP was great because it brought together two great organizations who care about their fellow human beings in the world."

Thanks to MSCP for coordinating such a successful event and to all the players who came out to support WILL WORK FOR FOOD!

Want to find WWFF events on your campus? Find a work effort now!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

University of Michigan Greeks Work For Food

2010-03-14T16:18:00.004-04:00

This past weekend, WILL WORK FOR FOOD collaborated with one of the largest student groups at the University of Michigan: Greek life. Once a year, sorority and fraternity members at the university participate in a week-long competition called Greek Week. One of the events was a WWFF-sponsored service day in which each team volunteered for one of fourteen different service projects. Over 150 Greeks participated in what campus rep Nicole Vitale called an "amazing success of a service day." Some of the projects included:

- painting rooms at the Penrickton Center for Blind Children
-distributing informational pamphlets for the Ann Arbor Autism Foundation
-blanket-making for the Ronald McDonald House
-tutoring high school students for the Jalen Rose Foundation
-working at a luncheon at the Glacier Hills Retirement Home

In partnering with Greek Week, WILL WORK FOR FOOD not only provided numerous great opportunities for students to volunteer, but it also helped spread the word about WWFF. Says Vitale, "By incorporating WWFF into Greek Week, UofM greeks are able to help multiple charities at once. This also raises awareness about WWFF and will hopefully spark longtime volunteers and commitment to WWFF." The WWFF/Greek Week service day is a great example of how creative collaborations with other organizations and events is a great way to spread WWFF and its initiative across campus and reach a large number of students at once. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this year's service day such a success!

It's not too late to sponsor a Greek Week volunteer! Sponsor one now!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Great Divide Benefit Concert This Friday

2010-03-07T23:44:00.006-05:00

This Friday, the Ann Arbor-fostered, Chicago-based roots-rock band, Great Divide, will be making an appearance in its old stomping grounds. Making matters even more exciting, the great musicians that make up the Great Divide are performing in honor of WILL WORK FOR FOOD at BTB Cantina (1140 S. University Ann Arbor, MI). The benefit concert starts at 9:30pm and everyone is encouraged to get there early to soak in the great atmosphere.

According to the band, their music is “steeped in the traditional roots of blues, country, soul, funk, and good, ol’ fashioned rock ‘n roll.” Influenced by Blues legend, Muddy Waters in addition to some of that timeless Motown sound, Great Divide comes out sounding like modern blues-rock backed by Otis Redding-esque horns. With performance experience all over the country – they will be travelling to Austin, TX to play at the well-known South By Southwest music festival in two weeks – these former Wolverines are looking forward to playing for a big U-M crowd once again. Get a taste of their tunes at http://www.myspace.com/greatdividelive .

Donations for WILL WORK FOR FOOD will be taken at the door. In true WWFF fashion, Great Divide hopes that by performing locally, they will be able to help raise funds to make a difference globally. See you there!

Great Divde WWFF Benefit Concert (invite your friends)
Date: Friday, March 12
Time: 9:30pm
Location: BTB Cantina 1140 S. University Ann Arbor, MI

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Reps of the Week: University of Wisconsin-Madison

2010-03-04T17:46:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, we featured Amy Verhey as our Rep of the Week, and she told us a little about what she and the other UW-Madison reps were planning for future WWFF work efforts on their campus. The reps followed through and got creative by putting together a great bake sale that raised almost $200 for WWFF. We talked to Jamie Plzak, another Madison rep, to find out a little more about their bake sale, and here's what she told us:

Q: How did you come up with the idea for a bake sale?
A: Amy and I came up with the idea after a sorority meeting. A member of our house was having a bake sale for Haiti and we thought that it sounded like such a great idea for WWFF!

Q: Why did you decide to have a bake sale instead of a community service project?
A: We had the bake sale because we wanted to organize an effort quickly, and we figured we could pull this together faster than organizing a traditional service project. We wanted to take a more direct approach to raise money for WWFF. We knew it would be a great way to get the WILL WORK FOR FOOD name out there on campus because so may people came by the bake sale.

Q: How many people participated?
A: All the reps were there: Maryrose, Amy, and myself. There were also about 10 other people who came to help us sell throughout the day.

Q: What were everyone's attitudes like while working the bake sale?
A: Everyone's attitudes were really positive! We jokingly competed with each other about whose food looked the best, which made it really fun. It was really easy to get people to bake food for us or drop by and help sell, especially because everyone knew they were contributing to a great cause.

Q: How do you feel about the sale's success?
A: I think it was really successful! Next time we would like to have it outside during the day when the weather is nicer. I think we could definitely sell more food and get more people to sign up for WWFF at the same time.

Q: If you could describe WWFF in one word, what would it be?
A: Selfless. I can't believe how much of an impact WWFF has made in such a short time, considering how new of an organization it is. I'm honored to be a small part of that.

Thanks, Maryrose, Jamie, and Amy, for such a creative and successful work effort!

Want to get involved on your campus? Join a group and start working for food!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Participant of the Week: Greg Fitzgerald

2010-02-26T19:31:00.006-05:00

Once Washington, D.C. recovered from the massive snowstorm that temporarily delayed the Georgetown University work effort at the D.C. Central Kitchen, Greg Fitzgerald, a sophomore at the university, and the other WILL WORK FOR FOOD volunteers headed to the kitchen to finally complete their service project. Although this was their first work effort, the group raised an astounding $1,825. Greg raised almost $900 with the help of his family and friends. To thank Greg for this amazing contribution, we made him this week's Participant of the Week. We wanted to learn a little more about Greg, and here's what he had to say:

Q: What's your favorite book?
A: I would have to go with Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.

Q:What's your favorite band?
A: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
A: My favorite place in world is my hometown, Franklin Square, NY, however I would love to travel around Asia because I have never been there before.

Q:Who is your role model and why?
A: I am lucky to have three role models in my life: my mom, my dad Danny, and my step-dad Edgar. I look up to them because every time I follow their advice, something positive tuns up for me, and every time I don't, I realize their suggestion was the better alternative. As long as I keep those three happy, I feel great about myself.

Q: Who did you get to sponsor you, and how did you do it?
A: We wanted to garner a significant amount of support for our first effort, so I sent out an e-mail to all my family members and close friends, hoping a few would respond. However, their overwhelming generosity surprised our team and we far surpassed our original expectations. I am very proud and thankful for such a positive response.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about your service project? What did you guys specifically do there?
A: When we first got to the kitchen, we were briefed about the general services that the D.C. Central Kitchen provides, which are truly outstanding. Their relationship with the community transcends feeding the hungry, extending their organization to become a completely holistic operation concerning all aspects of life. Our specific assignment was to skin sweet potatoes, rinse them off, and vacuum-seal them. During our shift, we prepared over 160 pounds of sweet potatoes to be used for future meals.

Q: How do you feel about the success of your first work effort?
A: Going in, I had no idea what to expect since I had never participated in such a volunteer effort before. However, I was blown away by the passion and sense of brotherhood exuded by all the other volunteers. I felt like I had a hand in something very important and felt great about the whole process.

Q: If you could describe WILL WORK FOR FOOD in one word, what would it be?
A: Exemplary, because literally anyone can start their own chapter and start making a real difference today.

We would like to congratulate Greg and all the other Georgetown reps and volunteers for such a successful first work effort. Keep up the great work!!

Got a work effort coming up? Get sponsored today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Dr. Hodes Wows Ann Arbor

2010-02-19T13:23:00.004-05:00

Dr. Rick Hodes, a member of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD board, visited Ann Arbor Monday (2/15/10) to give a talk at the University of Michigan about his work in Ethiopia. Dr. Hodes has been highlighted by CNN “Heroes” program and is the subject of an HBO documentary coming out in April. Hodes first went to Africa in 1984 as a relief worker during the Ethiopian Famine and was hired by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in 1990 to head up their work in Ethiopia. He is currently a Senior Attending Physician at Mother Theresa’s Mission in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa where he treats 20-25 patients a day – for free.

“Dr. Hodes is by far the most selfless man I've ever met and his work is inspirational,” said U-M freshman Todd Siegal, “He sees an issue, a complication, a child in need, and he acts immediately.”

Dr. Hodes has dedicated his life to helping Ethiopians in desperate need of care. It is as if the entire country knows he is the man to go to for help. He doesn’t seek out patients, he doesn’t advertise his services, and he doesn’t have a website. However, because of his ever-growing reputation, patients come from as far as 400 miles away to knock on Dr. Hodes’ door.

Because funding is always tight, Dr. Hodes has had to get creative when it comes to treating his patients. “I started out giving chemotherapy on my front porch [in Ethiopia],” said Dr. Hodes, “and I really like medicines from India because they are only about 8% of the cost of American drugs.”

A natural storyteller, Dr. Hodes’ tales kept the packed auditorium of over 250 people captivated throughout his entire presentation. Dr. Hodes spoke about two boys who suffered from Pott’s disease, a version of tuberculosis that affects the spine. One’s back jutted out at a 90° angle while the other’s was at 120°. This was a case that not even Dr. Hodes could treat. Rather than rejecting the boys into a world where they didn’t stand no chance, he found a way to help. Dr. Hodes adopted the kids, allowing him to add the boys to his medical insurance and fly them to Dallas for surgery. He has adopted three more kids to his family and has started sending them to high school in the United States.

“When I came to hear Dr. Hodes talk, I knew nothing of what he did or how many lives he has dedicated himself to saving,” said Jonathan Rubins, “As I left the building, I felt a sense of awe. He is a testament to the perennial truth that a great impact can be made by sole individuals.”

WILL WORK FOR FOOD co-sponsored the event with the University of Michigan’s Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Hillel, Global REACH and Ginsberg Center. WILL WORK FOR FOOD aims to stimulate local community service while raising relief funds to fight child malnutrition abroad.

According to the CEO of WILL WORK FOR FOOD, Steve Weinberg, “Malnutrition is often referred to as the ‘Silent Killer’ in the international aid community because it does not receive the same amount of media attention as natural disasters or armed conflicts. This is part of the reason why we are so inspired by Dr. Hodes’ work of ‘helping people nobody else is interested in.’"

We will be posting a video of Dr. Hodes' talk on our site soon.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Rep of the Week: Dave Ferrara

2010-02-12T15:38:00.004-05:00

Dave Ferrara, a sophomore at Georgetown University in Washington, DC., has already made a huge contribution to WILL WORK FOR FOOD by planning his first work effort and raising an outstanding amount of money from a number of sponsors. To congratulate him for the success he has had so far with his first project, we decided to highlight Dave as this week's Rep of the Week. We wanted to learn a little more about his upcoming work effort, and here's what he had to say:

Q: Can you tell us a little more about your upcoming work effort?
A: Three other participants and I are going to volunteer at the Central Kitchen in Washington, D.C. Since this is our first work effort, we hope this will be an exemplary work effort for people to refer back to in the future. Hopefully future events will include more workers.

Q: How much money have you raised from sponsors so far?
A: We've gotten about $1,250 in total as of now.

Q: Why did you decide to bring WILL WORK FOR FOOD to your campus?
A: I decided to bring WWFF to my campus because I knew Georgetown would be a very beneficial addition to WWFF. I knew we have the potential to have a very successful program here, and I wanted to be the one to lead our campus program.

Q: What was it specifically about WWFF that made you want to get involved?
A: The aspect about WWFF that is the most intriguing is the duality of the service work. Not only do our own communities benefit, but we help people whom we've never met that are equally deserving of our help.

We would just like to say how much we appreciate each and every one of our Campus Reps and the work they put into bringing WWFF to their school. Dave's contribution to WWFF as a Campus Rep is a great example of how the WWFF Rep model works and how easy it is to organize successful projects on campus. A big thank you to everyone who continues to work hard in spreading WWFF all across the nation!

Do you want to bring WWFF to your high school or college? Become a Rep and get started today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Dr. Rick Hodes To Speak at U-M

2010-02-08T19:24:00.009-05:00

[Dr. Rick Hodes] could have done very well for himself practicing in the United States, but he chose to do something so much harder. He's totally selfless. I've really never met anyone like him.

-Irving Fish, MD, New York University

This Monday, February 15, 2010, Dr. Rick Hodes – a physician well-known for his work with the children of Ethiopia – will be giving a speech at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. Dr. Hodes will be speaking about his many experiences practicing in Africa including the 1984 Ethiopian Famine and his work at Mother Teresa’s Mission in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

Dr. Hodes has dedicated his life to “helping people nobody else is interested in.” Specializing in cancer, heart disease, and spinal conditions, the John Hopkins-graduate has gone above and beyond his profession’s typical job description. The man who has been called “Father Teresa” does whatever it takes to get the necessary treatment to any and every child who comes his way, simply by living by his philosophy of “Don’t say no.” He treats about twenty sick Ethiopians a day, all at no cost to the patient. He has been highlighted by the CNN show, “Heroes,” and is the subject of an upcoming HBO documentary, “Making the Crooked Straight.”

Don’t miss your chance to hear the remarkable stories of the great Dr. Hodes. Hopefully, his work in Ethiopia will inspire you to Get Involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD, today!

Dr. Rick Hodes
Monday, February 15, 2010
University of Michigan School of Public Health
1415 Washington Heights
SPH I Crossroads 1690
7:00 - 8:00pm

This privilege was made possible by the generous contributions of UM Center for Global Health, UM School of Public Health, Will Work For Food, UM Hillel, Global REACH, and the Ginsberg Center.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five from WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Robbie Dembo

2010-02-03T20:12:00.008-05:00

Every other week, our "High Five" features an internal member of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD Headquarters Team. Robbie Dembo has a strong passion for actually doing work and not just talking about it. Ironically, I just decided to talk about Robbie, as he is the focus of this week's High Five.

Robbie is currently the Director of Community Outreach for WWFF and is always busy trying to find new ways to engage the University of Michigan community with the WWFF initiative. His position requires innovation, creativity, and a willingness to go beyond what is expected of him. But what’s life without a little music? Robbie has decided to share with us his top five most played songs in iTunes:

1) Exit Music (For a Film) – Radiohead
2) No Name #3 – Elliott Smith
3) What is Life – George Harrison
4) Is This What You Wanted – Leonard Cohen
5) Side With the Seeds – Wilco

Robbie also wanted to share with us a favorite quote of his. As said by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be.”

If we’ve learned anything from Robbie today, it’s to actually go out there and do something, not just talk about it. If you are able to work for food, you ought to take just a few minutes to register and get started today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Leading by Example: WWFF in Ann Arbor

2010-02-03T17:26:00.009-05:00

While the WILL WORK FOR FOOD Headquarters Team works mostly behind the scenes in spreading the WWFF initiative, we always try to practice what we preach by volunteering in our community and raising money to fight child malnutrition. Last weekend, we volunteered at the Michigan Abilities Center (MAC) in Ann Arbor. MAC is a powerful organization that develops therapy programs for children and adults who face physical, mental, emotional, or learning challenges. While there, the team learned all about MAC and helped clean, organize, and repair their training facility.

Want to join a work effort on your campus? Find a group and get started today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Natural disasters increase malnutrition

2010-02-01T19:27:00.006-05:00

Food For Thought: Countries affected by natural disasters often see an increase in malnutrition among children.

The recent earthquake in Haiti has left over one million people without sufficient shelter or substantial access to food and water. The earthquake destroyed the country's infrastructure and has left the population reliant on international aid.

It was estimated that approximately 20 percent of kids in Haiti were undernourished before the earthquake. The current crisis is expected to make these numbers skyrocket since the earthquake disrupted reliable access to food and water.

Children under the age of five are the most likely to become severely malnourished because they need so many nutrients for proper growth and development. If a child becomes malnourished they are then more susceptible to other dangerous health concerns facing the people of Haiti such as fatal respiratory and bacterial infections.

WILL WORK FOR FOOD raises money to help our affiliate Doctors Without Borders fight malnutrition. Although we used to specifically support their work in Darfur, we recently branched out to help in other regions of the world as well.

Doctors Without Borders is on the ground in Haiti working around the clock to help save Haitians that are desperately in need. The WILL WORK FOR FOOD Team is distraught by the crisis in Haiti and ready to support our affiliate organization by helping to fund their efforts. This is why we are now giving our participants the option of designating the funds they raise through WILL WORK FOR FOOD to be used in Haiti.

Visit our website to Get Involved and for more information on how to support Doctors Without Borders in Haiti through WILL WORK FOR FOOD.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five from WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Participants Who Have Raised the Most $

2010-01-25T23:55:00.010-05:00

This week's High Five recognizes the five WILL WORK FOR FOOD participants who have raised the most money by getting their local work efforts sponsored by friends and family. Feel free to check out the profiles of each of these five outstanding individuals listed below:

1) Stephanie Stahl, University of Michigan, $610
2) Lucy Warren, Ohio Wesleyan University, $495
3) Lauren Yaffe, University of Michigan, $470
4) Jake Markel, Huron High School, $320
5) Jamie Plzak, University of Wisconsin, $235

The people above exemplify the power of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD fundraising platform. Together they have raised enough money to help save dozens of malnourished kids abroad. As Lucy at Ohio Wesleyan told us, "Within the first twenty minutes of sending an email to friends and family, I was receiving notifications of donations and the support has continued to come in!"

Raising this much money for WWFF is by no means mandatory in order to get involved. Truly, every little bit raised helps.

Would you like to GET INVOLVED with WILL WORK FOR FOOD? It only takes a few minutes so get started today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Participant of the Week: Lauren Yaffe

2010-01-21T20:09:00.011-05:00

Since joining WILL WORK FOR FOOD, Lauren Yaffe, a 2007 graduate from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, has raised almost $500 through a variety of unique work efforts. This past weekend, Lauren participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project in Chicago, Illinois. To learn more about Lauren and this very special service opportunity, we asked her a few questions and here's what she had to say:

Q: Where are you from?
A: I'm originally from Madison, WI, but now I live in Chicago, where I work for a mid-sized public and accounting firm.

Q: If you could meet one person, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
A: Oprah! I think she is such a strong and accomplished woman and I believe in a lot of the causes that she supports. I also enjoy her show and think that she would be fascinating to speak to in person.

Q: Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
A: I've traveled to almost 20 countries and really enjoy going to exotic places! The coolest place I've ever traveled to was the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador.

Q: What are your favorite pastimes?
A: Working out, arts and crafts, spending time with family and friends, biking, jazz dance, and trying new restaurants in Chicago!

Q: Can you tell us a little more about your most recent work effort, the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project?
A: The Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project is to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Chicago community. Participants were able to participate in a number of projects, such as painting murals, organizing a library, and making a fresh meal for seniors. Specifically, I painted a large canvas painting which will be hung in the hallways of Bouchet Academy, a math and science elementary school in Chicago.

Q: How did you raise money for this event?
A: I raised $370 this year for the MLK Service Project. I sent out an email to close friends and family educating them about my volunteer effort and asking for donations to WWFF to sponsor my work effort.

Q: Why are you interested in helping and participating in WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I think the premise of WWFF is great - I get to volunteer for causes that are important to me while getting the encouragement and support of family and friends by having them donate to a worthy cause to fight child malnutrition abroad.

Q: If you could describe WILL WORK FOR FOOD in one word, what would it be?
A: Progressive

Do you want to join WILL WORK FOR FOOD in its fight against child malnutrition? Register and get started today!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five from WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Josh Cohen

2010-01-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

Every other week, our High Five post will feature an internal member of WILL WORK FOR FOOD sharing five of their favorite things. Hopefully, these posts will help you get to know our team a little better.

Josh Cohen is one of the co-founders of WILL WORK FOR FOOD. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan in 2009 with a degree in Organizational Studies. He is currently traveling and visiting family to explore "the infinite possibilities life has to offer" and to figure out what he'll be doing next. Before leaving for a two-month journey to France, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus, and Turkey, Josh left us with five of his favorite quotes:

1) "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's
no point in being a damn fool about it." (W. C. Fields)

2) "When you are in love you can't fall asleep because reality is
better than your dreams." (Dr. Seuss)

3) "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings
endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages
the tormentor, never the tormented." (Elie Wiesel)

4) "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to
success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."
(Albert Schweitzer)

5) "The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or
even heard, but must be felt with the heart." (Helen Keller)

Josh WILL WORK FOR FOOD because he knows that we have the potential to unite and create a world dedicated to global citizenship, where local volunteerism can also help fight child malnutrition abroad. We wish Josh luck in his travels and hope his favorite quotes inspire you to GET INVOLVED.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Participant of the Week: Amy Verhey

2010-01-17T12:56:00.009-05:00

Amy Verhey is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Not only is Amy a campus representative for the university, but with the help of over 6 sponsors, she has also raised a substantial amount of money for WILL WORK FOR FOOD. Since Amy is so active with WWFF on her campus, we wanted to know more about her involvement in her own words and here's what she had to share:

Q: What are you studying at UW-Madison?
A: I'm currently undecided, but I'm interested in psychology, communications, and Spanish. After I graduate I would like to continue my education in graduate school.

Q: What's your favorite book?
A: Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Q: What is your favorite band?
A: Dashboard Confessional

Q: What is something you would like to do before you graduate?
A: I really want to study abroad in Spain and travel all over Europe. I think it would be an amazing experience!

Q: What else are you involved in at UW-Madison?
A: I'm the Vice President of Communications for my sorority, Pi Beta Phi. I'm also a member of the Dietetics and Nutrition Club, as well as Associated Women of Communications.

Q: How did you find out about WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I found out about WWFF through my sorority. After hearing about its great purpose, I decided to become a campus representative and help spread the word throughout campus.

Q: What has been your most successful work effort?
A: I volunteer at Wisconsin Public Television. I primarily help during the network's telethons by answering phones and receiving donations. Through these telethons, I also got sponsors to sponsor me using the WILL WORK FOR FOOD website. I e-mailed my family and friends, and was thrilled that so many people were willing to donate to such a great cause such as child malnutrition.

Q: As UW-Madison's campus rep, what kinds of projects do you have planned for this semester?
A: We are going to plan a large event for the beginning of the semester to really get people involved. We have so many student groups and individuals who are signed up to help us kick off our first work effort of the semester!

Q: Why are you interested in participating in WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: When I heard about WWFF I joined immediately and am so glad I did. The malnutrition epidemic is such an important issue that definitely deserves more attention than it currently receives, and I think that WWFF does a great job spreading the word to colleges all across the nation. Since all the money we raise goes directly towards Doctors Without Borders and the purchase of Plumpy'nut, I know that my contribution really will make a huge difference.

Q: If you could describe WILL WORK FOR FOOD in one word, what would it be?
A: Rewarding

Lucy's experience is a perfect example of how you can have an impact in your local community while fighting child malnutrition with WILL WORK FOR FOOD.

Register at http://www.willworkforfood.org/user/register today and start working for food! Try using the "Get Sponsors" email to find friends and family to sponsor your work.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Malnutrition Kills Too Many Children

2010-01-10T23:07:00.007-05:00

"Every year, malnutrition kills five million children - that's one child every six seconds."

This means that by the time you're done reading this sentence, a child will have died that could have been saved by a ready-to-use therapeutic food like Plumpy’nut.

What if you had the power to save some of these kids? Would you do something to help these innocent children live the long and healthy lives they deserve?

Realizing that our own personal lives are removed from the daily happenings of these severely malnourished children, we designed WILL WORK FOR FOOD to give people an opportunity to help their own communities (something we're all more familiar with) while raising relief funds to save these malnourished children.

Our "workers" volunteer in their own community and then ask friends and family members to sponsor this work with a donation. Every dollar raised helps our affiliates, Doctors Without Borders, purchase and distribute life-saving nutritional supplements to severely malnourished children.

With how connected the world is these days, we cannot just ignore this malnutrition epidemic that takes the lives of so many children. Time is ticking and kids need saving. So get involved today!

Visit our Get Involved page to sign up, Learn More pages for more information on Malnutrition and Plumpy'nut, or the Donate Now page to make a contribution.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Participant of the Week: Lucy Warren

2010-01-08T15:03:00.006-05:00

"Within the first twenty minutes of sending an email to friends and family, I was receiving notifications of donations and the support has continued to come in!"

Lucy Warren, a senior at Ohio Wesleyan University, has raised over $400 for WILL WORK FOR FOOD thanks to the support of her family and friends that have sponsored her work effort. Her commitment to helping her own community and fighting child malnutrition made her a perfect person for this week's Participant of the Week. We wanted to get to know Lucy a little better and find out how she was so successful in finding sponsors. Here's what she had to say:

Q: What's your favorite TV show?
A: The Office

Q: What's your favorite sports team?
A: Washington Redskins, even though we're struggling this season!

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: I would love to go to Africa, but I would also really like to go back to India.

Q: How did you find out about WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I found out about WWFF from my roommate and close friend, Lily Strumwasser, who is also the WWFF Campus Representative at Ohio Wesleyan. She got me interested in this wonderful organization.

Q: How have you raised the money so far?
A: I contacted family and friends by email and explained what WILL WORK FOR FOOD is all about. I had an overwhelming amount of support from both family and friends. Within the first twenty minutes of sending the initial email, I was receiving notifications of donations and the support has continued to come in!

Q: What specifically are you doing for your work effort?
A: In February, a group of Ohio Wesleyan students, including myself, are planning an event for the local families in Deleware, OH who are in need. The event will include food, games, music, and fun for all ages!

Q: Why were you inspired to get involved in WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I believe this organization has created an outstanding opportunity for students to independently stand up and reach out to those in need by making a difference at home in their own communities while addressing the international malnutrition crisis.

Q: If you could describe WILL WORK FOR FOOD in one word, what would it be?
A: Progressive

Lucy's experience is a perfect example of how you can have an impact in your local community while fighting child malnutrition with WILL WORK FOR FOOD.

Register at http://www.willworkforfood.org/user/register today and start working for food! Try using the "Get Sponsors" email to find friends and family to sponsor your work.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five from WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Individuals with the most sponsors

2009-12-28T12:57:00.002-05:00

This week's High Five recognizes the five WILL WORK FOR FOOD participants who have found the most friends and family to sponsor their local work efforts. Visit each participant's profile to see their recent work efforts and how much they have raised to fight child malnutrition.

1) Jenny Feuer, University of Michigan, 11 sponsors
2) Stephanie Stahl, University of Michigan, 10 sponsors
3) Isabella Morrison, Frankel Academy, 8 sponsors
4) Jake Markel, Huron High School, 7 sponsors
5) Lily Strumwasser, Ohio Wesleyan University, 6 sponsors

Congrats on the great work, guys!

Check out our Sponsor Someone page if you're interested in sponsoring a WILL WORK FOR FOOD participant, and look at "How Do I Find a Sponsor" on our FAQ Page for steps on how to get your own community service sponsored by friends and family.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Participant of the Week: Jenna Weinberg

2009-12-20T09:18:00.004-05:00

Jenna Weinberg is a sophomore at the University of Michigan. The Baltimore native has shown a great devotion to community service and WILL WORK FOR FOOD. Because of her outstanding work and her creative ideas, we decided Jenna would be perfect as this week's WILL WORK FOR FOOD Participant of the Week. We asked Jenna a few questions, and here's what she had to say:

Q: What is your major at the University of Michigan? And what do you want to be when you grow up?
A: I'm an International Studies major, and I hope to work for a non-profit someday or do something social work related.

Q: What is your favorite song?
A: "Window" by Guster

Q: What's your favorite TV show?
A: Lost

Q: What is the most interesting place you've even been?
A: Uruguay and Argentina

Q: How did you find out about WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I found out about WILL WORK FOR FOOD when Challah for Hunger decided to host an event with WWFF. Students baked 175 challahs over the course of a week, and then invited the community to a huge event to raise awareness and money for the cause.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about your specific work effort, Challah for Hunger?
A: Challah for Hunger is an organization on college compuses nationwide. The goal is to bake challah every week in all sorts of fun flavors (chocolate chip, pumpkin, chai tea, tomato basil, apple cinnamon, etc) and then sell them on campus to raise money for charity. Half of the money raised supports Challah for Hunger's national partner, the Darfur Fund at the Amercian Jewish World Service. Each campus chapter then gets to pick where the other half of the money raised is donated and we chose WWFF!

Q: How have you been raising money so far?
A: I personally raised about $50 by signing up online on WILL WORK FOR FOOD's website. I then sent out emails to my family and friends, telling them about WWFF and asking them to sponsor my work.

Q: How long did it take you to raise this money?
A: It only took a few minutes to send out the emails. I then received donations from three different people over the course of about a week.

Q: Why are you interested in helping with and participating in WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: This is a way to give back to both the local and world communities all at once. I can volunteer in my community and get sponsors to help alleviate malnutrition in Darfur simultaneously. What could be better?

Q: If you could describe WILL WORK FOR FOOD in one word, what would it be?
A: Genius!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Food For Thought: How far can a donation go?

2009-12-16T20:23:00.005-05:00

In our "Food For Though" posts, we'll share a new statement or fact with you every week. We'll follow these up with some extra information and also break them down for you in order to put things in perspective.

Volunteering in your community and finding one sponsor to donate to WILL WORK FOR FOOD can help save a malnourished kid.

Our slogan is simple: volunteering locally to save children globally. Volunteer in your own community and then ask a friend or family member to "sponsor" this work with a donation. The money raised will help save malnourished children abroad.

In some of our past posts we've written about the importance of community service and also provided some suggestions of how to get involved. Now we want to let you know just how important it is to get your work sponsored and how far a donation to WILL WORK FOR FOOD can go.

In the past, the average donation from a sponsor has been about $25. For $25 we can provide a severely malnourished child in Darfur with a week of Plumpy'nut AND a height/weight check up with a doctor. It only takes three weeks of Plumpy'nut and check ups to save the life of a malnourished child.

So if you volunteer in your community and ask friends or family members to sponsor your work, you can save a severely malnourished child. Volunteering locally to save children globally. It's as simple as that.

As of December 2009, WILL WORK FOR FOOD has raised over $17,000 and has saved hundreds of kids.

WILL YOU WORK FOR FOOD?

Check out the Get Involved page to learn more. You can also visit the Donate Now page to make a contribution.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Participant of the Week: John French

2009-12-11T08:56:00.003-05:00

John French – a native of Cary, NC – is currently in his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He was able to raise almost $200 for his recent work effort at the Peidmont Wildlife Center with the help of numerous family and friends who sponsored his volunteering. For his great work, we decided it was time for everyone to meet John:

Q: What are you studying at UNC-Chapel Hill ? And do you have any idea what you want to be when you grow up?
A: I’m a biology major and I hope to go into health care when I graduate.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
A: I would go to Antarctica to study penguins.

Q: What's the best movie you've seen recently?
A: Funny People

Q: What's your favorite music group/singer?
A: Thelonious Monk

Q: How did you get so many people to sponsor you?
A: I mainly asked my family and close friends to make contributions through e-mail.

Q: Was finding sponsors easy or difficult to do?
A: I thought it might be difficult to find sponsors for my work efforts, but it turned out to be a lot easier than I thought. After explaining what WILL WORK FOR FOOD was, they were all more than happy to donate to the worthwhile cause.

Q: How long did it take you to raise this money?
A: I sent out e-mails and then within a few hours I had donations. It took almost no time at all!

A: How did you find out about Will Work For Food?
A: I found out about WWFF through Peter Helvie and Ben Vollmer, the WILL WORK FOR FOOD representatives for UNC-Chapel Hill.

Q: Why are you interested in helping and participating in WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I was drawn to WILL WORK FOR FOOD because it is a unique and simple way to help around my local community while helping malnourished children in Darfur at the same time.

Q: If you could describe WWFF in one word, what would it be?
A: Compassion

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

"Plumpy'nut is a life-saver"

2009-12-10T21:01:00.006-05:00

Last month WILL WORK FOR FOOD had the privilege of introducing our initiative at a conference hosted by the University of Michigan’s Center for Global Health. At the event, students, professors and doctors from around the world were able to get together and share innovative ideas with one another.

We were fortunate enough to meet Anthony Sallar, a medical student in his final year at the University of Ghana Medical School, and some of his classmates. WILL WORK FOR FOOD caught their attention because of how we utilize Plumpy’nut to fight child malnutrition. Anthony and his classmates shared stories with us about how they have witnessed Plumpy’nut nurse malnourished kids back to health at a nutritional rehabilitation center in Ghana.

They went on to tell us about just how badly these kids suffering from malnutrition need nutritional supplements like Plumpy’nut. “Plumpy’nut is a life-saver,” they told us. Anthony and his friends were a powerful inspiration for us to keep spreading the WILL WORK FOR FOOD initiative and continuing to fight child malnutrition.

While we currently focus on saving malnourished kids in Darfur, meeting and hearing stories from people like Anthony is why we hope to be able to expand to other regions of the world soon. As the ancient Chinese proverb goes, “The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

Make a step today and Get Involved!

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five from WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Natalie Fratto

2009-12-09T16:54:00.003-05:00

Every other week, our High Five post will feature an internal member of WILL WORK FOR FOOD so that you can get to know our team a little better.

Natalie Fratto is a University of Michigan Campus Coordinator and part of the Marketing team for the national WWFF campaign. She's a sophomore Communications major and a member of the U of M Circle K chapter. Natalie also helps out her community by working with the Detroit Partnership and raising money for St. Jude Children's Hospital with her sorority.

Natalie WORKS FOR FOOD because it gives her the opportunity to use her local actions to combat a serious global problem; she can help children here in Michigan while improving the lives of suffering children in Darfur at the same time.

Natalie decided to share her top 5 ways to waste time when she should be studying for exams:

1. Discovering new music on Pandora--my current fave is Joshua Radin radio.

2. Watching TV episodes online, usually Dexter or Flash Forward.

3. Playing obscene amounts of tetris. My high score is in the 3 millions.

4. Replaying the end of Love Actually over and over and over... the little boy singing gets me every time!

5. Enjoying the beautiful U of M campus.

Somehow Natalie forgot to mention that reading the WILL WORK FOR FOOD blog is actually her favorite distraction.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

Participant of the Week: Elise Machiele

2009-12-06T18:01:00.006-05:00

Thanks to the hard-working students and volunteers who continue to spread WILL WORK FOR FOOD’s purpose across the nation, we’ve been able to watch the initiative really grow. Last week, Elise Machiele – a junior at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, MI – was our 1,000th worker to sign up. To commemorate this milestone, Elise has been named this week’s “Participant of the Week.” We wanted to get to know her a little bit better so without further ado, let’s meet Elise:

Q: What kinds of clubs or teams are you a part of?
A: I’m on the women's cross-country team and in charge of the Huron Cycling Club, a club where we go bike riding every Saturday afternoon. I’m also in my school’s choir and an a cappella girls singing group.

Q: What are your favorite hobbies?
A: Bike riding and creating art.

Q: What’s a cool trip you’ve been on recently?
A: This past summer I went on a mission trip to Belize with my church.

Q: What kind of career are you interested in?
A: I’m not sure what I want to do when I grow up yet, but I'm thinking about careers in either medicine, engineering, or art.

Q: How did you hear about WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I heard about WILL WORK FOR FOOD from the other students at my school who are also involved in the organization.

Q: What was it about WILL WORK FOR FOOD that caught your attention? Why did you decide to join this work effort?
A: I feel like WILL WORK FOR FOOD is an organization that was started for all the right reasons, and it really does what it sets out to do: fight child malnutrition through the work efforts of local volunteers. It seemed like a really good way to make an impact globally while helping my community at the same time.

If you want to know every time WILL WORK FOR FOOD posts something new to our blog, email willworkforfoodblog@gmail.com with the subject line "Sign me up."

High Five from WILL WORK FOR FOOD: Schools with the most registered

2009-12-03T20:21:00.002-05:00

Here's your weekly High Five from WILL WORK FOR FOOD, featuring the Top 5 Schools in terms of student and group registration!

If you are a student at one of these five schools and are interested in joining WILL WORK FOR FOOD on your campus, or if you are interested in sponsoring volunteers from any of these schools, click the schools' names below to check out their profile on the WWFF network.

1. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI: 349 students registered

2. Andrew P. Hill High School, San Jose, CA: 22 students registered

3. University of Texas, Austin, TX: 18 students registered

4. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC: 17 students registered

5. Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH: 16 students registered

Congratulations to this week's High Five schools for getting involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD. We'd also like to give a shout out to our two runner-up schools, Harvard University and East Grand Rapids High School.

Go to www.willworkforfood.org to get involved on your campus and help your school make it to the weekly High Five!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: first installment

2009-12-02T14:35:00.005-05:00

In our “Food For Thought” posts, we’ll share a new fact with you every week. We’ll follow these facts up with some extra information and also break them down for you in order to put things in perspective.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are currently 20 million young children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.”

This means that around the world, 20 million children--more than twice the population of New York City--are suffering like this child:

Severe acute malnutrition is a serious epidemic that is often confused with hunger. Hunger is a lack of calories while malnutrition is characterized by a lack of essential nutrients that the body needs to survive. Severe acute malnutrition is associated with weakened mental and physical development and leads to the death of 3.5-5 million children per year.

Severe acute malnutrition is often referred to as the “Silent Killer” in the international aid community because it doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. Fortunately, the disease is very treatable when given the proper attention. WILL WORK FOR FOOD is dedicated to bringing awareness to this matter and working to save severely malnourished children.

One hundred percent of the money we raise together will help Doctors Without Borders purchase and distribute nutritional supplements, like Plumpy’nut, to help save malnourished children. For now, the money raised will help save children in Darfur, where 1 in 7 kids are severely malnourished.

Together we can fight the Silent Killer and bring attention to the malnutrition crises. Visit the Get Involved page to learn more about how you can help.

Birthday Shout Out

2009-12-01T12:23:00.007-05:00

We’d like to wish a very happy birthday to Mike Paulsen, a leading member of our marketing team. Mike is in his last year at the University of Michigan where he has already finished his business degree and is currently wrapping up his biochemistry major and premed classes.

At the Business School, Mike studied marketing and operations and has held positions with Apple and Unilever. He was able to use the skills he gained from these experiences to help design our logo and some of our marketing materials that you’ll be seeing more of soon.

After graduation, Mike plans to head to medical school and pursue a career as a trauma surgeon.

Mike originally got involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD because he believed in the initiative’s potential to fight child malnutrition, a completely preventable tragedy.
Happy birthday Mike!

Event Highlight: Piedmont Wildlife Center Project at University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill

2009-11-27T11:02:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, November 21, the WILL WORK FOR FOOD team at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill kicked off their most successful event yet: the Piedmont Wildlife Center Project. The group of UNC students spent the day helping out around the center and, with the sponsorship support of their families and friends, raised nearly $400.

Peter Helvie and Ben Vollmer, our Campus Reps for UNC, wanted to bring WILL WORK FOR FOOD to their campus because they like how the initiative approaches a global problem differently than other organizations. “I like WILL WORK FOR FOOD because a lot of organizations are just about raising money to help foreign crises. With WILL WORK FOR FOOD I’m able to do this by fundraising to fight child malnutrition abroad and at the same time I can also do something to help my immediate community.”

Peter and Ben expect WILL WORK FOR FOOD to continue to grow and be successful at UNC-Chapel Hill thanks to all of the motivated, enthusiastic students on campus. “After hearing about WILL WORK FOR FOOD’s cause, many students who were already involved in community service were completely sold and immediately went to the WILL WORK FOR FOOD website to sign up and make their profiles,” said Peter.

Keep up the great work UNC!

WILL WORK FOR FOOD gives thanks

2009-11-26T15:59:00.011-05:00

We hope you're having a nice Thanksgiving break. In the spirit of the holiday, we encourage you to take a minute to think about just how much we have to be thankful for in our lives.

Being able to enjoy a delicious meal in the company of family and friends is a privilege that millions of severely malnourished kids around the world lack. If you haven’t had a chance yet, you can watch our video (below) to get a sense of just how badly these kids need our help.

WILL WORK FOR FOOD has a great deal to be thankful for over the past year. First and foremost, our 993 participants that have volunteered in their local communities and their friends and family that have sponsored this work with generous donations that help us fight child malnutrition abroad.

We’ve also been fortunate enough to gain some powerful support over the past year. Last fall Google awarded us one of their online marketing grants worth the equivalent of $10,000 per month in advertising. In February we were recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative for Universities and traveled to Austin, Texas to present WILL WORK FOR FOOD to students from around the world. In the spring we were chosen as an International Semifinalist in the Dell Social Innovation Competition and we currently have over 30 passionate Campus Reps bringing WILL WORK FOR FOOD to their respective schools around the country. And of course, none of this would have been possible without our Principle Contributors that have funded our work.

During this holiday season there are an increasing number of people that have less and need more. Local thrift stores are challenged to keep items on their racks and soup kitchens have lines out the door. To make matters a bit more daunting, child malnutrition in other regions of the world is expected to drastically increase as funding for international aid programs are cut.

So rather than thinking about what we might need or want during the holidays, we encourage everyone to enjoy and appreciate all that we have. And if you have a little extra that you can spare--whether it’s time to volunteer, money to donate, or any other resources--we'd love to have your continued support.

Thanks and have a great holiday.

High Five From WILL WORK FOR FOOD: first installment

2009-11-22T23:20:00.002-05:00

On our new blog, we’re going to be giving readers a “high five” every week. Think of it as our take on a Top Ten list--half the reading and twice the punch. We’ll give you our five favorites for all types of topics: community service ideas, the top schools involved in WWFF, fund-raising ideas, newest participants, etc. We’ll also give you a look into the WILL WORK FOR FOOD Team from time to time with our five favorite bands or movies at the moment.

We figured that we’d start on a bit of a more serious seasonal note. As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, we are often reminded how much we take for granted and how important it is to give back to our communities. Below are five suggestions for how you can help those in need in your community and make this Thanksgiving a bit more meaningful.

1. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.

2. Collect canned food in your neighborhood with some friends and donate it to a local food bank.

3. Check out your closet to see if you have any clothes, coats, hats or gloves that you could pass on to the Salvation Army or local thrift store.

4. Rake leaves for an elderly neighbor.

5, Donate any books you’ve already read or gently used appliances to a local shelter.

Group Highlight: University of Michigan Circle K

2009-11-21T07:40:00.004-05:00

Circle K is a service organization that provides a wide variety of service opportunities to college students interested in volunteering. There are Circle K chapters around the world, and the University of Michigan is fortunate enough to have one of the largest and most active chapters.

On Saturday, November 14th, the University of Michigan's Circle K chapter partnered with WILL WORK FOR FOOD for “Circle K Service Day,” a volunteer event in which participants had the opportunity to spend the entire day working together on a variety of service projects.

Projects included:
-A food drive that collected 759 pounds of food.
-Planting trees in Detroit.
-Sending letters to sick kids through the Make-a-Child-Smile organization.
-Making blankets for veterans.
-Serving lunch at a nursing home.

The Numbers:
-1,536 dollars raised by Service Day volunteers for WILL WORK FOR FOOD.
-397 people volunteered throughout the day.
-77 different projects throughout campus and the Ann Arbor community.
-2,004.5 hours of service provided to the community.

“Service Day was definitely one of our most successful projects,” said Alli Schaffner, Circle K’s Vice President. Since Circle K is already involved in local volunteering, Schaffner said “partnering with WILL WORK FOR FOOD was really easy. It’s really a great organization to collaborate with. We’re definitely looking forward to working with them more in the future.”

Circle K decided to get involved with WILL WORK FOR FOOD because they knew child malnutrition is “an important cause that motivated Circle K members. It is such a large problem globally and an issue that everyone should definitely be more aware of,” said Schaffner.

Great work, Circle K! Thanks for getting involved.

Campus Rep Birthday Shout Out

2009-11-20T12:45:00.010-05:00

We'd like to wish a very happy birthday to Ellice Tan, our University of Texas Campus Rep.

Ellice is a Sophomore at UT, where she's majoring in Chemistry and taking pre-pharmacy classes. She also plays on the women's lacrosse team and has an impressively diverse taste in music (everything from the Beatles to Girl Talk to Tchaikovsky).

Ellice originally decided to help spread WILL WORK FOR FOOD to UT "because of the unique model that allows students to have impact on their own communities while fighting child malnutrition abroad."

Ellice has already introduced the WILL WORK FOR FOOD initiative to dozens of students at the University of Texas where they have raised nearly $300 in the past month.

Check out the University of Texas group page to find out more about Ellice's work so far.

Thanks for helping us spread WILL WORK FOR FOOD to UT, Ellice! Have a great Birthday!

Participant of the Week: Dan Friedman

2009-11-15T21:13:00.010-05:00

WILL WORK FOR FOOD aims to stimulate local community service while raising relief funds to fight child malnutrition.

Dan is a freshman at the University of Michigan from Cross River, New York. He is a business school hopeful and an active member on the Circle K fundraising committee, a local service organization in Ann Arbor.

Q: What else are you involved in?
A: I'm a pledge for Sigma Pi fraternity and a member of Jewish Greek Council through University of Michigan Hillel. I'm also the Director of Marketing and a contributor for ThaGoodLifeReviews.com, a hip-hop music blog. I got to interview Mike Posner for it.

Q: What’s your favorite song?
A: My favorite song is “Up Up & Away” by Kid Cudi.

Q: Tell us something interesting or unique that you’ve done.
A: I used to play for my high school's ultimate frisbee team. Our team, John Jay Air Raid, finished 2nd in the New York State Ultimate Frisbee Tournament.

Q: What are your career plans?
A: My career plans, for now, are to succeed in my academics, make a difference in the Ann Arbor community, and have fun at the same time.

Q: How did you find out about WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I heard about WILL WORK FOR FOOD from my Circle K fundraising committee chairwoman. She's a great leader and highlighted this opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause.

At first, I was unaware of what WILL WORK FOR FOOD was. After reading through the website, I'm happy to be raising money through my local volunteer work and helping a greater cause on the other side of the world.

Q: What specifically are you doing for your work effort?
A: For my work effort, I'm volunteering at Circle K Service Day in which our organization at the University of Michigan organizes 24 hours of service projects that are open to all UofM students to participate in. We’ll volunteer for a variety of causes all around Ann Arbor.

Q: How have you found sponsors and raised money so far?
A: I have raised my money by sending emails to my close friends and family. I personalized the emails to mention my own opinion about the importance of this cause and my relationship with the friends and family.

Q: Why are you interested in helping and participating in WILL WORK FOR FOOD?
A: I really like that one-hundred percent of the money raised helps your affiliate organization, Doctors Without Borders, purchase and distribute nutritional supplements to severely malnourished children. I've read in the news that child malnutrition is a large problem globally and I was excited that I found a direct way to help raise money for such a worthy cause.

Q: If you could describe WILL WORK FOR FOOD in one word, what would it be?
A: Service.

Why isn't WILL WORK FOR FOOD on my campus?

2009-10-26T23:28:00.004-04:00

WILL WORK FOR FOOD is currently on twenty-two high school and college campuses across the US, including the University of Michigan, Northwestern, Indiana University, the University of Texas, and UNC.

Our current "campus outreach" initiative aims to extend WILL WORK FOR FOOD to at least fifty more high school and college campuses by the end of 2009 with the help of newly recruited campus representatives. WWFF campus reps represent WILL WORK FOR FOOD and the “volunteering locally to save children globally” initiative on their own campuses.

WWFF reps make their own schedules and goals in order to promote WILL WORK FOR FOOD and to motivate their peers. They work with classes, clubs, teams and school faculty to increase awareness, promote local community service, and raise money to help save severely malnourished children in Darfur.

If you're interested in becoming a campus representative and want to bring WILL WORK FOR FOOD to your high school or college campus, email willworkforfoodnow@gmail.com. Send your name, phone number, and the name of the school where you want to bring WILL WORK FOR FOOD!

WILL WORK FOR FOOD video update from CEO Steve Weinberg

2009-10-26T23:12:00.006-04:00

Volunteer Spotlight: Stephanie Stahl

2009-10-26T22:37:00.003-04:00

Stephanie Stahl was first introduced to WILL WORK FOR FOOD at a Doctors Without Borders lecture that WILL WORK FOR FOOD hosted in Ann Arbor last February. Stahl was initially attracted to WILL WORK FOR FOOD because of its flexibility.

“I have a tight schedule that can vary somewhat from week to week, so it's nice to be able to schedule my own service efforts around the time that I have available,” said Stahl. Stahl’s work efforts include serving on the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Livingston County and working on a knitting collection to donate to a local charity.

“I've found that a lot of people have good intentions about making a donation but never get around to it,” says Stahl. She contacted her family and friends, asking them to sponsor her work with a donation to WILL WORK FOR FOOD. Her service efforts inspired her family and friends to donate over $600.

Stahl graduated with a BBA in Finance from Western Michigan University and recently completed a second bachelor's degree in Biology at the University of Michigan in August 2009. She hopes one day to have a career in health care.

Why peanut butter can save children in Darfur and how we can help

2009-10-14T11:21:00.003-04:00

Out of a population of 6 million people in Darfur, 5 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid to survive. But with a problem this large, how can you make a difference?

The WILL WORK FOR FOOD initiative devotes our effort toward one particular part of the crisis in Darfur--child malnutrition. We do this by helping Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) purchase and distribute life-saving nutritional supplements to malnourished children.

Child malnutrition rates in Darfur have exceeded the United Nation's emergency threshold of 15%. Children under the age of 5 who do not receive the necessary nutrient-rich diet will begin to consume their own tissue to survive, resulting in permanent developmental disabilities or death.

But the innovation of new ready-to-use food sources (RFSs) can significantly reduce malnutrition rates. WILL WORK FOR FOOD donates to MSF to aid in the distribution Plumpy'nut, an inexpensive, peanut-based RFS, to severely malnourished children in Darfur.

Plumpy'nut is a fortified paste that contains a balance of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to help severely malnourished children gain weight rapidly. While previous milk-based formulas offered only a 25-40% chance of recovery for acutely malnourished children, Plumpy'nut has an 80-95% recovery rate. Plumpy'nut can be prepared locally since it doesn't require water or refrigeration--and it has a shelf life of over two years.

WILL WORK FOR FOOD participants ask friends and family to sponsor their local community service work with a donation. 100% of the money raised will help get Plumpy'nut to children suffering in Darfur.

How will you WORK FOR FOOD?

Vote for the new WILL WORK FOR FOOD logo

2009-10-12T02:20:00.003-04:00

Please vote in our open poll to decide the new WILL WORK FOR FOOD logo! Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Tell your friends to vote, too! http://tinyurl.com/wwffsurvey

Welcome to the WILL WORK FOR FOOD blog!

2009-09-21T23:17:00.013-04:00

We created WILL WORK FOR FOOD in 2007 to bridge the gap between local community service and international relief work. While we knew of plenty of other organizations that either volunteered locally or focused on international aid, we wanted to bring these two causes together.

And so came our "volunteering locally to save children globally" initiative.

We encourage our participants to volunteer in their local communities and to then ask family and friends to “sponsor” their work with a donation to WWFF. One-hundred percent of the money raised helps our affiliate organization, Doctors Without Borders, to purchase and distribute nutritional supplements to malnourished children.

For now, the money raised will help provide Plumpy’nut®, a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, to children in Darfur. The United Nations estimates that severe acute malnutrition affects 1 in 7 children in Darfur. WILL WORK FOR FOOD will soon begin to help save children in other regions of the world as well.

WWFF is sanctioned by the Clinton Global Initiative for Universities and was recognized as an International Semi-Finalist in the Dell Social Innovation Competition. We also received a competitive Google marketing grant and were recently given a generous contribution from the University of Michigan’s President and Provost Offices that will fund our national launch this year.

WILL WORK FOR FOOD is currently launching at 25 high school and college campuses across the United States, including Stanford University, The University of North Carolina, and Georgetown.

We want to engage our generation by utilizing the power of the internet and social media. Our main website offers an online network that allows participants to track their community service work and raise money as individuals or groups. You can also follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

We aim to raise $1,000,000 to fight child malnutrition and to have 40,000 commitments to community
service by the end of the 2010-11 school year.

WILL YOU WORK FOR FOOD? Visit www.willworkforfood.org to get involved.