Dear Friends,

On September 13th, the LA Times, in a feature story noted that for the first time since the 1960’s when record keeping started, the number of children under five years old who are dying every year has dropped below ten million. Since a high of over 20 million deaths per year in 1960, deaths last year dropped to 10 million. Dr. Peter Salama, Global Health Chief for UNICEF noted that: “We firmly believe this could be a tipping point … where we might expect a real acceleration of child death declines over the coming years.” Out of the few programs cited to attribute this decline to, UNICEF acknowledged the use of vitamin A supplements as playing a key role! Vitamin Angels is committed to playing a major part in helping to decrease the number of childhood deaths from vitamin deficiency diseases significantly in the next few years.

Seahawks Show Vitamin Angels / Jones Video

On Sunday, September 9th, over 67,000 Seattle Seahawk’s fans got to watch the Vitamin Angels / Jones video on the giant screen before the game! By the way, we just passed 100,000 views of Jones Soda’s video to help raise money for Vitamin Angels’ ‘Operation 20/20’ campaign. Jones is donating 25 cents (enough to save 1 child from going blind) for every view--so click on their site today and save a child and see what you missed if you weren’t watching the Seahawks game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn3s2j33oEY

Ode Magazine - Is She Worth It?

“Her photo came across my desk a few months ago. I just stared at it - it was hard to believe that a child who was 14 months old could weigh 6 pounds. People say someone is skin and bones but she literally was. . . .” to read the rest of the story by Howard Schiffer go to:  http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/385/is_she_worth_it

IN THIS ISSUE

VITAMIN SHOPPE | Back to Top

Vitamin Shoppe’s 30th Anniversary Celebration will help solicit donations for Vitamin Angels’ Operation 20/20 campaign to eradicate Vitamin A deficiency childhood blindness by the year 2020. The month long anniversary promotion began on September 1 in all 330 stores across the U.S.

VITAMIN COTTAGE | Back to Top

During the month of September, customers at all 25 Vitamin Cottage stores can donate to Vitamin Angels and support our Operation 20/20 campaign at the register. Customers can also make a donation in cash or by check of any other amount and Vitamin Cottage will match the donation dollar for dollar up to $50,000.00.

HOME ECONOMIST MARKETS| Back to Top

Customers at all 3 Home Economist Market stores can donate to Vitamin Angels ‘Operation 20/20’ program during the month of September.

NATIONAL CO-OP GROCERS ASSOCIATION / NATURE'S GATE | Back to Top

For every purchase of Nature’s Gate Organics shampoos or conditioners, or Rainwater Organics lotions on sale during September from any National Co-op Grocers Association store, a 25 cents donation (enough to save 1 child’s eyesight) will be made to Vitamin Angels.

WHOLE FOODS AND MICHAELS | Back to Top

At all Rocky Mountain and Southwest region Whole Foods stores, during the month of September, for every purchase of  specific Michael’s Naturopathic products a donation is being made to help support Vitamin Angels ‘Operation 20/20 campaign’ to eradicate Vitamin A deficiency childhood blindness.

MICHAEL'S NATUROPATHIC PROGRAMS AND WHOLE FOODS MARKET | Back to Top

Whole Foods and Michael’s continues their September promotion, donating a percentage of sales on selected items to Vitamin Angels. In October the promotion will is being extended to include the South Pacific, New England, Midwest, South, Northwest and Florida regions.

ENZYMATIC THERAPY, ZORBITZ AND WHOLE FOODS MARKET | Back to Top

Starting October 1st, consumers buying select Doctor’s Choice products at Whole Foods Market, will receive a free Lucky Karma Beads bracelet, and help support Vitamin Angels in the prevention of childhood blindness.

VITAMIN ANGELS AT THE VILLAGE LEVEL | Back to Top

Do you want to get a good idea of how Vitamin Angels’ programs look at the village level? Contact us at (info@VitaminAngels.com) and ask for one or more of our DVD’s: Operation 20/20, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Asia, or Mississippi. We will happily drop them in the mail to you. Or go to our new website at; www.VitaminAngels.org and check out all of the videos in our video section!

We thank all of our supporters who make this work possible!

Thanks to everyone who supported our work this month: our amazing BOD: Tom Aarts, Barclay Hope, Yvon Bastien, Bill Sechrest, Elliott Balbert, Mehbs Remtulla, and Jeff Markel; Steve Allen and Peter Hefele on our BOA; Jeff Hilton and everyone at IMG; our amazing interns Hava, Rachel, Ashley and Ruth.; Pitch Publicity; Amy, Miranda and Steve at Pitch Publicity!; Sevan Matossian; Ken Krzeminsky; and Save the Children.

Congratulations to Ideasphere, Vitaquest, InterHealth, Lonza, New Hope, Xango, Nordic Naturals, Arizona Nutritional Supplements, Capsugel, BI Nutraceutical, New Chapter, Vitamer, Gronek & Associates, Alternative Medicine Magazine, Cooper Concepts, IMG, Nutrition Business Journal, Nutritional Outlook, Pet Promise, Poland Spring, and Vitamin Retailer Magazine, Marine Nutriceutical, and Pitch Publicity for partnering with us on Celebration of Angels: Thursday, September 27, 2007 at Expo East. If you are interested in a Corporate Sponsorship, please contact Jeff@VitaminAngels.org.

WANTS & NEEDS | Back to Top

We are in need of financial contributions to help support our work. From the recent World Bank book ‘Repositioning Nutrition as Central To Development’, it is clear that our need for vitamin supplements is greater than ever before. We need planned production of children’s chewable vitamins (multiples), adult multiples, prenatals, and fish oil capsules.  Please contact us at: 805 564 8400 or info@vitaminangel.org  to arrange for a financial contribution or a product donation.

Thanks to our donors this month: Tishcon, NOW Health Group, Flora Inc., and Pure Fruit Technologies.

As always, please forward this newsletter to all of your friends and colleagues. We rely on our supporters and friends to help get the word out and get people to our site (www.VitaminAngels.org) so they can see the scope of what we are accomplishing and make needed contributions. Your support and encouragement make all of the difference in the world!

Howard B. Schiffer
Vitamin Angels
PO Box 42029
Santa Barbara, CA  93140  USA
P: 805 564 8400
F: 805 564 8499
E: info@VitaminAngels.org

PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION REPORT (8/1/06 - 8/31/07) | Back to Top

Dominican Republic   
The DR program sponsored by UNFI, is slated to be a three year campaign to reach 55,000 children per year. We are distributing multivitamins daily and antiparastics two times per year. Our program partners are Direct Relief International, who will handle all to-country shipping and Batey Relief International, who will handle all in-country distribution.

Haiti  
In the remote mountain areas where no medical help is available and an estimated 98% of all children are infested with worms, Missions of Love received 43 bottles and treated 2,150 children. World Harvest Missions received 200 bottles of anti-parasitics and were able to treat 10,000 children in the Pestel area.

Honduras    
This program is sponsored by Sight & Life (DSM), UNFI, Anabolic Laboratories, United Flavors, Domino Foods, George Washington University, Pan American Health Organization and Medpharm. This program is reaching 55,000 children per year for three years. Our in-country partners are Cristo Salva, Ministry of Health and PAHO. We are distributing children’s multivitamins and antiparastics (the multivitamins are given daily and the antiparastics are given twice a year). Recent photos show new gardens that children have planted at their schools with crops high in Vitamin A!

India   
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson our campaign in India is in its fourth year and is now reaching one million nursing mothers and children with vitamin A and deworming tablets – both the vitamin A and the deworming are given two times per year.

Kenya  
Children’s multi-vitamins were distributed to 1,300 children in Soweto Academy primary school in Kibera, the world’s largest slum.

Liberia  
A network of seven orphanages caring for 450 children were provided with multi-vitamins for distribution.

Mississippi      
Ruleville, Mississippi is a very poor rural district in the Mississippi Delta. With the support of Univera and their Serve First Program, we are now reaching 2,000 children with a daily nutrition supplement; Ageless Essentials.

Nicaragua   
Mission Para Cristo received 100 bottles of de-worming medicine and treated 5,000 children on the river project.

Peru   
Christian childcare ministries, working with “Amazonas,” distributed children’s multiple vitamins to 550 children along the Amazon.

Philippines    
We are doing a deworming program in partnership with Save The Children reaching 250,000 kids per year. This program began in the first quarter of 2006 and is now slated to run through the last quarter of 2007.

Tibet   
In this program we work closely with Dr. Nancy Harris who is the founder of Terma. We’ve been distributing up to two million children’s multiples per month.

Uganda
Vitamin Angels provided anti-parasitic drugs for a medical missionary team from Africa Renewal Ministries. In the communities of Gaba and Mubende, over 500 children and 500 adults were treated. Multi-vitamins were distributed to 800 primary grade children at Solomon’s Academy in Bulenga.

Zambia   
Working with Zambian Open Community Schools in the southern province, 3,500 children were given children’s multi-vitamins.