Press Release

    2nd July 2008

Food Lifeline from Schools to Schools!

A children’s charity has issued a plea for monetary and food donations from schools’ harvest festivals so they can deliver a vital lifeline to children in Africa who cannot grow their own food. Feed The Children UK, through the support and generosity of schools, churches and other organisations, has the capability to deliver that food without which many more children would still be suffering. The charity welcomes gifts of basic food items such as rice, dried pasta, dried pulses and dried fruit, as well as cash to help transport the food.  There is a full list of collection points on the website.

“Harvest time allows us to celebrate the wonderful foods we nurture and yield from our earth and food donations can literally be a lifeline,” says Feed The Children’s chief executive, Brian Main.

Donations from previous harvest collections have allowed Feed The Children to help communities in Uganda, Afghanistan and Pakistan and given hope to many people in some very desperate situations. These include people living in rural Uganda, where the charity’s programmes support children in school by providing food and educational materials. The charity also provides clean water and vocational training for young people and adults and there is a major new tree planting programme to provide fruit and firewood for the community.

Meanwhile in Pakistan, Feed The Children is providing continuing support to child victims of the 2005 earthquake. Many children, who suffered crush injuries and subsequent amputations, were from families too poor to pay for the medical treatment and support they still need. Feed The Children's help is providing physiotherapy, hospital visits and new artificial limbs until the children are fully grown. Without support, they would always struggle. With support, they can go to school and then live independent lives.

Donations can easily be delivered to Feed The Children’s UK office in Twyford or a number of regional collection points. Registrants will receive a harvest festival pack, which will help to publicise their harvest festival, with a poster, which can be personalised.

Harvest Festival resources have also been prepared especially for Feed The Children, and include suggestions for prayers, readings, stories, and hymns, which are suitable for all denominations, and help explore the traditional harvest festival themes of thanksgiving for our food, and sharing with the needy. A Powerpoint presentation is available, which shows pictures from some of Feed The Children's overseas programmes.

“Our harvest festival pack, containing all these resources, is available to download from www.feedthechildren.org.uk/osc,” says marketing executive, Kim Tame, “and further information is available via www.feedthechildren.org.uk, or from usual contact details.  Schools who prefer a more explicitly Christian content may like to download the churches pack as well as the schools pack.”

We are asking you to help us feed every child.

Ends

For further details of this news release please contact DSH Public Relations on 01252 408820.  Issued on behalf of Feed The Children UK (charity no. 1034916) by DSH Public Relations, email pr@dshpr.co.uk DSH/FTC/   /2008