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Frequently Asked Questions about WHY
What does WHY stand for?
Literally, WHY stands for World Hunger Year. Harry Chapin,
the late singer-songwriter and co-founder of WHY,
continually asked questions about hunger and poverty
existed. Why are people hungry when there is an excess of
food? Why are people hungry in the U.S., the most affluent
country in the world? The acronym WHY came before the full
name of the organization - World Hunger Year. The idea is
that every year is World Hunger Year.
How is WHY unique in the fight against hunger and
poverty?
WHY is convinced that solutions to hunger and poverty can
be found at the grassroots level. WHY advances long-term
solutions to hunger and poverty by supporting grassroots
organizations that empower individuals and build
self-reliance, i.e., offering job training, education and
after school programs; increasing access to housing and
healthcare; providing microcredit and entrepreneurial
opportunities; teaching people to grow their own food; and
assisting small farmers. WHY connects these organizations
to funders, media and legislators.
How does WHY specifically tackle hunger and poverty?
Through our programs:
Reinvesting in America:
WHY supports grassroots organizations
that break the cycle of hunger and poverty by empowering
people to be self-reliant. These organizations are taking a
holistic approach to hunger and are working with their
clients to help them realize that it is within their own
power to move toward self-reliance. Specifically, the model
organizations in WHY's network provide practical education,
life skills, entrepreneurial training, job training, economic
empowerment, access to food, community-supported agriculture,
after-school programs and initiatives that stimulate regional
economies. They are helping to move homeless, hungry and
chronically unemployed people from welfare to work.
We use our extensive contacts to create networking
opportunities for grassroots groups. For thousands of
organizations WHY has helped raise more than $6 million,
initiated countless media connections and facilitated
meetings with policymakers. A quarterly newsletter,
Connections, delivers practical information on
organization-building, fundraising, and hunger and poverty
issues.
National Hunger
Clearinghouse:
WHY maintains the only nationwide
database of organizations that work on hunger, food,
nutrition and agricultural issues in the United States. A
monthly newsletter, The Clearinghouse Connection, provides member
organizations with information on conferences,
publications, funding and government programs. WHY also
manages a national hotline, "800-GLEAN-IT," serving the
individuals and organizations with information and
referrals to emergency food assistance, food recovery
programs, food donation sites and volunteer
opportunities.
WHY International:
WHY works at the U.N. (where we
hold official NGO status) to increase food security at the
national and international levels. We publish information and
influence policy on sustainable agriculture, microcredit and
community-building.
Kids Can Make a Difference (KIDS):
KIDS is an educational program
to help students understand the root causes of hunger and
poverty, and to empower them to make a difference. KIDS
offers teacher training, a curriculum guide, a quarterly
newsletter and an award-winning web site,
www.kidscanmakeadifference.org.
Artists Against Hunger and Poverty:
WHY forges relationships
between artists and grassroots organizations to raise
funds and public awareness. We make it easy for artists to
support social causes by matching them with our network
organizations. Recently, Artists Against Hunger and
Poverty raised more than $1.5 million in concert-related
donations for 225 organizations. Artists Against Hunger
and Poverty enlists artists at all levels of their careers
to help raise funds, volunteers and awareness for the most
innovative and effective grassroots groups working to
fight hunger and poverty. WHY offers artists, record
labels, managers, agents and fans the opportunity to take
an effective stand and to use their voices and resources
differently - while doing what they already do so
well.
Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Awards:
Every year with funding from
the Harry Chapin Foundation, WHY distributes cash grants
($5,000 maximum) to grassroots organizations judged
outstanding for their innovative and creative approaches
to fighting domestic hunger and poverty by empowering
people and building self-reliance. The awards honor those
organizations that go beyond charity to change and help
people improve their own lives and the communities in
which they live.
Harry Chapin Media Awards:
WHY honors print and electronic
media for outstanding coverage that positively impacts
hunger, poverty and self-reliance. The awards also honor
work that focuses on the causes of hunger and poverty and
the forces creating self-reliance. This includes reporting
on economic inequality and insecurity, unemployment,
homelessness, food security, human rights, community
empowerment and sustainable development. The Media Awards
single out not only mainstream media, but also small,
independent media.
How can you help?
Ending hunger and poverty is a doable
and winnable task. It requires a combination of
strengthening federal programs and supporting
organizations that are solving the problems of hunger and
poverty in their own communities.
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Learn more about hunger and poverty issues and
policies. Please see our page on informative web sites.
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Volunteer with a grassroots organization. Contact us
for suggestions from our network of organizations.
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Support WHY by volunteering your time, attending one of
our concerts or making a donation.
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