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 Return from Guatemala
Vitamin Angels’ President Howard Schiffer recently returned from a trip with our partners, Faith In Practice, to Guatemala. Howard was accompanied by our Development Coordinator, Jessamyn Wead, a group of individuals from Univera, chosen for their philanthropic contributions over the past year, and photographer Matt Dayka. During the visit the group observed the distribution of prenatal vitamins and met many of the beneficiary mothers in the remote villages of San Agustin and Puerto de Golpe (see map).
In the communities served, many challenges prevent proper nutritional access and support for children and their mothers including, low rates of government public health expenditure and an extended drought which has reduced crop yields causing food insecurity as well as limiting job availability for farm workers.
Vitamin Angels is working to reach women and children in need in Guatemala. Over the past 3 years, Vitamin Angels has provided Faith In Practice with 1,555,200 tablets of children’s daily multivitamins, enough to reach 4,260 children under 5 for a year. In addition, 1,964,640 multivitamins for pregnant/lactating women have been provided, enough to reach 5,382 women for one year. A special thanks to all of the contributors who make the vitamin donations possible.
Read the Notes from the Field (Day One, Day Two), watch a video interview with one of the beneficiary mothers, or see the new photos. |
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New Project in Ghana
The Boadi Foundation in Ghana recently partnered with Vitamin Angels to receive vitamin A. The Boadi Foundation works to improve the health and nutrition of children based in the Volta Region, Ghana. A local, volunteer-run organization, the Boadi Foundation is reaching over 6,000 infants ages 6-12 months and another 6,000 children ages 12-59 months with vitamin A twice per year. Special thanks to Jude Ken-Kwofie for his support in making this program possible.
Check out photos from the first distribution >> |
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 Vitamin Angels in Liberia
Vitamin Angels is happy to partner with Reclaim Kids, a USA-based nonprofit organization which supports the wellbeing of children in Africa. With the assistance of a Liberian NGO, Reclaim Kids has constructed a medical clinic to provide affordable health care to the people of Paynesville, Liberia. An operating and delivery room were built to ensure a safe birth for mothers and their infants and to enable long standing illnesses and diseases to be properly treated. The clinic will focus on decreasing infant and child mortality. Vitamin Angles has provided vitamin A for 3,000 children.
Learn more about our vitamin A program, Operation 20/20 |
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Help Vitamin Angels continue to reach children and mothers in the hardest to reach places around the world, and right here in the United States. Make a donation today!
To see more of our projects in countries around the world, learn about our partners and how many children we are reaching, check out our programs pages:
Operation 20/20 | Thrive to Five |
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Summit of the Angels at the NBJ Summitt
 Join Vitamin Angels, along with other leaders and visionaries in our industry, at our second annual Summit of Angels at the NBJ Summit on July 20th. This intimate event will thank and honor the industry that has supported Vitamin Angels for over a decade. There is no cost to attend this event, it is included as part of your NBJ Summit registration. If you have not yet registered for The NBJ Summit, there is still time. Use our promotional code to save $200 off your registration fee and to reserve your spot at the Vitamin Angels event!
Register Today! PROMO CODE: ANGELSNBJ10. |
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 Dear Friends,
We just returned from Guatemala working with our friends, Faith In Practice. The numbers are shocking. Guatemala has the third highest maternal mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere. Anemia (38%), vitamin A deficiency (14-18%), stunting (54%) and other indicators of chronic malnutrition are all at serious levels. But the statistics don't really tell the whole story. When we interviewed the mothers we were working with in the most remote rural villages and asked them what their dreams were for their children, they all had one answer, 'we want to be able to feed our children.' For three years now we have partnered with Faith In Practice to bring the women and children of Guatemala the vitamins so important to their health.
Vitamin Angels works to find organizations with a full time presence in country that are doing good work and then partners with them to help them do even better. Using this process, we find grantees and implementation partners all over the world. The organizations change, the implementation systems vary, but the dedication of our partners is always outstanding. In each of the over 40 countries we will work in this year, we have found partners to complete the last critical step of our mission, connecting the newborns, infants, children and mothers we serve with essential nutrients. It’s a simple process, but so powerful.
Our unique 'double leverage model' (wherein Vitamin Angels creates a multiplier effect by mobilizing and deploying private sector resources to create significant gift in kind contributions on the front end, and uses our in country partner’s infrastructure to create innovative distribution models on the back end) sets Vitamin Angels in a class by itself and offers our donors a tremendous value for their contributions!
We invite you to join us. Vitamin Angels is doubling our reach to 20 million children this year and we now have the capacity to keep growing. With your help improving these children’s lives is not only a possibility, it is a reality.
Upwards!
 Howard Schiffer, President
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Combating Malnutrition in Nepal
IRIN news released an article last month announcing significant efforts are underway to improve the nutritional status of children and women across Nepal. A report from the Department of Health and UNICEF released in early March found that "50 percent of Nepali children are malnourished."
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Support Groups for Women Influence Child Survival
A report out from India was released in early March explaining the positive and dramatic effect that women’s community groups have made in reducing neonatal mortality in some of the poorest areas of India.
Read More |
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 Mother's Day is May 9th
Honor the special mother in your life with an inspired gift from Vitamin Angels. Choose from three gifts that will provide underserved mothers in need with vitamins specifically formulated to give mother and child the support they need during this special time. The gift recipient will be mailed a beautiful card explaning the gift made in her honor. What better way to show the mother in your life how meaningful she is to you? Look for the cards available for purchase next week! |
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Raising Fans & Funds on Facebook
