In partnership with the Stop Hunger Now organization and the West Springfield Rotary Club, on Jan 16, the 8th Annual NOVA SERVES: MLK Day of Service, over 250 NOVA faculty, staff, and students, local K-12 students and community members successfully assembled 24,800 food kits (= 4,133 individuals in need).
The food kits are en route. The destination will be revealed soon.
Where have the assembled food kits been shipped to in the past years?
2015:
This shipment was being sent through Reach Now International to their partner Fundacion Castillo Del Ray in Panama. Fundacion Castillo Del Ray is a nonprofit organization that provides meals to six elementary schools and one high school throughout Panama. In these schools, Foundation Castillo Del Ray feeds more than 1,500 students on a daily basis. This food also would help the schools to allocate resources to improve their infrastructure, enhance teaching tools and provide clothing for the students.
2014:
This shipment was being sent through Youth Build Haiti Rebuilding Academy (YHRA) in Haiti. The Youth Build Haiti Rebuilding Academy (YHRA) is a five-year initiative designed to improve the livelihood prospects of Haitian youth and mobilize young people in Haiti to play a significant leadership role in rebuilding the earthquake devastated country. The program works alongside IDEJEN (the Initiative for the Development of Young People Outside of School), Haitiâs largest youth-serving NGO. Over the five year period of implementation, the YHRA would reach at least 9,000 young people and engage them in post-earthquake rebuilding projects focused on the rebuilding and building of homes, schools, health clinics, sanitation blocks and green infrastructure. The program includes six months of intensive on site skills training, leadership development and basic education, followed by six months of follow up support as young people seek viable opportunities for employment and self employment. Project activities are delivered out of centers built by YouthBuild and IDEJEN students.
2013:
Your meals would support the work of ORPHANetwork’in Nicaragua
ORPHANetwork‘s mission is to equip orphans and at risk children in developing countries to fully realize their God-given potential. They serve abandoned, abused, and at-risk children in Nicaragua through various infrastructures including: the local church, local school systems, and orphanages. ORPHANetwork supports 155 feeding programs throughout Nicaragua. Through these programs, almost 18,000 children are nourished each weekday. The communities serve are some of the poorest in Nicaragua and the feeding programs prevent children from becoming “social orphans.” By guaranteeing one nutritious meal to these children each weekday, the probability that they will be able to continue living with their families increases significantly. The programs also serve the community holistically by drawing the children to school, monitoring their health, teaching on health and hygiene, working with pregnant mothers on pre-natal and infant health, providing a space for families to work together and connecting them to the local church. ORPHANetwork additionally supports six orphanages, which are home to over 300 children.
AND
Your meals would support the work of Salesian Missions in the Philippines
Salesian Missions is a network of 34,000 Priests, Brothers and Sisters around the world who work to enable poor and suffering children to live better lives and build brighter futures. The Salesians of Don Bosco operate 5,000 schools and technical training centers, 23 colleges, 216 clinics and hospitals, 225 orphanages and shelters, and run a wide variety of social and economic development activities throughout the world. In each country, the Salesians combine the aspects of an orphanage, a school, a church, and a children’s recreation center, in addition to varied social programs. The Salesians work to be truly present among the people in their communities on all levels, so they understand the problems facing those they serve and are able to assist in the most effective manner. Across the Southern Philippines, the Salesians of Don Bosco serve needy families who lack sufficient food and money to cover their basic needs. In addition to family support, the Salesians operate several children’s homes, technical training centers and outreach programs. The programs are located across the Southern Philippines in Cebu (9 programs), Eastern Samar (1 program), Iloilo (1 program), Negros (5 programs), Davao (4 programs) and Bukidnon (1 program). This shipment, in particular, would be used primarily to support the victims of Typhoon Bopha which ravaged the area of Davao Oriental. The municipality of Baganga was especially affected. Families lost their homes and livelihoods and this food will be a beacon of hope in a time of great loss.