We are now well into winter and in many parts of the country the temperature is dropping while the snow is rising. Sadly the snow is not the only thing rising, so is the cost of living in Canada, especially food prices. I don’t ever want to minimize the burden these cost increases put on the average Canadian, but the food price increases in developing countries have made it almost impossible for millions of families to put even one good meal a day on the table. We are kicking off our FIGHT CHILD MALNUTRITION CAMPAIGN and asking you to join us with your prayers and support to combat this serious issue. We will be focusing the campaign primarily on our programs in Haiti, Kenya, Nicaragua, Dominican and Malawi. We have three key feeding programs we desperately need funding for, Community Feeding Programs, Home Delivery Food Packages, and School Feeding Programs.

The beginning of the calendar year is often the slowest time of the year for donations, so we are asking you to consider a special gift. With help from our food partners, your gift will be doubled:

$35 will provide food for a child for one month at school

$65 will provide a home food package for a family of four $250 will provide a meal for a community*

Every $5000 raised will help procure, transport and distribute a truck load of food.

* most of the communities we work in have approximately 200-300 children.

I would like to introduce you to four children who need your support. Tadala and her little brother Zikomo are from Malawi. Their parents currently have no employment and they don’t own any property to grow food. They often go without any food but with your help their family can be supported with the home food delivery program.

Alaia is from Nicaragua. She lives on the outskirts of the city dump where her family works to pick through the garbage. They recycle some things for money and they look for things they need, sometimes even scraps of food. Where Alaia lives, and with your partnership, Alaia’s family could benefit from our community feeding programs.

Ricardo lives in Haiti, a country with many challenges and struggles where gangs control most major cities and ports - making food delivery very difficult. Fortunately Ricardo lives in the middle of the country where schools are still open and with your help we can provide meals through school feeding programs.

PLEASE HELP US FIGHT CHILD MALNUTRION

Malnutrition does not get headline news and is often forgotten but as I began to travel again to our programs, I was shocked to see how many families and especially children were suffering from malnutrition.

Globally 45% of deaths among children under 5 years of age are linked to what is often referred to as undernutrition, which has four sub-forms:

• Wasting (low weight for height)

• Stunting (low height for age)

• Underweight (low weight for age)

• Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals

Undernutrition makes children much more vulnerable to disease and death. By partnering with Speroway, together we can help thousands of children and families get at least one good meal a day.  With your help many families could be assisted with community feeding programs and receive food packages delivered to their homes.

Here is one such family; Samuel, his wife Mirlande and their daughter Judeline. They live in a small rural community in Haiti. Samuel works as a day laborer for about $1 a day. He also tries to grow food in his small back yard, but it is not enough for his family. Their daughter is at a critical stage in life for both proper brain and body development. With your help this family, and many more like them, could be assisted with community feeding programs and receive food packages delivered to their homes.

The beginning of the calendar year is often the slowest time of the year for donations, so we are asking you to consider a special gift. With help from our food partners, your gift will be doubled:

$35 will provide food for a child for one month at school

$65 will provide a home food package for a family of four $250 will provide a meal for a community*

Every $5000 raised will help procure, transport and distribute a truck load of food.

* most of the communities we work in have approximately 200-300 children.