Rotary & Rise Against Hunger: End Hunger by 2030

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” (African proverb)

Rise Against Hunger is driven by the vision of a world without hunger: 821 million people in the world do not get the food to live a healthy life; 1 out of 9 persons goes to bed hungry every night.

“Hunger doesn’t have to exist – Let’s end it together.” (Rotary International)

Part of Rise Against Hunger’s mission is to create a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources to end hunger, volunteers from communities of faith, corporations, schools and civic clubs. Rotary Club of Marlin has accepted the challenge to be a major force in the eradication of world hunger.

Ray Klinginsmith, Rotary International Trustee Chair, 2015-16, in Trustee Chair’s Message, April 2016 stated, “The numbers are impressive: Rotary comprises more than 35,000 clubs with 1.2 million members in 200 countries and geographic regions. It’s big enough to be a major partner in the eradication of polio, the largest health initiative ever undertaken!”

What is Rise Against Hunger and why is an individual’s help important?

Rise Against Hunger (RAH) is an international hunger relief non-profit organization that coordinates the packaging and distribution of food and other aid to people in developing nations. Founded in 1998 by Dr. Ray Buchanan (active Rotarian), Rise Against Hunger mobilizes more than 400,000 volunteers each year to package meals for people in need around the globe. Since 2005, Rise Against Hunger has distributed nearly 500,000,000 meals to recipients in 76 countries with a mission to end hunger.

 Rise Against Hunger aims to end hunger through four pathways: nourishing lives, responding to emergencies, empowering communities and growing the movement. From the implementation of sustainable development community projects to the meal packaging program that utilizes local volunteers, RAH strives to make a global impact on hunger by building resilience, self-sufficiency and empowerment among the world’s most vulnerable populations.

 Partnering with RAH, Rotarians have packaged more than 30 million meals. Five Rotary Districts have completed 1,000,000 meal projects.

 In 2019, 77.4 million meals were packaged. 415,282 volunteers were engaged. 3,702 events were held (many, many by Rotary Clubs). Food was delivered to 1,792,110 beneficiaries and 67.7 million meals were consumed. 36 total countries were served, 37 total partners engaged, and $307,663 grants were disbursed.

ROTARY GOAL: 250 MILLION MEALS BY 2030.

 Towards that goal, the northern part of Rotary District 5870 is producing a Rise Against Hunger packaging event hosted by Marlin’s Rotary Club onMarch 13, 2021 at the Marlin Men’s Civic Association Building, 1106 North Business Hwy 6, in Marlin, TX.

The assembly process combines rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and a micronutrient flavoring mix formulated by Kraft Heinz Company Foundation that includes 20 essential vitamins and minerals. The food has a shelf-life of two years. On March 13th, over 1300 meals will be boxed for distribution in overseas countries. 

Rise Against Hunger provides over 70% of its meals to support development programs such as school lunch programs, vocational training programs, early childhood development programs, orphanages, and medical clinics. Working with these programs helps enhance lives by giving beneficiaries the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty through education, skills development, and healthcare while also receiving much-needed nutrition. These goals are aligned with Rotary’s 6 areas of focus: 1) Peace and conflict prevention/resolution; 2) Disease prevention and treatment; 3) Water and sanitation; 4) Maternal and child health; 5) Basic education and literacy; 6) Economic and community development.

Individuals from throughout Central Texas communities can take part in this positive movement to eliminate global hunger by volunteering to package the food at the event hosted by Marlin’s Rotary Club on March 13, beginning at 8 a.m. for setup, 9-11 a.m. for packaging, and 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. for cleanup. Social distancing will be observed, and all volunteers will wear masks. Finally, a packaged lunch and beverages will be served.

 Help as a volunteer today will mean that, in time, no one will go to bed hungry every single night because we took action in what we believed in achieving — ending world hunger by 2030.