Sandy Almendarez is the Managing Editor for the Natural Products Marketplace Magazine. A long time supporter of Vitamin Angels, Sandy recently attended the Opening Reception co-hosted by DSM at Vitamin Angels at the SupplySide West trade show. 

Natural product store shoppers want their dollars to go to good companies. That means, they want you (the retailer), the product manufacturer and the ingredient suppliers to all provide benefits to not only the end user, but to also support good causes.

Last week, ingredient supplier and product maker philanthropy was on full display at SupplySide West, a trade show for manufacturers in the natural business hosted by VIRGO. The opening reception was held at Tao, an elegant night club in the Venetian Sands & Expo Plaza in Las Vegas, and was hosted by Vitamin Angles and DSM Nutritional Products.   

Vitamin Angels is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 charitable organization connecting essential nutrients, especially vitamin A, with at-risk populations around the world such as malnourished children. It is an outstanding organization and was recently honored with a fourth four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

During the two-hour event, which featured yummy food and an open bar, volunteers from the Vitamin Shoppe and Whole Foods Market wore angel wings (like the ones little girls wear at Halloween) and collected donations from the more than 1,500 attendees. Vitamin Angels raised $10,500 allowing the organization to reach an additional 42,000 children with essential nutrients.

“This event again showed how big this industry's heart is and everyone’s real commitment to giving children a chance to lead full and productive lives," said Howard B. Schiffer, president of Vitamin Angels

Vitamin Angels also reported many attendees pleased by the event stopped by its booth the following day to continue a conversation and inquire further about its work. During the two-day conference, the organization was also featured at events hosted by ET Horn and Novel Ingredients. In total, attendees donated more than $43,000, which will help Vitamin Angels reach 172,000 beneficiaries.

The money raised at the SupplySide West event will be matched by a group of sponsors during Vitamin Angels’ 100 Days of Giving campaign that aims to raise $500,000 by Jan. 1, 2012. Vitamin Angels hopes to raise $250,000 through public donations, which will then be matched dollar for dollar by a group of sponsors. The campaign launched on Sept. 23, and has the goal of giving undernourished infants and children a brighter future.

Vitamin Angels calculates that it costs $0.25 to supply one child with vitamin A for one year. With the 100 Days of Giving campaign, the organization can reach an additional 2 million children. During the campaign, Vitamin Angels is offering materials and resources to encourage supporters to develop their own on- and offline fundraisers. The campaign will engage parents, students, food enthusiasts, and health and wellness advocates, among others.

The campaign will also encourage bloggers (well, at least this blogger) to raise money for Vitamin Angels. I am again running the P.F. Chang’s half marathon with a goal of raising $300 for the organization, which will be matched under the campaign. More to come on my training and fundraising, but please sponsor me and help Vitamin Angels aid children who are in great need.

Vitamin Angels’ 100 Days of Giving is sponsored by Emerson Ecologics, DSM, Pharmachem Laboratories, Marine Nutriceutical, AIDP, Swanson Health Products, Michael's Naturopathic, Lily of the Desert, UNFI, BioSan Laboratories, Novell Ingredients and others.

October 13th is World Sight Day! Join us in recognizing the World Health Organization’s World Sight Day, an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness, visual impairment and rehabilitation of the visually impaired. 

In an article published in the Huffington Post today, Stephan B. Tanda reminds us that every five seconds someone goes blind, including hundreds of thousands of children per year. One of the most common causes of blindness is vitamin A deficiency, which affects 23 percent of children around the world. Vitamin A deficiency also hinders a child’s ability to fight infectious disease like common colds and diarrhea. According to the World Health Organization, vitamin A and zinc deficiencies are associated with the death of an astonishing 670,000 children under the age of five die each year.

Because vitamin A deficiency is also the leading preventable cause of childhood blindness, we have the potential to make a huge difference. Tanda calls out several NGOs, including Vitamin Angels, who are dedicated to expanding vitamin A coverage and mitigating the effects of VAD. 

The article goes on to announce our latest initiative, “This year two of these organizations, Vitamin Angels and Sight and Life, signed an agreement to develop an innovative new model to fight Vitamin A deficiency. They created a program that is targeted towards India, which accounts for over a third of all cases of severe Vitamin A deficiency in the world. The goal is to develop and foster local ownership and create a local, sustainable supply and distribution system for Vitamin A.”  We are pleased to continue our partnership with Sight and Life and look forward to the positive effects our relationship can make on those in need of vitamin A.

Help Vitamin Angels raise awareness about vitamin A deficiency related blindness and be a part of the solution. Support Vitamin Angels’ Operation 20/20 program reaching at-risk children under 5 with vitamin A. Support Operation 20/20, donate today!

(Don’t forget all donations through 2012 will be matched by our 100 Days of Giving sponsors!)

Read the full article from the Huffington Post>>

We recently received an update from a new grantee, Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren (GrG) in Ahero, Kenya. Thanks to product donated by Wonderlabs, we were able to supply them with enough multivitamins for 68 children under 5 years old. Check out what Bie Bostrom from GrG had to say about the project:

Yearly I visit the grandmothers in their homes (mud huts) to observe what is needed most. This time I also made carefully note of the age of grandchildren so we could supply them with the vitamins.

In order for no mistakes to be made, I purchased small plastic storage bags which could be sealed (not easy to find there!) made labels with name of the grandmothers plus the names of each grandchild who would benefit.

Inside each plastic bag, there are 14 little paper bags with multivitamins and the name of each grandchild who will benefit. 

Each meeting which takes place every 2 weeks, members receive, flour, cooking oil, waterguard and a bar of soap. Now the grandmothers will also receive a new supply for 2 weeks of vitamins for the kids under the age of 5.

We supplied some of the neighborhood kids with vitamins. In order to receive them, their mothers have to come to meetings for new supplies, so no mistakes will be made.

The vitamins are not available in Ahero. While I was in Nairobi I checked pharmacies to see how much a bottle costs. It was over $10! Even if they were available, none of the grandmothers would be able to afford them.

I can assure you all are very grateful to Vitamin Angels.

-Bie Bostrom, Grandmother raising Grandchildren

This is a member of GrG. When we visited her last year she told us that the grandchild sitting on her lap she breast-fed after his mother died when he was 3 months old. At first I could not believe it. But I was assured by Moses Warah, the coordinator who translates for me, that this is not unusual in Kenya. Women take the baby to their breast and will after awhile, produce milk again! They just do not have the money to feed babies.

GrG member with her grandchildren.

Damaris is one of the younger members of GrG, she herself has 4 kids and raises 4 orphans. She has the key to a church where the grandmothers meet every 2 weeks and there is a storage room where she can keep supplies safe. We put her in charge of distribution of the vitamins.

Alfred Owino, also a coordinator, is explaining how the vitamins should be taken.

Grandmothers during a meeting.

Group photo.

Photos and descriptions courtesy Bie Bostrom.

Learn more about our global multivitamin campaign>>

Lynda Goldman specializes in natural health copywriting and marketing. She recently attended the 6th annual Celebration of Angels and gave tickets as door prizes at her workshop for retailers at Expo East.

A question in a newspaper article caught my eye. It was posed to Craig & Marc Kielburger, who co-founded Free the Children. I had been following these two impressive young men since they were themselves children – extraordinary children who harnessed the power of other kids to make a world of difference.

The question was: “What’s the biggest bang for my charity buck? I’m torn between schools and health clinics, which are both crucial to international development.”

The answer from the Kielburgers was summed up as: “Education and health are the fundamental building blocks of any community…the bang for your buck in either area will echo for generation…as long as you choose a reputable organization that has a long-term commitment to the region.”

Until recently, I gave to a variety of charities every year – mainly the ones that solicited me. I always feel good about adding my Visa number to the credit card form, but I also feel a twinge of worry that my hard-earned dollars will not quite make it to the intended recipients, or worse, might end up funding a new supply of paperclips at the charity office. How do you really know where your money will end up?

After attending the 6th annual Celebration of Angels, I knew. It was my first time at this event, but I immediately felt part of something bigger than myself. 

Hearing how Howard Schiffer’s vision has provided vitamin supplementation to over 24 million children and women this year alone is mind boggling. 

Finding out that an estimated 190 million children under five suffer from vitamin A deficiency (VAD) worldwide, a major underlying cause of child mortality and blindness, and that a simple, cost-effective vitamin A capsule every six months can prevent VAD blindness and reduce under-five child mortality by about 24% is amazing.  

Learning that it only takes 2 doses per child per year, at the ridiculously low cost of 25 cents, makes it a no-brainer for anyone to donate whatever they can. Even a dollar helps 4 children! 

With Vitamin Angels “100 Days of Giving” campaign running now, up to $250,000 dollars will be matched by sponsors. The 100 days campaign ends on January 1, 2012. Such a little goes such a long way. Now we can make it go twice as far.  

-Lynda Goldman

Tori Sung is a high school student from Canada who is a guest blogger and passionate volunteer for Vitamin Angels. Below she writes about her experience attending The Leadership Institute at Brown University’s Summer@Brown program where she learned about global health issues that effects some of the undernourished populations Vitamin Angels targets.

From the end of July to early August I attended The Leadership Institute at Brown University’s Summer@Brown program to study Leadership and Global Health. Not only did I learn about the many health issues the world faces, but I was also introduced to just how large disparities in wealth actually are and the myriad of reasons why health and economic conditions aren’t improving in many nations. 

Article 25 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

“(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.”

It’s great that the importance of health care is included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but although it’s stated, we all know that this is far from reality. It’s horrendous that disparities in the availability and accessibility of global healthcare vary from none at all, to exceptional access, and everything in between.

Interestingly enough one of the most important lessons I learned wasn’t from the classroom, but from a Hunger Banquet. This activity was one of the most impactful experiences I’ve ever had. For those of you who don’t know what a Hunger Banquet is, I’ll explain. As people walk in to the banquet they are randomly assigned a colour and are told to sit with people that have been given the same colour designation. At the banquet I attended, we were divided into three groups. One of the groups had about 4-6 people in it and sat at a dinner table, while someone served them fresh vegetables, steak and various drinks.  Another group had approximately 10 people in it and sat in a row on chairs and were served chips, beans and water. Finally, there was my group, which had about 25 people in it. We sat on the ground and received a small bowl of rice and a cup of water.  The point was to illustrate the inequalities in food distribution and portion sizes around the world depending on where a person lives or their socio-economic status. 

After we were done eating one of our teachers asked a simple question: Why hadn’t the people in the more “well-off” group, who had a TON of extra food, offered it to any of the people sitting on the floor? No one seemed to be able to answer this question. One person said “I didn’t know if we could, and how to do it. I definitely didn’t want to offer it and then have to leave some people out.”

I can promise you that everyone in that room truly cares about the inequalities and disparities that exist in the world, and that every single one of them wants to help in some way. When a discussion started, we all recalled when our parents used to tell us to eat our vegetables because there were kids in other parts of the world that were hungry who would gladly have eaten them. One girl in my class even told us that she used to package up her vegetables and leave them outside for the mailman to bring to those children. 

As the discussion continued, the students concerns became apparent. Nobody was sure what the best thing to do was. Why can’t we just send food to those who need it? Do or can you even create a sustainable way that they themselves can produce their own food? And when you give an organization or country money to provide food, how do you know it’s really going to those in need? Whatever the “correct” answer to these and many other questions is, the importance of vitamin supplementation became even clearer to me.

Supplying  essential micronutrients in the form of supplements provides a solution that can help people in need, while others are working toward providing more permanent solutions. Many people, worldwide, are exposed to waterborne diseases and parasites, or other illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Young immune systems in particular require proper nourishment to attain good health and be strong enough to fight infectious diseases they encounter. Since many children do not have access to proper nutrition, they must get essential micronutrients from another source, giving them a chance for good health and the ability to lead productive and fulfilling lives. Malnourishment in children can lead to issues such as stunted growth, blindness, or an immune system working in overdrive.  They need vitamin supplements in order to support their immune systems so they can fight these illnesses, maintain their health and in some cases, stay alive.

Studying and completing this Global Health course at Brown was an amazing opportunity. It was great to meet so many other teenagers who are interested and passionate about improving global health and are inspired to create positive change in the world!

"When you know better, you do better." - Maya Angelou

-Tori Sung

Find out how you can get involved>>

Tori Sung is a high school student from Canada who is a guest blogger and passionate volunteer for Vitamin Angels. Below she writes a final blog on her experience traveling to Kenya through a youth volunteer program where saw firsthand the effects of undernutrition on some of the populations Vitamin Angels targets.

The thing I’ll never forget from my trip to Kenya was the sense of community. Everyone was always smiling, waving, making a joke or wanting to share a story or ask a question. They are vibrant, excited and optimistic about absolutely everything regardless of the fact that in reality, many of them are orphans, are brilliant yet cannot afford education, do not have clean water, shoes for their children, or often enough food for their large families. I was warmly welcomed so kindly into their homes, school, and community.

I had the opportunity to regularly meet and play with many of the children in the community. Most of these kids had yellow, glassy eyes, and protruding bellies due to malnutrition. Many coughed constantly, and others had noses that never seemed to stop running but they seemed oblivious to the fact that this was happening. To them it had become the norm.  

The majority of the children walked everywhere barefoot. The roads and pathways in these areas are rough, and these kids are exposed to the possibility of being cut and infected by the many sharp rocks and sticks on the ground. 

“Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul.” -
Democritus

-Tori Sung

Read Tori's first blog from Kenya>>

Read Tori's second blog from Kenya>>

Tori Sung is a high school student from Canada who is a guest blogger and passionate volunteer for Vitamin Angels. Below she writes a second blog on her experience traveling to Kenya through a youth volunteer program where saw firsthand the effects of undernutrition on some of the populations Vitamin Angels targets.

One of the most memorable things from Kenya was learning about their diet. I had to chance to eat what the locals ate for one day and could not even make it a few hours without feeling extremely tired and hungry. In the area I was living in, the locals diet consists mostly of rice and corn. In the mornings many of them usually just have chai tea but I was given Uji which is a mixture of corn flour and water.

For lunch I had a mixture of corn, potatoes and spinach and for dinner, Ugali and cabbage. Ugali is corn that has been turned into something with a bread-like texture. 

The way I ate was still much better than the majority of the locals and after I had experienced trying to live an active day on their diet, it was clear to me that they were not getting the nutrients they need. Their diet mostly relies on corn and for these people meat, poultry, other vegetables and fruits that we know are full of vitamins and nutrients are a huge luxury. Food mainly acts as a filler to tide over hunger and does nothing whatsoever to ensure they have the nutritional requirements for the manual tasks (collecting firewood and water) and jobs they do throughout the day.  This is no different for young children or expectant mothers. In one day alone, I saw two children faint while at school. I was extremely alarmed but this seemed to be a common event.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." — Dr. Seuss (I Can Read with My Eyes Shut)

-Tori Sung

Go here to read Tori's first blog from Kenya>>