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Too often grocery stores and restaurants find themselves throwing out food, when there is great need in nearby communities. MEANS Database modernizes food recovery in 48 states and the District of Columbia by connecting excess food to organizations and individuals who need it. Hunger lingers in the lives of the people it affects. In infants and toddlers, food insecurity is associated with failure to thrive, a devastating condition with consequences into adulthood (1). In early childhood, hunger is associated with diminished academic progress, more behavioral problems and unhealthy weight (2). By high school, it's linked with dropping out, and by early adulthood, with having children who also face hunger, the cycle starts over again (3). Food insecurity exists in every American demographic and geography, affecting every population tracked by the US Census. However, as it seems for every other social ill, the most rural, the most urban, and minorities in any location bear a disproportionate burden of the weight of hunger. While 12.7% of American families are food insecure, the rate for Black and Latino families are each about 20% (4). Jefferson County, Mississippi, is a study in these disparities: it has the highest percentage of black residents of any American county, and also holds the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of food insecurity in the United States, with nearly 38% of residents facing hunger (5). Meanwhile, while more than 42 million Americans rely on food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency food providers to feed their families, the United States grapples with an massive food waste problem. Forty percent of the American food supply ends up in landfills, with perfectly edible meals being thrown away at all stages of production (7). Food is the single largest contributor to landfill and incinerator mass in the United States, choking the nation's air while 1 in 8 Americans face food insecurity (8). Further complicating this feast and famine dynamic is the uncomfortable truth that even programs meant to address hunger frequently end up wasting food. The issue we are tackling with MEANS is huge: we're trying to prevent food waste and adequately address the problem of hunger. The USDA reports that 48.1 million Americans live in food-insecure households, while Feeding America says that 70 billion pounds of food are wasted in the US each year (8). This task may seem daunting, but we know that through the use of innovative technology like ours, we can help to change the future of food recovery. MEANS (Matching Excess And Need for Stability) is an online communications platform for emergency food providers and their donors. On a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, agencies create an account with MEANS, registering their contact information, location, the kind(s) of foods they are searching for, and the distance they are willing or able to travel to pick up those goods. Donors post their excess goods on MEANS, and the system emails and/or texts organizations nearby that need those goods. Our tool substantially reduces the communications gap between emergency food providers and their donors, preventing "donation dumping" on both sides. MEANS was designed to handle both traditional food donations, from grocery stores or caterers, and donations between emergency food providers. There is no charge for any of our organization's services, for nonprofit agencies or retailers. Citations: 1) Kersten, Hans B. and Bennett, David (2012) "A Multidisciplinary Team Experience with Food Insecurity & Failure to Thrive," Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 6. 2) Jyoti, Diana F.; Frongillo, Edward A.; and Jones, Sonya J. (2005) "Food Insecurity Affects School Children's Academic Performance, Weight Gain, and Social Skills" The Journal of Nutrition vol. 135 no. 12 2831-2839. 3)"Changing the Picture of Education in America: Communities in Schools Spring 2014 Impact Report" (2014) 4) USDA (2015). "Food Security Status of U.S. Households in 2015" 5) Feeding America (2016). "Map the Meal Gap 2016" 7) Gunders, Dana (2012). "Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill" 8) Feeding America (ND), "Food Waste In America"

Rainforest Rescue is a not-for-profit organisation that has been protecting and restoring rainforests in Australia and internationally since 1998 by providing opportunities for individuals and businesses to Protect Rainforests Forever. Our mission is to inspire, engage and build community for the protection, preservation and restoration of rainforests through fundraising and education. Our objectives are: 1. The protection and enhancement of the natural environment. 2. The conservation of rainforests and the preservation of the biodiversity of rainforest ecosystems. 3. The restoration, rehabilitation, enhancement and management of remnant and regrowth rainforest. 4. The revegetation of ex-rainforest lands, including without limitation the establishment and ongoing management of rainforests plantings or signficant ecological value. The strategies that we employ to achieve these objectives is to: 1. Seek funding in the form of donation and sponsorships from individuals, businesses and philanthropic trusts and foundations. 2. Purchase and protect high conservation value rainforest and preserve its biodiveristy; and 3. Finance projects that re-establish rainforests through planting, maintenance and restoration programs. Rainforest Rescue meaures its performance of these objectives and strategies through ongoing governance, financial management and corporate compliance, therefore achieving the environmental objectives of the organisation's constitution being the protection and preservation of rainforests. Rainforest Rescue is an Austtralian registered company limited by guarantee and a registered charity with deductible gift recipient status. We are also on the Australian Register of Environmental Organisations.

Our purpose is to reduce poverty, bring hope and solidarity to poor communities or individuals in France and worldwide. We bring assistance to families, children and young people but also to the most vulnerable (homelesses, migrants, prisoners etc.). We fight against isolation, help them to find employement and we ensure their social reintegration. We provide emergency responses but also long term support, development aid and we work on the causes of poverty. The action of Secours Catholique finds all its meaning in a global vision of poverty which aims at restoring the human person's dignity and is part and parcel of sustainable development. To do so, six key principles guide this action, both in France and abroad: Promoting the place and words of people living in situations of poverty Making each person a main player of their own development Joining forces with people living in situations of poverty Acting for the development of the human person in all its aspects Acting on the causes of poverty and exclusion Arousing solidarity The actions of Secours Catholique are implemented by a network of local teams of volunteers integrated into the diocesan delegations and supported by the volunteers and employees of the national headquarters. On an international level, Secours Catholique acts in cooperation with its partners of the Caritas Internationalis network. Key figures of Secours Catholique: 100 diocesan or departmental delegations 4,000 local teams 65,000 volunteers 974 employees 2,174 reception centres 3 centres : Cite Saint-Pierre in Lourdes, Maison d'Abraham in Jerusalem, Cedre in Paris 18 housing centres managed by the Association des Cites of Secours Catholique 162 Caritas Internationalis partners 600,000 donors Every year Secours Catholique encounters almost 700,000 situations of poverty and receives 1.6 million people (860,000 adults and 740,000 children). This daily mission led in the field by the local teams and delegations, with the support of national headquarters, pursues three major objectives which aim at exceeding the distribution action and limited aid: Receiving to reply to the primary needs (supplying food and/or health care aid, proposing accommodation, establishing an exchange and a fraternal dialogue, etc) Supporting to restore social ties (bringing together people in difficulty with an aim to reinsertion, encouraging personal initiatives and collective projects, establishing a mutual support helper-receiver of help relationship, etc) Developing to strengthen solidarity (proposing long lasting solutions, establishing a follow-up over the long term, encouraging collective actions carried out by people in difficulty etc.)

To raise funds for grassroots conservation projects and generate awareness of the important environmental, economic, cultural, and social roles of African forests

To improve the quality of life and advance the rights of children; To bring about change for good on behalf of children and families, and encourage them to participate in processes which enhance their equality, self-reliance and long term sustainable development; Wherever possible to provide practical support which allows children to grow up within their own families and communities

Adirondack Wildlife is a rehabilitation and education organization whose mission is to take in, rehabilitate, and return to the wild when possible. Our mission statement is made possible with the aid of local veterinarians and volunteers. In addition, we run educational programs and presentations, primarily working with non-releasable native species. We promote compassion, tolerance and understanding of wildlife, particularly with conservation, ecological principles, and sustainable management. Adirondack Wildlife, Inc. is a 501 C3 non-profit open to the public maintaining a mile-long, guided, interpretive trail and conducting interactive presentations. We have no Federal, State or Local Funding, and are completely funded by donations.

Our name highlights the necessity to take care of the future, the desire and the need to develop the world in which we live in. Children represent the first beneficiaries of the future and thus are the clearest symbol on how important it is to build a future together, starting today. Our organization is active in cooperation towards development, the integration of various cultures and the growing partnership based on solidarity. All of these aspects combined provide an equal and sustainable growth that we aim to achieve and value deeply. We are a group of people from various religious backgrounds with shared goals, who believe in the collaboration of mankind towards the construction of a common future.

APF's mission is to reinforce the community of Fondwa Haiti, as well as, other local grassroots organizations throughout Haiti so that they can create wealth in their own rural communities. The current APF Programs in Fondwa include: - Basic Infrastructure creation and improvement (roads, buildings, irrigation, etc.); - Environmental protection, renewable energy, and reforestation (solar power, tree planting, agricultural best practices, etc.) - Access to drinking water, health care, financial services, and food security (potable water, clinic, credit union, orphanage, radio station, etc.) - Education through a primary/secondary school for 600+ regional children and Haiti's first rural peasant university - Small businesses including Restaurant Lakay, construction material depot and transportation services - Several post-earthquake construction projects continue

Coral Reef CPR was established to conserve, protect and restore the world's coral reefs through research, reef rehabilitation, education and outreach, and citizen involvement. Our aim is to create change in countries with coral reef environments. Our in-country programs involve: (i) habitat characterization, reef assessment and monitoring; (ii) reef clean-up activities and removal pest species (iii) ecological restoration; (iv) education and training of local communities, school children, resort and dive center staff and tourists; and (v) outreach and raising awareness. (vi) user group participation in conservation activities. Our goal is to enhance the capacity of local communities, tourists and various user groups so they can take ownership of their coral reefs better understand the problems facing reefs, and take simple steps to reduce the threats and enhance reef conservation. We achieve this through our education program and "citizen science" where we involve communities, students, local divers and dive operators, visitors, local marine biologists and resort staff in all our projects and initiatives. We engage various stakeholders, students and visitors in our coral reef workshops, and allow them to participate in our in-water monitoring and rehabilitation efforts. Our mission is to understand and reduce threats affecting coral reefs, promote sustainable management of reef resources and rehabilitate degraded reef ecosystems through scientific research, education, community involvement, and outreach.