Meal
Counter
4,476,972
About
Kids Against Hunger Canada (KAHC) is a humanitarian food-aid charity which focuses on feeding people in need, both here in Canada and around the world. KAHC is a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency – number 807042015RR0001. Our head office is located in Peterborough, Ontario (just east of Toronto).
Our approach to achieving our goal – the eradication of world hunger – includes the packaging of a highly nutritious, vitamin-fortified rice & vegetable casserole by volunteers and then arranging for the distribution of those meals to starving children and their families.
We have relationships with NGOs (non-governmental organizations) such as churches, schools, and nonprofit organizations, operating in developing countries on the ground to receive and distribute the meals prepared by our volunteers. When one of our international partners appeals to us, we put them in line for a shipment. We can only ship to places where we know the food will be properly and freely distributed through an organization that can handle such an effort.
Accountability is key - we need to have a good relationship with people we trust to do the right thing, because we can't always be there in the countries we're shipping to when the food is being distributed. We seek out organizations that have proven track records of successfully getting the food to those in need and keeping it out of the hands of corrupt government officials and criminals. We ask our feeding partners to document how they distributed the food and to provide us with pictures of the children, youth and adults who receive it.
We strive to minimize our administration costs so the maximum amount of your donations are going straight into the feeding program.
Our Story
Kids Against Hunger Canada was launched in Peterborough, Ontario by an entrepreneurial, caring individual, Carl Nabein, who was inspired by the work that Kids Against Hunger was doing in the United States with leadership from their founder, Richard Proudfit. In 2003, Carl saw a commercial for Kids Against Hunger (U.S.) and was moved to call the organization to make a financial donation, especially after seeing the life-giving impact the food had on starving children. During the phone call, he was asked if he would be interested in creating a satellite…to which his answer was “Yes!” and Kids Against Hunger Canada was born.
From 2003-2009 Kids Against Hunger Canada held food packaging events on a small scale, with food that was packed going to local charities for distribution. In 2009, the organization was recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency and received official charity status and began expanding in food packing event capabilities and frequency, with distribution partner relationships being built abroad.
In 2012, Carl was able to visit Haiti and check in on one of our consistent food distribution partner's feeding programs to the public and in schools, in and around Grand-Goave (a remote mountainous region of Haiti, where food insecurity is severe). It was a life changing experience that encouraged him to continue the work of feeding the hungry. Carl's vision and passion have moved our charity increasingly forward and continues to do so to this day.
Our Food
Our revolutionary food package has been developed by some of the world's leading food scientists at Cargill, Pillsbury, General Mills and Archer Daniels Midland. This one package provides six nutritionally-complete servings.
During the creation of Kids Against Hunger, Founder Richard Proudfit met with several food industry executives in the U.S. and asked the simple question, “What would be the ideal food for starving children?” The executives put their food scientists to work and began testing various formulations of a highly nutritious dehydrated food package.
Richard tells the story of testing one of the early formulations of the food with Indian children who lived on the Calcutta city dump (not near, but on the dump). The children had trouble keeping the food down because it was too rich for their starved bodies.
From this experience and others, the formulation of the meal ingredients was refined so that it provides a rich source of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins needed by an undernourished child’s body. It took nearly three years to develop the food, which is not only tasty and nutritious, but is vegan/vegetarian and accommodates and respects the broad range of ethnic tastes and religious differences around the world.
Our Food Facts
- Is simple to prepare, requiring only 6 cups of boiling water per food pack.
- Contains six servings of the dehydrated food which, when boiled with water, serves six children and provides all the vitamins and minerals they need for a day.
- Provides not just a meal - but better health to starving children.
- Contains long-grain white rice - chosen because it is recognized worldwide and because of its longer shelf life than other types.
- Is packaged in three-ply bags for strength and are made of moisture-proof and odor-proof material to prevent spoilage and insect or rodent problems.
- Is safe, easily stored, and easily transported.
- Has a shelf life of more than three years.
Our Food Overview
- high-quality white rice
- fortified, crushed soy - 52% protein (3 times the protein by weight than that of red meat)
- blend of 6 dehydrated vegetables, which provide nutrients, flavour and colour
- 21 vitamins & minerals which is the proprietary formula & ‘secret sauce’
- all 9 of the essential amino acids required for complete nutrition
Our Team
Carl Nabein, Executive Director & Founder
Tanya Nabein, Executive Assistant & Co-Founder
Wayne McConnachie, General Manager & Warehousing
Nicki Freeman, Director of Finances