Near the heart of the island nation of the Philippines, a region known as Metro Cebu is home to over 2.5 million people. Over 40% of Metro Cebu’s population, or 1,000,000 people, live far below the poverty line. With the help of the USANA True Health Foundation, Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF) is able to equip its partners on the ground to distribute food to 166 families each month.
The work in this region provides hope to children and families who feel trapped in their life situation and unable to move beyond life on the streets. One of these families, a mother and daughter, literally live on the sidewalk underneath a tarp. They have nothing. However, now that they receive food provided by CHF and USANA True Health Foundation, their hope has been restored. They no longer have to worry about where their next meal will come from. What a joy to see the smiles on their faces when they are given this twenty pound box of food! Our hope is that this family and others just like them will no longer go hungry and that children will no longer be malnourished, but will instead have the opportunity to grow in health.
“Receiving this food is so encouraging; we know we are doing a good work because we see the smiles. We thank companies and organizations like USANA and CHF who want to help people in poverty.”
—Pastor Kent Jesalva in the Philippines Mercy Network
While Chiang Mai, Thailand is listed as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, it hides an ugly fact: slum life is considered “normal” for nearly 10% of the population, or 100,000 people. Often, the slums are occupied by what are commonly referred to as “squatters”—people who are too scared to try to purchase land due to the government practice of land reclamation. All too often, the government takes back land issued or sold to people, which has left many Thais without a home or land to live on.
Very few governments and agencies have studied or tried to understand the issue of poverty in Chiang Mai, but with the help of the USANA True Health Foundation, CHF has partners on the ground providing food and hope to the many children and families that live in the slums. One of our partners in Chiang Mai, Acts of Grace Church, ministers to many in the slum areas by bringing food and providing support to needy families. One family they have been helping is Mint’s family. This single mother had trouble providing for her two children, but Acts of Grace has been able to deliver food. Now, her children are nourished physically and they finally have hope.
Thanks to CHF and the USANA True Health Foundation, many children and families are receiving vital food assistance to help bring them hope and allow for opportunities to get out of slum life.
“We are grateful for the beneficence of USANA and their willingness to ght hunger and poverty.”
— Thailand Mercy Network Partner
61,805 meals were distributed in Asia during the third quarter of 2015.
Remember, 100 percent of all donations made to the USANA True Health Foundation ALWAYS go toward changing lives across the world.