Food for the Hungry

Food for the Hungry, commonly abbreviated FH, is a Christian international relief and development organization founded in the United States in 1971 by Larry Ward. Its work combines humanitarian response, long-term community development, child-focused programming, advocacy, and fundraising. The organization takes its name from Psalm 146:7, which refers to God giving food to the hungry, and operates from a stated biblical worldview while remaining unaffiliated with any particular church denomination. FH began as a response to global hunger and humanitarian emergencies. Its early work included assistance to refugees in Bangladesh, people affected by the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake, Vietnamese refugees fleeing by boat, and vulnerable communities in Haiti and West Africa. The organization gradually expanded from emergency food distribution toward development programs intended to address the underlying causes of poverty. Its current development model aims to help communities graduate from extreme poverty over approximately 10 to 15 years, working with local leaders and residents rather than relying only on short-term relief. A child sponsorship program was introduced in 1978, and the organization's personnel-sending division, Hunger Corps, began in 1979. Over time, FH developed programs in livelihoods, agriculture, water and sanitation, health, nutrition, education, early childhood development, micro-lending, disaster preparedness, and refugee support. Its field work has included countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The organization commonly combines community participation with partnerships involving governments, churches, local civil-society organizations, international agencies, and institutional donors. The organization has also responded to major humanitarian crises. In Bangladesh, FH first distributed rice to impoverished communities in 1972 and later expanded into community development and refugee assistance. Following the displacement of Rohingya people from Myanmar beginning in 2017, FH Bangladesh worked with Medical Teams International to support health facilities, medical services, and psychosocial assistance for refugees, with particular attention to mothers and children. FH has likewise responded to earthquakes, droughts, civil conflict, genocide-related displacement, refugee movements, and other disasters in countries including Guatemala, Kenya, Cambodia, and Rwanda. Organizationally, Food for the Hungry, Inc. was incorporated in the United States in 1971. Food for the Hungry International was incorporated in Geneva in 1980, and national organizations were subsequently established or affiliated in countries including Japan, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. A restructuring in 2006 consolidated several national organizations within the Food for the Hungry Association, while Japan and Korea remained aligned through a separate federation structure. The organization is governed through a unified board arrangement covering the association and the U.S. entity. FH is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and states that it follows the council's standards of responsible stewardship. Its public identity is therefore built around faith-based humanitarianism, long-term poverty reduction, local partnership, child well-being, and emergency response rather than around a consumer product portfolio. Mark Viso was announced as president and chief executive in early 2020; later leadership details are not established by the supplied reference material.

Food for the Hungry was founded in 1971 by Larry Ward in Southern California as a Christian response to hunger and humanitarian need. The organization's name was drawn from Psalm 146:7. In its early years, FH concentrated on emergency assistance and refugee relief, including food distribution in Bangladesh, aid after the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake, support for Vietnamese boat refugees, and assistance to vulnerable people in Haiti and West Africa. The U.S. offices moved to Arizona in 1974. The organization expanded its scope during the late 1970s. It began work in Guatemala after the 1976 earthquake, launched a child sponsorship program in 1978, and created Hunger Corps in 1979 to send personnel into international service. FH incorporated Food for the Hungry International in Geneva in 1980. That structure enabled national fundraising and support organizations to work with field programs in developing countries. Affiliates or national organizations were subsequently established in Japan, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Larry Ward retired from leadership in 1984 and was succeeded by Ted Yamamori. By the early 2000s, the international and U.S. arms had separate presidents: Randall Hoag led Food for the Hungry International, while Benjamin K. Homan led the U.S. organization. In 2006, FH consolidated much of its U.S. and international structure. National organizations in Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States became members of the Food for the Hungry Association, registered in Switzerland. Japan and Korea remained connected through the Food for the Hungry International Federation and operated with greater structural independence. FH's program model developed from direct relief toward long-term, integrated community development. Its stated objective is to help communities graduate from extreme poverty within roughly 10 to 15 years. Programs have addressed livelihoods, agriculture, microfinance, water and sanitation, health, nutrition, education, early childhood development, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and disaster resilience. The organization has continued to combine emergency response with development work, often partnering with local authorities and community organizations. Country programs illustrate this evolution. In Bangladesh, relief distribution beginning in 1972 developed into work on livelihoods, health, education, micro-lending, and disaster resilience; after 2017, the organization also supported Rohingya refugees. In Bolivia, work began with humanitarian assistance during El Niño-related hardship in 1978 and later expanded into water, irrigation, health, education, and livelihood projects. In Cambodia, FH assisted refugee camps during the civil war in 1990 before beginning community partnerships in Kampot Province in 1992. In Kenya, drought relief in 1976 developed into programs addressing water, rangelands, sanitation, livelihoods, nutrition, and health. In Rwanda, the organization responded to the 1994 genocide-related crisis through family reunification, agriculture, emergency distributions, and livelihood assistance, later transitioning toward long-term food and education programs. Leadership changed again in the 2010s. Gary Edmonds served as president and chief executive from 2014 to 2019. Mike Meyers was named chief executive in 2018 but left the role in 2019 for family reasons. Mark Viso was announced as president and chief executive in early 2020. FH remains a Christian international relief and development organization, governed through a board structure associated with the Food for the Hungry Association and the U.S. organization. It is also a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

• 2020

  Mark Viso becomes president and chief executive

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  Mark Viso was announced as the organization's president and chief executive.

• 2017

  Rohingya refugee response expands in Bangladesh

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  FH Bangladesh partnered with Medical Teams International to provide health and psychosocial support to Rohingya refugees.

• 2006

  International structure consolidated

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  FH restructured several national organizations under the Food for the Hungry Association.

• 1984

  Founder retires from presidency

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  Larry Ward retired as president of the U.S. fundraising organization and the international implementation arm, with Ted Yamamori succeeding him.

• 1980

  Food for the Hungry International incorporated

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  Food for the Hungry International was incorporated in Geneva, Switzerland.

• 1979

  Hunger Corps begins

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  FH created Hunger Corps, a division focused on sending personnel to support international work.

• 1978

  Child sponsorship introduced

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  FH launched its child sponsorship program as part of its expanding development and fundraising model.

• 1974

  U.S. offices move to Arizona

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  The organization's offices moved from Southern California to Arizona.

• 1972

  Bangladesh relief work begins

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  FH began assisting impoverished communities in Bangladesh, initially distributing rice and later developing broader community programs.

• 1971

  Food for the Hungry founded

  [1]Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org

  Larry Ward founded Food for the Hungry in Southern California as a Christian hunger-relief organization.

A faith-based international development and humanitarian organization that combines emergency assistance with locally led, long-term programs intended to help communities move out of extreme poverty.

• Fundraising and child development · 1978

  Child sponsorship

  Introduced in 1978, child sponsorship connects donors with child-focused development work. The model supports programs intended to improve children's health, nutrition, education, protection, and participation in their communities rather than treating sponsorship solely as an individual charitable transfer.

• Long-term poverty reduction

  Community graduation programs

  FH's central development approach is designed to help communities address extreme poverty over a period of approximately 10 to 15 years. Programs may combine livelihoods, food security, health, education, water, sanitation, local governance, and disaster resilience, with implementation shaped by local residents and leaders.

• Emergency relief · 1971

  Humanitarian and refugee response

  FH provides emergency assistance during disasters, conflict, displacement, and public-health crises. Its work has included food and non-food distributions, medical and psychosocial support, refugee assistance, family tracing and reunification, shelter-related aid, and recovery programming that links immediate relief with longer-term resilience.

• Community health and basic services

  Health, nutrition, water, and sanitation programs

  Country programs address preventable illness and malnutrition through community health education, maternal and child health, nutrition activities, water access, sanitation, hygiene, and related infrastructure. In Bangladesh, this work has included support for vulnerable mothers and children affected by the Rohingya refugee crisis.

• Economic development and agriculture

  Livelihoods and food-security programs

  FH supports households and communities through agriculture, livelihoods development, micro-lending, irrigation, livestock and rangeland initiatives, and other measures intended to improve food security and economic resilience. These activities are commonly combined with water, health, education, and disaster-preparedness work.

• 2017Rohingya Refugee Response

  Bangladesh

  FH Bangladesh worked with Medical Teams International to respond to the arrival of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, focusing on health care, community health facilities, medical services, and psychosocial support.

  Outcome. The partnership provided humanitarian and health assistance, with particular attention to vulnerable mothers and children.

  Source
• 1978Child Sponsorship

  International

  FH introduced a child sponsorship program to support child development and provide a recurring fundraising mechanism for community-based work.

  Outcome. The program became a continuing part of FH's fundraising and child-focused development activities.

  Source

• 2020

  Appointment of Mark Viso as president and chief executiveStrategy

  Background

  The organization needed a new senior leader after Mike Meyers left the chief executive role in 2019.

  Action taken

  Mark Viso was announced as president and chief executive in early 2020.

  Aftermath

  Viso became the named senior leader of the organization in the supplied reference material.

  Source

• 2018

  Appointment of Mike Meyers as chief executiveStrategy

  Background

  Food for the Hungry was transitioning its senior leadership after Gary Edmonds's period as president and chief executive.

  Action taken

  Mike Meyers was named chief executive in the fall of 2018.

  Aftermath

  Meyers stepped down in 2019 because of family priorities.

  Source

• 2006

  Consolidation of the international operating structureStrategy

  Background

  FH operated through a U.S. organization, Food for the Hungry International, and a network of national organizations and affiliates.

  Action taken

  The organization reorganized several national organizations under the Food for the Hungry Association, while Japan and Korea remained aligned through a separate federation arrangement.

  Aftermath

  The restructuring created a more coordinated association model for the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, while preserving separate arrangements for Japan and Korea.

  Source

1. 1Food for the Hungryen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Food for the Hungry official websitefh.org