2. History In the fall of 2002, The New York Times ran a series of ar-cles on
poverty in the U.S. One ar-cle described the town of Pembroke, Illinois, a
community so poor that some houses had dirt floors and there were -res on
many roofs to keep them from blowing away. Pam Koner, a Westchester, New
York mom and entrepreneur, read that ar-cle and felt compelled to help.
Koner contacted an outreach worker in Pembroke with the simple idea of
linking families she knew with “more” to families with less, and was given the
names of 17 of the neediest Pembroke families. She then convinced 16 friends
and neighbors to join her, and they each began sending monthly boxes of food
(and leYers) to “their” matched families. Family‐to‐Family was born. 17
families soon grew to 60… and a]er a flurry of media exposure (including
coverage by CBS News, The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, People Magazine
and Reader’s Digest), 60 families grew to over 750 linked families across the U.S.
hYp://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/14/cnnheroes.pam.koner/#cnnSTCVideo
5/24/10
3. History 2009 at a Glance
Today Family‐to‐Family serves impoverished families in Arkansas, Illinois,
Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New
York, South Dakota, & West Virginia.
More than 2,100 children and adults currently receive food each month from
Family‐to‐Family’s dona-ng families.
Our over 1,700 dona-ng family members currently come from 32 states.
Annual dona-ons for the purchase of food for individual families total
approximately $157,000. F‐to‐F currently supplies families in need with 180,000
meals annually, and has supplied over 1,118,500 meals since we began.
The first interna-onal model of Family‐to‐Family, opened in 2007 in Kampala,
Uganda, serving children and families devastated by the AIDS/HIV epidemic
.
5/24/10
4. How it works….
FOOD BOXES
Food banks and supplemental food services programs o]en dry up before the
end of each month. In response to this crisis, each month, member families
across the U.S. each pack a box filled with 7 days worth of non‐perishable
dinner‐type foods, include a non‐food essen-al (e.g. warm winter gloves, paper
goods or over the counter medica-ons), and seal it with a leYer to their
sponsored family. The box packed by mom, dad and kids is shipped to a
community outreach worker in the receiving community who ensures that it is
delivered to the specific family in need which it is intended for. Families are
matched whenever possible by the number and ages of children. There are
limited middle men, Family‐to‐Family pulls the veil of anonymity and shame off
hunger, and reduces administra-ve costs.
A key aspect of the program is leYer wri-ng; sponsoring and sponsored families
exchange leYers, crea-ng a personal connec-on between them that provides
hope and inspira-on.
5/24/10
5. How it works….
CYBER‐SPONSORSHIP
Donor families sign up on our website (www.famtofamily.org) to sponsor a
family online choosing a family from one of five U.S. communi-es. $31 a month
is deducted from their credit card and 100% of the funds (minus the approx. $1
transac-on fee we are charged by PayPal) are used to purchase groceries locally
for “their” specific family. An on the ground community worker receives the
funds and shops for the local families which also encourage local economic
development. As with the food box model, sponsoring and sponsored families
are encouraged to exchange leYers or emails regularly. Donors are also
encouraged to send non‐food essen-als along with a gently used children’s
book, clothing, etc. to their sponsored family every month.
.
5/24/10
![History
In
the
fall
of
2002,
The
New
York
Times
ran
a
series
of
ar-cles
on
poverty
in
the
U.S.
One
ar-cle
described
the
town
of
Pembroke,
Illinois,
a
community
so
poor
that
some
houses
had
dirt
floors
and
there
were
-res
on
many
roofs
to
keep
them
from
blowing
away.
Pam
Koner,
a
Westchester,
New
York
mom
and
entrepreneur,
read
that
ar-cle
and
felt
compelled
to
help.
Koner
contacted
an
outreach
worker
in
Pembroke
with
the
simple
idea
of
linking
families
she
knew
with
“more”
to
families
with
less,
and
was
given
the
names
of
17
of
the
neediest
Pembroke
families.
She
then
convinced
16
friends
and
neighbors
to
join
her,
and
they
each
began
sending
monthly
boxes
of
food
(and
leYers)
to
“their”
matched
families.
Family‐to‐Family
was
born.
17
families
soon
grew
to
60…
and
a]er
a
flurry
of
media
exposure
(including
coverage
by
CBS News,
The New York Times,
Oprah Magazine,
People Magazine
and
Reader’s Digest),
60
families
grew
to
over
750
linked
families
across
the
U.S.
hYp://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/14/cnnheroes.pam.koner/#cnnSTCVideo
5/24/10](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)