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 Homerun! Over 300 executives from the natural products industry came together on March 10th at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California to ‘step up to the plate’ in the fight against malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin Angels’ inaugural ‘League of Angels’ event was a major success, with celebrity appearances by Angels’ Alumni Player Jay Johnstone and NFL All-Pro player for the Vikings Robert “Griff” Griffith. Attendees were treated to a special musical performance by 'Thick as Thieves' (now embarking on a major nationwide tour!). We were thrilled to kick-off Natural Products Expo West celebrating the success of reaching over 24 million children in 2010. A special thanks to everyone who committed generous pledges to help Vitamin Angels reach more children with essential nutrients.
Check out our League of Angels webpage for photos of the event taken by Vitamin Angels’ photographer Matt Dayka.
A big thanks to our event sponsors:
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 Natural Products Expo West
The Vitamin Angels development team attended the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA last weekend. We had the pleasure of meeting with so many of our wonderful partners, and sharing our message with new and interested individuals, retailers, manufacturers and more.
Thanks to everyone who attended the Wine & Cupcake Social Hour on Saturday and special thanks to Reserveage Organics, Two Chefs on a Roll & Amerifit for making this event possible.
For those of you we met, and anyone we might have missed, please know we are here for you with additional support, materials, and ideas. Please Contact us to get involved today!
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| Looking for ways to get involved? Our website makes it easier than ever to make a difference and be part of the solution! Check out our Get Involved section for ideas. |
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 Join us for the Vitamin Shoppe and Nature's Value Charity Golf Outing on May 23rd
The Vitamin Shoppe and Nature’s Value have teamed up again to host the Spring 2011 Charity Golf Outing to benefit Vitamin Angels at the luxurious Crystal Springs Resort in Hardyston, NJ on May 23rd.
The 2010 outing raised enough funds to allow Vitamin Angels to reach an additional 1 million children with essential nutrients. The Vitamin Shoppe and Nature’s Value aim to duplicate that effort again in 2011 to bring the total number of children reached from the golf outings to 2 million children!
Go to the Vitamin Angels Golf Outing Website to sign up to become a sponsor or to register to play. |
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 Share Your mothering tips and help reach mothers worldwide!
Earth’s Best recognizes a parents’ passion for purity when it comes to raising their baby, which is why they are asking parents, grandparents and caregivers to help write the book on The Purest Way. For each tip and memorable milestone submitted, Earth’s Best will donate $1 to Vitamin Angels helping to ensure that mothers and babies around the world receive the essential nutrients they need for proper health and development!
Submit your comment today! >> |
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 Your school can fundraise for Vitamin Angels!
Now you can fundraise for Vitamin Angels while giving back to your school! The Simple Gifts Project is a non-profit fundraising program that has designed a giving catalog to help schools raise money while reaching out to children in need. Tired of your children selling candy and wrapping paper? Give your neighbors the chance to give back with the Simple Gifts Project. |
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Dear Friends,
 One major fire (Jesusita Fire, May 6, 2009), six temporary homes and 20 months later, our family just moved into our completely rebuilt home in Santa Barbara!
You may remember that this fire occurred a few days after I had returned from a visit to Western Kenya. When I was interviewed after the fire, I mentioned being with refugees in Kenya only a few days before. They had survived the tribal violence that shook Eldoret in January 2008. Sixteen months later they were still living in tents with no end in sight. I know that when we return to Kenya in June, many of these people will still be living in the IDP (internally displaced persons) camps.
This is the same situation we see all over the world. While our family had the resources (i.e. insurance), community and support to rebuild, most developing countries do not have the infrastructure to mount any real response. Even countries like Haiti, with millions of dollars pouring in for aid, do not have the systems (i.e. roads, equipment, organization) in place to utilize these resources effectively. When we return to Haiti this December, I know that there will still be over a million families living in tents.
Life goes on and it is often difficult to realize the long-term impact natural disasters, war and poverty have on these countries. My recent trip to Laos reminded me again – even 40 years after the ‘Secret War’, children are still being impacted by the millions of UXO’s (unexploded ordnance) littering the countryside, which makes agriculture and farming extremely limited.
On a hopeful front, the child mortality report just issued by the Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME) notes that, since 1990, the number of deaths for children under 5 has dropped from 12.4 million to 8.1 million (2009). This is wonderful news! It means that during this time, the global under 5 mortality rate has actually fallen by 1/3. We are proud to be a small part of this effort.
Upwards!
 Howard Schiffer, President |
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Update on MDG 4: reducing child mortality
The Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME), led by the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization, released a 2010 year-end report for 2009 Child Mortality. The report describes progress on Millennium Development Goal 4 which calls for reducing the under-five mortality rate by two-thirds by 2015. The study says that "Globally, the number of deaths among children under age five has fallen from 12.4 million in 1990 to 8.1 million in 2009."
However, while "The rate of decline in under-five mortality has accelerated over 2000–2009 compared with the 1990s," this is still is not enough to reach MDG 4, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Oceania. "The highest rates of child mortality continue to be in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 1 child in 8 dies before age five—nearly 20 times the average of 1 in 167 for developed regions." The article explains that many children under five are dying because of pneumonia (18 percent of deaths) and diarrheal diseases (15 percent).
Read full article >> |
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International Woman's Day: shifting the tides
This month Vitamin Angels observed International Woman’s Day on March 8th by recognizing the history of maternal health in the US and by acting on the inequalities facing new mothers in our global community. According to the United Nations, the first International Woman’s Day was observed in 1909, a year that also marked the beginning of organized prenatal care in the US. This included the development of intensive prenatal care for women with special health care needs, wide-scale creation of outpatient clinics for prenatal care, and the beginning of the American Association for Study and Prevention of Infant Mortality."
Read full article >>
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 Vitamin Angels prepares to welcome Baby K
Vitamin Angels is excited to be celebrating our first new staff baby! Our Executive Assistant and Communications Manager, Kim, will be leaving us for a short time starting next week as she prepares to welcome her new little one into the world. Kim shares with us her experience as she welcomes her first child, and what it has meant to her to be working at Vitamin Angels as she goes through this very special time in her and her child’s life.
Read Kim's full story >>
If you need assistance during Kim’s leave, please contact Phoebe Hitchman for any correspondence relating to Howard Schiffer and Sarah Gasca for all communications and marketing questions and needs. |
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 Vitamin Angels receives the Humanitarian Award
Vitamin Angles President, Howard Schiffer received a statuette of his own last month at the 9th annual “Focus on the Future” conference. He was recognized with The Humanitarian Award, which is given to an organization or individual that has made significant contributions to the betterment of the community through charitable or public service work. .
Read the press release >>
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Vitamin A reaches Uganda
