News/Updates

Since 2014, Love the Hungry has been engaged in a partnership that helps ensure basic care for more than 900 orphaned children in South Sudan. Seven shipments of humanitarian aid have provided 1.2 million fortified meals, clothing, blankets, medical and hygiene supplies, water purification equipment, school supplies and much more. With the help of Louisville-based nonprofits WaterStep and Supplies Over Seas, the impact has been multiplied even further.

Access to clean water is essential to good health. With no water source nearby, water must be purchased weekly and hauled to the site where children gather for school and a daily meal. It’s costly, and the quality of the water is very poor. With the support of many generous donors, Love the Hungry has launched a Clean Water Initiative that includes drilling of a deep borehole/well, installation of a solar-powered pumping station, construction of a water tank tower, and installation of water purification equipment (provided through WaterStep). The project will enable up to 5,000 liters of water to be purified and available for use at all times.

Additional phases for the project include construction of a kitchen/storage facility with classroom space, hand washing stations, and latrines.

More than 600 volunteers participated in Love the Hungry packaging sessions during the month of June – producing 48,084 Nutri-Plenty® servings. Wellington Elementary School, Kentucky FFA State Convention, and the Ingwersen Family Small Group helped multiply the meals and push the 2019 year-to-date totals above the half-million mark.

As of June 25, 3,160 volunteers of all ages have participated in 33 packaging sessions. Love the Hungry has delivered more than 700,000 fortified servings to partnering organizations in Haiti, Honduras, Malawi, Mali, South Sudan, and Uganda. Five Kentuckiana agencies have assisted in providing 11,000 nutritious meals to local families.

297 volunteers participated in Love the Hungry packaging sessions during the month of May – generating 31,410 fortified Nutri-Plenty® servings. Our thanks to Bob Hook Chevrolet, Switzerland County Elementary School, Stewart Small Group Bible Study, and Kenwood Station Elementary School for providing volunteer teams of all ages to help multiply the meals.

Love the Hungry also partnered with Convoy of Hope and Children’s Lifeline to begin moving more than 170,000 Nutri-Plenty® meals to Haiti. Political unrest, inflation, and other economic woes have pushed more and more Haitians into crisis as they struggle to provide for their most basic needs.

489 volunteers participated in seven packaging sessions during the month of April, including events throughout the “Mayor’s Week of Service.” Groups included AIG, Beargrass Christian Youth, Fairdale High School, First Christian Church (Lawrenceburg), Humana, Jefferson County Retired Teachers, Long John Silver, Louisville Geek, Louisville Metro Government, Middletown Christian, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Sacred Heart Academy, Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers, and Waggener High School. 76,926 fortified meals were packaged during “Give A Day” service projects.

Student volunteers at Fairdale High School packaged more than 17,000 Nutri-Plenty meals during their second annual “Fairdale Feeds The World” service project. Students helped coordinate the event from start to finish, including fundraising, set up, meal packaging, and clean up. A milestone was reached during the packaging session as the 500,000th “Give A Day” meal was produced.

Each year during the month of April, Louisville dedicates a week of service to engage volunteers in acts of compassion. Since 2012, Love the Hungry has been a partner in the annual event.

More than 700,000 people have been impacted by disastrous flooding in Malawi, prompting a first-of-its-kind response from three local nonprofits. Supplies Over Seas, WaterStep, and Love the Hungry have teamed up to provide a “First Reponse” pallet of health aid that is being flown to the disaster site. It includes first aid medical supplies, clean water technology, and enough fortified Nutri-Plenty® servings to feed 150 children for two weeks. The donated supplies are valued at more than $16,000 and will be received by Kasupe Ministries of Malawi. Shipping costs have been covered by the Greater Louisville Medical Foundation and the family of Martha Harding.

970 volunteers participated in seven packaging events during the month of March – producing 136,878 Nutri-Plenty® servings. Our thanks to groups from Bellarmine University, Ewing Elementary School, First Baptist Church (Grayson, KY), GPNA Neighborhood Association, Kentuckiana Association of UCC Churches, Prichard Elementary School, SECC Small Group, Shelby Christian Church, Shelbyville Rotary Club, and St. Michael’s Catholic Parish.

The month included two special milestones. Students at Prichard Elementary School packaged the 6,000,000th total meal and Love the Hungry also celebrated the 35,000th volunteer to participate in a packaging session. Shelby Christian Church/Shelbyville Rotary and the Kentuckiana Association of UCC Churches also became the newest members of the LTH “100,000 Meals Club.”

A significant amount of humanitarian aid was shipped during the month, including a container shipment (250,000+ meals and other supplies) to South Sudan, two pallets of fortified meals to Haiti, and a “First Response” shipment of aid to Malawi.

2019 is off to a great start as more than 1,000 volunteers of all ages have participated in Love the Hungry packaging sessions. Churches, synagogues, schools, community organizations, and corporate teams have stepped up to take action to end hunger. Each fortified meal will provide nourishment and hope to children and families suffering from chronic hunger. During the first quarter of 2019, humanitarian aid is being delivered to Eastern Europe, Guatemala, Haiti, and South Sudan.

Employees from throughout the country gathered in Louisville, KY for GE Appliances annual “Big Event” leadership conference and engaged in four one-hour Love the Hungry packaging sessions. 370 volunteers participated in the service project – producing 88,080 Nutri-Plenty® servings. The fortified meals will be included in upcoming shipments to Guatemala, South Sudan, and other locations.

GE Appliances also reached a significant milestone, surpassing 200,000 total meals packaged in partnership with Love the Hungry.

Each month, Love the Hungry designates a Saturday for individuals and small groups to participate in a packaging session. It’s a great opportunity for students, families, local business teams, and other groups to join together for a fun and meaningful service event. Individuals and families are welcome, or you can recruit 10 – 12 volunteers to fill a complete packaging line. Volunteers as young as six years may participate with adult supervision. A suggested donation of $25 per person helps offset the cost of packaging supplies and delivery.

Upcoming dates and start times include:

Saturday, February 23 10 AM

Saturday, March 30 10 AM

Saturday, April 13 9 AM

All small group sessions take place at the LTH Packaging Center, 4209 Gardiner View Avenue. To learn more or to register, please phone 502-459-9199.