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From a government shutdown to the COVID-19 crisis — a mission to serve. Partnering to provide fresh meals and essential items to people in need. Little Rock, AR — In the early ’90s, Chef José Andrés moved to Washington, D.C. to lead the kitchen at a local tapas restaurant. Despite long workdays, Andrés spent much of his spare time volunteering at DC Central Kitchen, an organization that provides culinary job training and placement for the unemployed as well as thousands of meals per day. It was during one of his shifts at the community kitchen that Andrés met President Clinton. Speaking to a group of volunteers, President Clinton singled him out. “Every single year here, 5,000 volunteers roll up their sleeves and give something back,” he said. “People like José Andrés, one of the premier young chefs in America. Despite the literally crazy demands of his job, he comes here...

The bullying began when Wilson was still very young. Neighborhood children taunted him, mocking his darker skin color. Adults treated him as if he simply didn’t exist. The shy little boy retreated further into himself, afraid to say or do anything that might bring him unwanted attention. Wilson’s feelings of isolation worsened when his father abandoned the family. His mother, Melba, would rise at 4 a.m. every day and work long hours just to feed them, still only managing to make about $125 a month to feed the family of eight. Wilson and his family are part of the Garifuna community in Honduras. Today’s Garifuna descended from the survivors of a 17th-century shipwreck of slavery-bound Nigerians, many of whom were eventually exiled to the Honduran coast. They are the third largest minority group in Honduras, and they regularly face discrimination and exclusion from mainstream society. “There are many humiliations for being a Garifuna,”...

Studies show that education and literacy leads to healthier childhoods, reduces the likelihood of risky behaviors, lowers teen pregnancy rates, and ultimately sets students up to succeed in their local job markets. In short, education is a poverty-busting powerhouse setting children and youth on a path out of poverty. That’s why Children International has education as one of its four key areas of impact. But getting an education has gotten much more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families in poverty who lost their daily wage jobs and income during the pandemic faced new worries, having trouble paying for school fees and supplies. And remote classes are a new hurdle because in many communities internet connections are unreliable and mobile devices are hard to come by. To keep children on track and learning, Children International provides much-needed educational opportunities including scholarships and educational grants, as well as virtual tutoring and online...