User:IgorMoskvich/Lunches for Learning Inc

=Lunches for Learning=

The Organization
Lunches for Learning, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2004 and incorporated in 2005 by Ron Hicks. The Lunches for Learning organization is also listed as an incorporated entity in the republic of Honduras, where it predominantly operates. The scope of the Lunches for Learning program is to help break the cycle of poverty in rural Honduras by providing nutrition and nutritional supplements to the impoverished children in public schools and kindergartens. The primary objective of the program is to encourage children, who would otherwise have to leave school to seek food, to attend school and receive a basic six-grade academic education (adequate in exponentially increasing the chances of a decent future above the poverty level for an individual in Honduras). In exchange for the children attending school, Lunches for Learning provides and supplements a daily lunch for elementary school children by utilizing the cooperative efforts of individual contributors, corporate sponsorship, and the government of Honduras. Currently, the Lunches for Learning program accommodates 21 schools and 1,256 children. Lunches for Learning, Inc is entirely staffed by volunteers in the Unites States, and the only employees of the program are Honduran citizens who serve in providing essential management and administration of the program. Thus, administration/overhead costs are very low. In addition to its main goal, Lunches for Learning also helps facilitate the efforts of the World Food Program (WFP) with activities ranging from building hand-dug water-wells to building kitchens to helping transport legumes, corn, rice, and cooking oil necessary for producing meals.

The Facts
60%–70% of the people in Honduras live below the poverty level.

As a result of not being able to obtain adequate food and nutrition, most of the children in Honduras are currently malnourished.

20%–30% of elementary school children drop out of school each year so they can search for food.

It costs approxmately $0.50 a day to provide a nutritional meal/vitamins for a single child.

With proper implementation of the Lunches for Learning program, the dropout rate among schoolchildren has plummeted to zero.

Origin
In 2004, while on a trip in Central America, waiting for a border crossing between El Salvador and Honduras, Ron Hicks experienced first-hand a multitude of poverty stricken children. A little girl who just happened to make eye contact while begging for money became the catalyst for a series of choices made by Hicks.

That day, he chose to turn away. Hicks returned to the United States, still struggling with his choice to turn her away. He began to think about what to do. He concluded that his only choice on this day was to return to Honduras and cross the border in the same location, and try to find this little girl. He didn’t know yet how he could help her, but he was determined to find a way. After a great deal of effort, he located the little girl and her family living in a small shack in El Amatillo, Honduras. He spoke with the family and the little girl through an interpreter and soon learned that the families in this rural town were also faced with a choice.

Hicks's serendipitous discovery revealed that the choice these parents had to make was between sending their children to the streets to beg for money so they could buy food or to send them to school for an education and hope for the future, but with an empty stomach because there was not enough money for food. So an idea was born. If these children could be provided with meals five days a week while they attended school, then these children would not be sent into the harsh and unforgiving streets to beg for a meager existence. The Lunches for Learning program was created in 2004 and incorporated in 2005 and with it, a tradition of hope, empowerment, and dignity arose. Support for the program has continued since the initial idea's conception, and amidst the global recession Lunches for Learning as still adequately managed to not only remain in existence, but grow.

Charity's Mission
Lunches for Learning exists to help break the cycle of poverty by providing nutrition and nutritional supplements to the very poor children in public schools ad kindergartens within the Republic of Honduras. It costs approximately $15 per month to feed one child a nutritious meal each day of the school year. In the schools where the Lunches for Learning program has been implemented, the results have been outstanding. All of the community children are coming to school to receive a meal, as well as the priceless gift of education and knowledge. Research shows, that those children who receive at least an elementary school education in Honduras are at far better odds in respect to the prospect of receving a better-paying job and consequentially end the cycle of poverty.

Economy of Honduras
Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America, suffers from extraordinarily unequal distribution of income, as well as high unemployment and underemployment. The economy relies heavily on a narrow range of exports, notably apparel, bananas, and coffee, making it vulnerable to natural disasters and shifts in commodity prices; however, investments in the maquila and non-traditional export sectors are slowly diversifying the economy. Nearly half of Honduras's economic activity is directly tied to the US, with exports to the US equivalent to 30% of GDP and remittances for another 22%. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) came into force in 2006 and has helped foster investment, but physical and political insecurity may deter potential investors. The economy is expected to register marginally positive economic growth in 2010, insufficient to improve living standards for the nearly 60% of the population in poverty. Despite improvements in tax collections, the government's fiscal deficit is growing due to increases in current expenditures from increasing public wages. Tegucigalpa lacks an IMF agreement; its Stand-By Agreement expired in April 2009 and former President ZELAYA's commitment to a fixed exchange rate undermined a follow-on.

Honduras, with a per capita gross national income of $1,845, is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. Economic growth was 6.3% in 2007 and 4% in 2008. The decreased growth rate is due to the combination of external price shocks, the global economic crisis, and reduced internal investment from the public sector. Historically dependent on exports of agricultural goods, the Honduran economy has diversified in recent decades and now has a strong export-processing (maquila) industry, primarily focused on assembling textile and apparel goods for re-export to the United States, as well as automobile wiring harnesses and similar products. As it has been for centuries, back-breaking farming is virtually the only avenue for work in small communities, and the output provided is considered quite scarce, in regard to feeding a family.

Lunches for Learning's Growth
The Lunches for Learning program started with 1 child in 1 community. Over 5 years, the L4L Organization has grown to sponsor 21 schools and acommodate 1,256 children.

The Need
For every one school that gets chosen to participate in the Lunches for Learning program, five more are awaiting the opportunity to be selected as a part of the L4L program in the Valle Province alone. Without prompting from L4L, twelve surrounding schools have already submitted a formal request to be considered for participation in Lunches for Learning's lunch program. The Board of Directors for Lunches for Learning are committed to adding schools only when there is a prudent expectation that the program can support the school over the long term and produce consistent results. The Board of Directors is also aware that current progam sponsors/contributors expect their donations to benefit the children in the most timely manner as possible. The Motorcycle Diary feature on the Lunches for Learning website provides constant trip log updates with respect to any time a Lunches for Learning representative's personal presence is needed in Honduras.

Sponsored Schools
The "Proven Benefits" section of the Lunches for Learning website provides an interactive GPS map with geographically accurate map-points in which all L4L program-sponsored schools are shown, along with their current community, number of students, number of teachers, and the principal.

Benito Montoya in El Barrial, Nacaome (62 Students)

Policarpo Paz Garcia in El Coyolar, Goascoroan (63 Students)

Francisco Morazan in La Peña, Goascoran (49 Students)

3 De Octubre in Sabana Redonda, Goascoran (49 Students)

Jose Cecilio Del Valle in Piedras Blancas, Goascoran (46 Students)

Nueva Honduras in El Junquillo, Goascoran (76 Students)

Manuel De Jesus Subirana in Santa Lucia, Goascoran (39 Students)

Jose Trinidad Reyes in El Picacho, Goascoran (19 Students)

Jose Trinidad Cabañas in El Rincon, Goascoran (106 Students)

Andrea Gonzales in El Amatillo, Goascoran (151 Students)

Jose Trinidad Cabañas in Los Almendros, Goascoran (21 Students)

Jardin Alegrias Infantiles in El Rincon, Goascoran (29 Students)

Jose Cecilio Del Valle in Las Posas, Aramacina (119 Students)

Napoeon Arias Cristales in Es Resbaloso, Goascoran (160 Students)

Dionicio De Herrera in El Junquillo, Nacaome (16 Students)

Dr. Ersy Mejia in Jicaro Abajo, Nacaome (35 Students)

Jose Santos Guardiola in Jicaro, Nacaome (28 Students)

Pedro Nufio in El Rincon, Nacaome (71 Students)

Jose Angel Cerrato in Torrecillas, Nacaome (71 Students)

Jardin El Porvenir in El Rincon, Nacaome (15 Students)

Dr. Jun Lindo in La Puya, Goascoran (31 Students)

Lunches for Learning Staff
Ron Hicks, President, Lunches for Learning: Mr. Hicks, founder of the Lunches for Learning program, is a self-employed construction project manager with over 30 years experience as a geologist managing projects within the earth and minerals industries.

Jeff Bohman, Vice President, Lunches for Learning. Vice President and partner with the consulting affiliate of Wilson Pricea large accounting firm in Alabama. With more than 20 years of combined business and computer experience, Mr. Bohman provides leadership in areas of financial integrity, operation infrastructure, and administration of L4L.

Paul A. Morton, Treasurer, Lunches for Learning. Mr. Morton is the Executive Director of the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association, a 700+ member non-profit professional membership organization. He is responsible for the operational and fiscal management of this statewide group. He utilizes his nearly 20 years of experience in the management of non-profit organizations as well as his Masters Degree in Recreation Administration and an MBA in his role of L4L Treasurer.

Clark Waggoner, Executive Secretary, Lunches for Learning. Mr. Waggoner has taught elementary students with severe and multiple disabilities for Montgomery, AL Public Schools for 18 years. Mr. Waggoner has served as an officer for various Non-Profit and Professional organizations and currently advises L4L as Executive Secretary.

Pastor Randy Jones, Officer, Lunches for Learning.Randy Jones is currently Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, Montgomery, AL. Pastor Jones traveled extensively throughout third-world countries as an Electrical Engineer before entering Seminary to become a Pastor. A founder of Lunches for Learning, Pastor Jones provides a unique engineering/compassionate perspective.

Doris Underwood, Officer, Lunches for Learning. Ms. Underwood is a manager at Baptist Health with system-wide responsibility for the Telecommunications Department as well as responsibility for the management of vendor payments for the IT department. Ms. Underwood supervises 32 employees and a budget in excess of 15 million dollars. Ms. Underwood has a formal education in Sociology and utilizes her skills to monitor the activities of L4L in her role as advisor to the Executive Committee.

Kristi Holzimmer, Officer, Lunches for Learning. Ms. Holzimmer has over 16 years of combined business experience in the areas of management, marketing and business development. Holzimmer is currently manager of a real estate-related business owned by a consortium of Alabama Banks. Ms. Holzimmer utilizes her business skills in a variety of L4L activities.

Pastor Daryl Kiehl, Director, Lunches for Learning. Mr. Kiehl holds a PhD. In Counseling Psychology as well as being an ordained Lutheran Pastor. Pastor Kiehl has served as a Lutheran Pastor for 27 years and has been the Pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Birmingham, AL for the past 8 years.