WWFF Participant Spotlight: Lauren Yaffe

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

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

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

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?!

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".

Read more in: Sweet potato a key ingredient in world malnutrition fight

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

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?!

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

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.

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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."