We believe that poverty is complex and ever changing. We believe that ending poverty requires more than just providing raw resources. Our approach is holistic, meaning that we seek to end ALL forms of human poverty by addressing a person’s entire life. Our solutions for programmatic development address the physical, spiritual and relational needs of vulnerable people.

We work towards a world without poverty through intentional and purposeful community development. Our approach allows us to partner with local leaders to develop transformative solutions, which are both sustainable and implemented at the hands of the communities themselves.

We have five phases for community development that we believe create a foundation for resilience and self-sufficiency. We enter communities with the intention of graduating them in approximately 10-12 years. Our goal is to walk alongside communities so that they’re able to thrive once we leave.

Phase 1: Discovery

Food for the Hungry (FH) enters a community and seeks to walk with, listen, learn, assess potential risks and understand the needs and challenges of the people who live there, including how they impact the children.

Phase 2: Growth

Along with community leaders and local governments, FH helps to develop a plan of action and begins to train and build up teachers and community members to improve the lives of children through livelihood programs, educational structure, the provision of life-saving resources and planning for potential threats.

Phase 3: Support

FH staff serve as mentors for the community members, helping them execute development projects, assisting where children are most impacted. FH staff walk with the community to implement solutions that tackle the communities’ biggest challenges in health, education, livelihoods, agriculture, spiritual development and disaster risk reduction practices.

Phase 4: Flourish

FH begins to assess the success of programs by evaluating the positive impact on the children, while also creating a sense of ownership and independence. We’re beginning our preparations to exit the community.

Phase 5: Graduation

After walking through each phase with a community, we celebrate graduation and exit the community.