Search Nonprofits

Perched atop the buried pre-classic Maya city of Chocola, the village of Chocola on the back slopes of the volcanoes that form Lake Atitlan, is poverty stricken yet poised to become a model of cultural celebration and self-sufficiency. What it needs most is leadership training and technical support to develop its potential for diversified agriculture, archeological-tourism, health care for its families and education for its children. In its simplest terms, the mission of Seeds for a Future is to help this impoverished community plan and achieve prosperity based on balanced development principles that protect cultural tradition, the natural environment and preserve the Mayan and post-colonial history of the town. Seeds for a Future traces its roots to the period from 2003 through 2006 when many Earthwatch Institute volunteers came to Chocola to work on the archaeological site, which was then being excavated under license from the Guatemalan government. The volunteers embraced being associated with an important archaeological endeavor and learned about the vast pre-Classic Maya city that may hold keys to the early development of Mayan language, system of time and other fundamental cultural practices. At the same time, many of us fell in love with the community, its families and children and the fabulous, healthy mountain environment. As a result, groups of volunteers organized to help a community struggling with terrible poverty and deprivation to find a way to prosperity without destroying their way of life or the delicate balance of their natural environment. A vision emerged among a core of volunteers, Guatemalan visionaries and local leaders in which Chocola is seen as lifting itself into a more healthy and prosperous community based on its historic farming skills, adding value to its coffee, vegetable and cacao producers and through community cooperative action. In the future, there is great promise for the development of Chocola as a tourist destination based on archaeo-tourism; conservation of the natural resources in which the community is embedded and conservation of one of the first and greatest coffee processing plants (beneficios) established during the 1890s. But we also discovered in the early years that before Chocola could begin to realize its potential, the people needed training in identifying their own vision for the future, learning to work together and acquiring the technical skills needed for success. Overcoming 500 years of economic and social servitude is not easily done, but real progress is being made and our program has been recognized as ground-breaking, by the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and others. Four operating principles guide the work we do: We provide information and technical assistance to the people of Chocola to help them evaluate new opportunities and to plan. We provide direct funding and other forms of support for community requests for assistance on specific projects. These requests must come through Chocola leadership and must demonstrate sustainability and a willingness and capability of the community to provide part of the needed resources. All programs must aim at achieving self-sufficiency. We will help with programs that governmental agencies believe may be of value, provided that they too meet the same test as is noted for the community above. All such requests must be consistent with our mission to help the people and do no harm to either the Maya archaeological site or to the 1890 Coffee Finca site. In all of our programs we try to ensure that the participants become more engaged in the social and civil fabric, that they gain self confidence in their ability to change their own future for the better, and that we provide knowledge and coaching for a sufficient period of time that their activities and new ideas become self-sustaining in the community.

The mission of Operation Food Search is to nourish and educate our neighbors in need to heal the hurt of hunger.

TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE ELDERLY, THE HANDICAPPED AND THE CHILDREN OF ST CHARLES COUNTY

To provide nutritional support and enhance the quality of life of low-income men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS or cancer. Food Outreach's primary purpose is to provide proper nutrition and education so clients can use both as powerful tools for the successful management of HIV/AIDS or cancer. All of our services are at no cost to our clients, and we have never turned away a qualified client. We offer a comprehensive nutrition program that includes medically appropriate scratch-made frozen meals and groceries, individual dietetic counseling specific to a client's health status, nutrition education and classes, cooking classes, weekly congregate Monday Hot Lunches, and home delivery as appropriate.

Hungry Souls exists to feed hungry children and their families to enhance their educational opportunities and break the cycle of poverty.

TO PROVIDE A CENTRALIZED FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER FOR THE NEEDY OF DEL RIO, TEXAS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA OF VAL VERDE COUNTY.

Peninsula Food Runners is a volunteer organization dedicated to alleviating hunger and reducing food waste in the San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.Peninsula Food Runners provides a free service to pick up excess perishable and prepared food from donors such as restaurants, caterers, bakeries, hospitals, event planners, corporate cafeterias, and hotels. Our volunteers pick up food from these businesses and deliver it directly to shelters and neighborhood programs and 100% affordable housing that feed the hungry and the provide a relief to food insecurities.Powered by a web application, donors submit an online request for a food pickup. The application makes an automated match between a recipient and donor within seconds (The match is based on a set of criteria that include location, need, food type and hours of operation). Once the match is made by the application, an auto-generated email message and text message is sent to our pool of volunteer runners. The first available runner gets assigned and completes the food run. From the time the donor submits an online request for a food pickup, the recipient and volunteer are assigned within a few minutes. The actual food run is usually completed within an hour. A smartphone app will also be available soon.Time line : 2011 Attained 501 C-3 - letter of Determination2012 Customized Web Application2013 Up and Running - 40 Volunteers rolled out in San Mateo County2014 15,000 Lbs/ week with 150 Volunteers began supporting Santa Clara County2015 35,000 Lbs/week with 280 Volunteers ( web application servicing 3rd county in Montgomery County, Maryland)70% of food donated from Corporations30% of Farmer's markets vendors, wholesale produces, prepackaged and prepared produce, food retailers etc..

N/A

The Nashville FoodProject brings people together to grow, cook and share nourishing food, with the goals of cultivating community and alleviating hunger in our city.

WE EMPOWER AGED OUT FOSTER YOUTH & YOUTH FROM AT-RISK BACKGROUNDS TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE, OVERCOME PERSONAL OBSTACLES, & REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL.

We provide assistance to families in east Austin to improve their lives through better nutrition, better health care, healthier lifestyles, better educational opportunities, and cultural diversity activities.

TO PROVIDE CONFIDENTIAL ASSISTANCE OF QUALITY FOOD AND OTHER PRODUCTS TO NAZARETH AREA INDIVIDUALS