Working Together: WILL WORK FOR FOOD and OneMichigan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[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.

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