A Hunger For A Better World

Volunteerism, business savvy and good nutrition help Feeding Children Everywhere provide food for millions.

- Cheri Henderson

THE TOP OF AN OAK DINING ROOM TABLE HANGS on the wall at the Longwood headquarters of Feeding Children Everywhere, a family’s memories carved into its grain. The tabletop is an enduring representation of the charity’s values of family, community, the power of a shared meal, and what happens when people come together to combat hunger.

It is this tabletop, belonging to founders Don and Kristen Campbell of Sanford, that provided fodder for the launch of the Longwood-based worldwide hunger organization in 2010. That was roughly 62 million meals ago.

“He was a part-time youth pastor in Sanford, so he always had people over. He would invite people who didn’t have food from his neighborhood. They would eat around this table,” explains Dave Green, who took over as CEO in 2016 when Don Campbell stepped aside into an advisory role.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti moved the Campbells to action, and Feeding Children Everywhere was born. The concept is simple: Partner with corporate sponsors to provide a nutritious, protein-rich meal that can be sent anywhere in the world at a cost of 25 cents a serving. The secret is to use a free labor force of diverse volunteers with a common cause.