Press Releases

MINNEAPOLIS - Mar. 1, 2012 - In conjunction with plans to open a third meal-packing site for volunteers in the Chicago area – the seventh in its national system – Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) welcomes two exceptional Chicago-area professionals to their Development team: Valencia A. Breckenridge, Illinois major gifts officer and Chris Thompson, national director of development. Both come to FMSC with a wealth of experience in corporate and non-profit executive leadership.

Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, FMSC currently has two permanent meal-packing sites in Chicagoland: one open six days a week and evenings in Aurora since 2008 and the other open evenings and Saturdays in Schaumburg, open since 2010. Last year, Chicagoland volunteers from families, schools, churches, businesses and civic groups packed 32 million meals at these popular sites combined. Groups sometimes wait for six months for an open two-hour packing session in Chicagoland.

FMSC has launched a capital fundraising campaign to launch a third site in the northern Chicago suburbs, near Mundelein or Libertyville, Ill. The new site—in addition to adding weekday meal-packing hours in Schaumburg—would increase annual meal capacity by 33 million in the Chicago area. Across the entire FMSC system last year—including sites in Minnesota, Arizona, and 177 portable MobilePack events in 30 states—volunteers produced 133 million meals for Feed My Starving Children.

Breckenridge was most recently director of development for Pioneer Clubs, an international inter-denominational children’s club program. Before that she served as director of communications and public relations for developing world micro financier Opportunity International and as executive director of Crisis Pregnancy Services. Breckenridge studied advanced medicine before starting her career in Chicago’s financial district. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Breckenridge is based in Chicagoland.

Thompson is a Chartered Life Underwriter© and a Chartered Financial Consultant© and comes to FMSC with a broad background in financial planning and investments. Thompson gained extensive experience in new business development, relationship management and building strategic alliances in past positions at Cargill, Morgan Stanley and IBM. Most recently, Thompson owned and operated The Obadiah Group, offering comprehensive financial advisory services to individuals, families and businesses. Thompson is based at FMSC's national headquarters in Minneapolis. 

Founded in 1987, FMSC has grown at an annual rate of 76% for 7 years. In over 25 years of food assistance, the organization has sent more than 500 million fortified MannaPack meals to the poor and hungry in 70 developing countries. FMSC operates with one of the highest efficiency ratings in the nonprofit sector: 93 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to feeding programs. Charity Navigator has awarded a 4-star rating to FMSC for seven consecutive years.

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Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children is a Christian nonprofit that provides nutritionally complete meals for starving, malnourished and hungry people in nearly 70 countries around the world. The prepackaged dry meals –costing less than a quarter each to make – are funded and assembled by donor-volunteers in the United States. Ninety-three cents of every dollar donated goes directly to feeding programs. 

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MINNEAPOLIS – As the two-year anniversary of the devastating Haiti earthquake approaches, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is recognizing progress made and pledging continued support. The Christian hunger relief nonprofit was one of the first aid agencies to respond in Haiti. Due to ongoing aid to the country even before the quake, FMSC had 3 million meals already in Haiti when the ground shook.

The catastrophic 7.0 quake on Jan. 12, 2010 claimed the lives of 200,000 Haitians and destroyed the little infrastructure the country had.  According to the UN, more than 500,000 Haitians are still displaced and dependent on foreign aid, many still living in the shanty tent villages set up after the earthquake.

FMSC has sent a total of 120 million meals to 200 aid groups in Haiti since the quake. Many of these meals have been received by Love A Child, a nonprofit Christian humanitarian organization based in Haiti and a long-time FMSC partner. Founded and operated by American couple Bobby and Sherry Burnette, Love A Child staff members operate 14 schools, numerous remote clinics and community-based food distribution programs – all of which are fueled by FMSC MannaPack meals.

Partially due to food donations received from FMSC, Love A Child can focus on large development projects in Haiti. One of these projects is “Miracle Village”, a secure 500-house community for earthquake survivors. In a recent blog post, Sherry Burnette noted the impact of giving Haitians a hand up through offering them nutritious FMSC meals and paying them a fair wage for construction projects. Investing in one Haitian creates a positive ripple effect throughout the nation, she said.

“Each time we hire one Haitian, we can feed ten people,” said Burnette.

Small progress is made through missions such as Love A Child, yet development work in Haiti is far from over. FMSC continues to provide food to 200 embedded partners who are committed to long-term investment in Haiti. In addition to sending meals, FMSC also provides income for Haitians affected by the earthquake through selling their handicrafts in the FMSC MarketPlace.

Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children is a Christian hunger relief charity that distributes nutritionally complete meals in nearly 70 countries. The meals – just 24-cents each – are funded by donors and packed by volunteers. FMSC has maintained the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator for seven consecutive years.

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Students from Learning for Leadership Charter School (LLCS) in Northeast Minneapolis recently donated $1,233. 44 to Twin Cities-based hunger relief nonprofit Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). The money was designated for famine relief effort in Somalia. The idea to fundraise for FMSC was introduced by teacher Irene Mineoi, who said a small group of her students spearheaded the effort.

"Three quarters of the students who did the most [fundraising] work were new to the country this year," said Mineoi. "All of them have connections to Somalia and wanted to do something to help their country."

The students celebrated their fundraising by packing meals at FMSC on Dec. 20. The meals packed by the children will likely go to displaced Somalis in Kenya. 

"The students started by advertising with posters around the school and giving brief speeches in classrooms," said Mineoi. "They decided the award would be a field trip to FMSC to pack food and announced that as well.  For two weeks, the students went around to each classroom to collect money and would tally it on a chart."

The school administration at LLCS decided to forfeit catered school lunch for the day and bring in their own lunches for students and staff. They donated the money saved, along with money earned from two faculty members who sold traditional Somali food at the school that day.

Feed My Starving Children has sent nearly 11 million meals to the Horn of Africa this year following a devastating drought and famine that claimed the lives of more than 29,000 children this past summer and is expected to continue into 2012. According to the UN, 250,000 Somalis are at risk of imminent death from lack of food. Ten million are still in need of food assistance. FMSC will continue sustainable relief efforts in 2012, with the help of volunteers and donors like the students from LLCS.

"The most powerful part of all this to me was when recent refugees brought in change to add to the cause," said Mineoi.

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Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children is a Christian hunger relief charity that distributes nutritionally complete meals in nearly 70 countries. The meals – just 24-cents each – are funded by donors and packed by volunteers. FMSC has maintained the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator for seven consecutive years.

MINNEAPOLIS – Today Christian hunger relief organization Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) announced that it has more than doubled its planned meal shipments to famine-affected regions of East Africa. FMSC has sent 10,820,736 meals to the region - more than twice its original goal of 5 million meals, declared this past July. After the recent tally, the Twin Cities based nonproft reports it has already successfully delivered more than 4 million meals to the Horn of Africa countries of Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan and Ethiopia—and that another 6.7 million are in transit and expected to arrive by early 2012.

“Thanks to the generosity of our donors near our Minnesota, Illinois  and Arizona packing sites – joined by donors across the country – we have been able to more than double our original goal,” said Executive Director Mark Crea.  “Together with our loyal volunteers and expert distribution partners, we thank God for the safe arrival of FMSC food in the Horn of Africa.”

FMSC maintains a food delivery success rate of 99.97 percent, even in the volatile Horn of Africa. Violence and kidnappings by Islamist militant groups have caused unrest and insecurity throughout the region, making food assistance difficult for relief groups.

Feed My Starving Children has three main nonprofit distribution partners in the Horn of Africa: Convoy of Hope, Global Aid Network and Reach Now International. Most of the 10 million meals have gone through these long-term partners, to people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia.

“Our partners are simply the best at what they do,” said Crea. “They are experts at getting food into difficult places.”

Also included in the more than 10 million meals are two shipments sent through Qoryoley Development Community, an organization founded by Sultan Aliyoow, a Minneapolis Somali tribal leader who led fundraising efforts in the Twin Cities Somali community to send more than 500,000 FMSC meals to his homeland.

Sultan’s first shipment of 272,000 meals arrived in the northern port city of Berbera Oct. 23. His family and personal contacts distributed them to Somali refugees. Sultan’s second shipment of 272,000 meals is in transit and should reach Somalia by early 2012.

FMSC continues to partner with organizations that are committed to long-term development in the Horn of Africa. They also consider the long-term health of starving people and provide not “filler” food, but specialized nutritious formulas which actually rehabilitate the starving.

 “We have the perfect food, specifically designed to rehabilitate malnourished and starving children,” said Crea. “We will continue to get it in the hands of the hungriest in the Horn of Africa, and in all the countries we serve.” 

In other recent news, Feed My Starving Children recently was awarded its 7^th consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, placing it in the top 2% of charities rated for integrity and efficiency. “Only 2% of charities we rate have received at least 7 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Feed My Starving Children outperforms most other charities in America,” said a letter from Ken Berger, Charity Navigator’s President and CEO in early November. “This ‘exceptional’ designation…differentiates FMSC from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”

 For video from the Horn of Africa and to donate visit: www.fmsc.org/hornofafrica/update

Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children is a Christian hunger relief charity that distributes nutritionally complete meals in nearly 70 countries. The meals – just 24-cents each – are funded by donors and packed by volunteers. FMSC has maintained the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator for seven consecutive years.

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MINNEAPOLIS – Oct. 27, 2011 – A team of four from Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) recently returned from a 10-day food distribution and fact-finding trip in the Horn of Africa, where they saw destruction caused by drought and FMSC food at work in famine ravaged areas. FMSC has committed a minimum of 5 million meals to the region including Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, where the team travelled in mid-October.

“There is a perspective you get at ‘ground zero’ that you don’t get from pictures,” said Mark Crea, CEO of FMSC and one of the travelers. “You start to understand what six years without rain really looks like. You realize how critical it is to get the food in. The magnitude of the need is staggering. Somalia is the neediest place on earth and we must respond.”

CEO Mark Crea and his wife Rose, Director of International Programs Matt Muraski, and Food Aid Coordinator Abby Theobald were based out Nairobi, Kenya and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for 10 days. They visited three remote refugee communities in northern Kenya and Somalia, helping to distribute boxes of FMSC’s MannaPack Rice at one camp. Precise locations cannot be revealed, in order to protect partners risking their lives to work in regions hostile to relief workers or under the control of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

In spite of the dangerous insecurity of the region and increasing political strife, FMSC meals have reached remote refugee and IDP communities that are not getting support from large government-funded agencies.

“To see half-a-million meals arrive safely and be distributed simply proves that we have some of the best embedded partners,” said Crea. “Our food gets to the places where there is simply no other help; places where maybe 1,000 or 5,000 or 10,000 people have congregated in an area that’s not on anybody’s radar. That fits our profile and our food.”

The team explained to Somali refugees through an interpreter that Somali-Americans had contributed to the food assistance through fundraising and volunteer meal-packing with FMSC.

“When we told them that some of the food came from Somalis in Minnesota, their faces lit up,” said Crea. “It was powerful for them that Somalis had a part in getting the food to them.”

FMSC is committed to a long-term response to the humanitarian crisis in East Africa.

“We can connect our partners in East Africa with organizations we know that have seeds, dig wells, etc.,” said Crea. “We have a network and can consciously build a plan that takes East Africans past the crisis stage into recovery.”

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Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children is a Christian hunger relief charity that distributes nutritionally complete meals in nearly 70 countries. The meals – just 24-cents each – are funded by donors and packed by volunteers. FMSC has maintained the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator for six consecutive years.

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MINNEAPOLIS - Today, Feed My Starving Children(FMSC) staff loaded a 40-foot semi trailer with 272,000 more meals for famine-stricken Somalia at its Eagan, Minn. meal-packing site. This is the second shipment commissioned by Sultan Aliyoow, a Minnesota based Somali leader with 15 feeding camps in southern Somalia.

"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart," said Aliyoow, as he presented FMSC Director of Administration Jeanie Picardi with a certificate of appreciation from the Somali government.

FMSC has committed a minimum of 5 million dried, nutritious meals to the Horn of Africa. Thousands of those meals have already reached rural children and Somali refugees in the parched regions and over-crowded refugee camps of northern Kenya.

Today's container of meals is expected to reach southern Somalia in early 2012.

The Sultan's first shipment, sent in August, reached northern Somalia yesterday, Oct. 19. 

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Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children is a Christian hunger relief charity that distributes nutritionally complete meals in nearly 70 countries. The meals – just 24-cents each – are funded by donors and packed by volunteers. FMSC has maintained the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator for six consecutive years.

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MINNEAPOLIS – July 29, 2011 – In response to what the UN is calling “the worst humanitarian disaster in the world,” Christian hunger-relief organization Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) has pledged at least 5 million meals to famine victims in the Horn of Africa, with the first 1.4 million shipping in August. The most immediate container (272,000 meals) will go to feeding camps in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, the area hit hardest by famine and the home of a Minneapolis-based Somali leader who asked FMSC to help his fellow Somalis in need.

“The situation in East Africa is grave and famine victims require our long-term help,” said Mark Crea, executive director of FMSC. “We feel a particular connection to this crisis because our Twin Cities headquarters are located near the largest Somali community outside of Somalia itself. This is as an opportunity to follow Christ’s command and love our neighbors.”

The UN recently declared a famine in Somalia and other parts of East Africa, following the worst drought to hit the region in 60 years. The lack of water for crops and cattle, combined with political instability in the region, leaves 11 million people in need of food aid. Refugee camps along the Somali-Kenyan border are dangerously over-capacity, the largest of which holds more people than the city of Minneapolis.

The 5 million-meal commitment is the beginning of FMSC’s long-term effort in the region. FMSC will begin by sending 272,000 meals to Southern Somalia through a connection with Sultan Aliyoow, the Minnesota-based Somali leader of 40,000 people in Southern Somalia. His relatives operate 15 feeding centers for famine victims throughout Southern Somalia, but they are running out of funds and resources. The Amoud Foundation, a Somali humanitarian group from Texas, has contributed to the shipping cost of the donated food.

“We already have 270,000 meals on the ground in Somalia and we have been working with very capable, trusted partners in there since 2007. People of all faiths and cultures pack, donate and eat our meals,” said Crea. “We are honored to join the incredible efforts of the Sultan, his people and the Amoud Foundation. This is only the first phase of what will certainly be a long-term effort in Somalia.”