Non-Profit Ships Special Food to Haiti Cholera Victims Twin Cities-based Charity Also Named Nation’s Fastest-Growing

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November 5, 2010, Minneapolis, Minn.—Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), ranked this week as the nation’s fastest-growing charity by Charity Navigator, is sending 57,000 specially formulated meals to victims of the cholera outbreak in Haiti. The disease has claimed nearly 450 lives among earthquake survivors now facing a hurricane that could spread the contagion via flood waters.

FMSC, a Minnesota-based Christian non-profit that distributes meals in 67 countries, commissioned leading food scientists to develop the new MannaPackTM Potato formula especially for severely ill and malnourished people worldwide. It was informally tested with positive results during the recent cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe. The powdered meal is served semi-liquefied and includes dehydrated potato granules, soy flour, and gum arabic to provide key nutrients: starches, protein, and soluble fiber. Also fortified with vitamins and minerals commonly deficient after digestive illness, MannaPack™ Potato reduces the impact of diarrhea and assists in recovery.

Packed by volunteers at the Chanhassen, Minn. site of FMSC, the meals for Haiti were shipped to Florida on Tuesday and are expected to reach Haiti by air transport next week, depending on conditions after Hurricane Tomas. FMSC has worked with mission partners in Haiti for more than 15 years, distributing meals through nearly 200 orphanages, schools, and community feeding programs throughout the country. So far in 2010, the non-profit has sent more than 45 million meals for Haiti, compared to 15 million in 2009.

“This unique ‘first food’ to help people recover from cholera continues our commitment to the people of Haiti,” said Mark Crea, FMSC CEO/Executive Director. “We tripled the number of MannaPackTM rice meals to Haiti following the earthquake, and now pray this potato-based MannaPack™ will help many cholera victims recover.

Charity Navigator, one of the nation’s leading non-profit rating organizations, this week ranked Feed My Starving Children first on its Top Ten list of “Charities Expanding in a Hurry”. (See http://www.charitynavigator.org and click on “Top Ten List”.) Despite 76 percent average year-to-year growth since 2003, FMSC still earns the highest four-star rating for efficiency, devoting nearly 94 percent of total donations directly to the food program.

FMSC rice-based meals cost just 19-cents apiece and are funded by donors and packed by volunteers. The non-profit expects to pack a total of 127 million meals in 2010 at six packing sites in Minnesota, Illinois, and Arizona, as well as a portable packing program that has traveled to communities in 30 states.

For more information, or to donate or volunteer, go to http://www.fmsc.org .

See video of Feed My Starving Children’s work at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ6SuCzSt7w .

Contact:
Holly Donato, 612.805.0631 (mobile)
or HDonato@fmsc.org

Feed My Starving Children
401 93rd Avenue NW
Coon Rapids, MN 55433

763.504.2919
763.504.5235 fax
www.fmsc.org

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