Food Leaders Addressing Hunger Issues
Meal Exchange – Charitable organization to work on the rising hunger issues
Today’s world is filled with countless problems such as poverty, education and hunger issues, but the young and upcoming generation is creating awareness and taking initiatives to address these issues for the betterment of our world. One of the initiatives is the Meal Exchange program, a national registered charity founded in 1993, it is now creating sustainable food system to end hunger.
Meal Exchange works with Canadian universities and their programs are run by more than 100 communities all over the country. In the past 20 years, the organization has addressed issues related to hunger, food insecurity and sustainability with the help of students on their campuses and communities. They have various programs like National Student Food Summit, Real Food Challenge and Campus Garden Network in which students can volunteer and take action.
How the organization came into existence?
The brain behind this sustainable food system was of Rahul Raj, a seventeen year old undergraduate at Wilfrid Laurier University.It all came to him when he faced a problem with what to do with his excess meal plan points at the year end. He decided to use those points to support a food drive on the campus. Rahul and Ryan wrote thesis paper about creating and maintaining a non-profit organization, which led to initiate Meal Exchange in other universities also. It received its first grant with the help of Ontario Trillium Foundation and later in 1998, it became officially registered as a charitable organization.
Feeding India – Asimilar organization in India
Similarly, in India, Feeding India , a not-for-profit social enterprise, is addressing two major problems : hunger and food waste. They use the excess food from individuals, weddings, restaurants, corporate offices and serve to needy hungery people. It was started with five members in August 2014 in Delhi and as of now, they have more than 2,200 volunteers participating in over 32 cities. It has served over 1, 300, 00 meals till now.
Do you think such NGOs and non-profit organizations will overcome worldwide hunger and food issues? Do share your thoughts in comment section below.
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