March is National Nutrition Month — a great opportunity to focus on making healthy choices in our day-to-day lives. This month, we’d also like to highlight the importance of nutrition in breaking the cycle of poverty worldwide. Since 2005, Rise Against Hunger has engaged volunteers to package more than 313 million nutrient-rich meals for people in 74 countries around the globe. In 2016 alone, we nourished more than 1 million lives across 43 countries.

Rise Against Hunger meals are designed to provide a comprehensive array of micronutrients. They include enriched rice, soy protein, dried vegetables and 23 essential vitamins and nutrients. For people living below the poverty line, the nutrition our meals provide can mean a world of difference.
Nutritious meals…

• Free up time spent working to earn money to purchase food, or to locate food within the community.
• Attract students to schools and vocational training programs. When students are no longer hungry, they are able to concentrate and succeed academically, opening doors for future opportunities.
• Combat malnutrition. One in three people in developing countries are affected by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
• Enable survivors of disasters to recover more quickly.

In addition to distributing meals to schools, vocational training programs, medical centers and more, Rise Against Hunger is working to implement long-term access to nutrient-rich foods through the development of agricultural programs. By focusing on initiatives that ensure nutritious food is available to all, we will end hunger by 2030.