2011

Mt.Province town self help group receives pass-on gifts

TADIAN, Mt. Province, June 22 (PIA) -- The Heifer International – Philippines in partnership with the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. (JVOFI), conducted last Monday the original placement ceremony to another partner families in this municipality.

According to James Comicho, community facilitator of JVOFI, there are 28 identified original partner-families in barangay Bunga of this municipality that benefited from the program after having completed the 12 Cornerstone workshop, which is a prerequisite to receiving the gift.

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Father's Day gift ideas that give back

He's there for you no matter what, and now with Father's Day around the corner, it's your opportunity to thank him back.
Stumped on what to give that special dad in your life this Father's Day? Have no fear. Here is a list of Father's Day gift ideas that are sure to please...and do a whole lot of good!
-- Non-profit Heifer International, which works in the U.S. and abroad to help families become more self-reliant, encourages folks to show their thanks for dad by making a gift in his name that will help another needy father provide for his children. According to the organization, a donation of a farm animal through Heifer International's gift catalog provides food security and income for families across the globe. For more information, visit www.heifer.org or call 501-907-2952.

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Heifer International on display in "Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer"

Heifer International's "cow" logo prominently featured on the character Stink in Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer movie.

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Feeding 9 Billion People by 2050 Requires Unprecedented Collaboration Now, Says DuPont Advisory Committee

The challenge of feeding a growing population of 9 billion by 2050 requires collaboration across all stakeholders on a scale never seen before and it has to start now, according to the DuPont Advisory Committee on Agriculture Innovation and Productivity for the 21st Century. The committee released a report today detailing recommendations for closing the food productivity gap.

In 2010, DuPont assembled an external committee, which is chaired by former U.S. Senator Thomas A. Daschle, to examine the best public policy mechanisms and business practices to tackle the global challenge to increase agriculture productivity in a sustainable manner. Other committee members are: Charlotte Hebebrand, chief executive of International Food and Agriculture Trade Policy Council; Jo Luck, president, Heifer International; J.B. Penn, chief economist, Deere and Co., and Pedro Sanchez, director of Tropical Agriculture and Rural Development Program, Earth Institute at Columbia University.

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Students praised for doing right

Using his allowance money, first-grader Kai Sutter bought a ticket for a $10,000 jackpot prize drawing at an event and told his mother that if he won, he would donate half of the money to benefit people in need.

Kai won the drawing and kept his promise, giving the money to a collection for Heifer International that his class was participating in at Fruitville Elementary.

He presented a check for $4,000, half of his winnings after taxes, to local Heifer volunteer representative Yvonne Eubanks on May 10 at Fruitville Elementary.

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US foreign aid efforts get a corporate boost

On Tuesday, the U.S. Agency for International Development unveiled a program to make it easier for more companies of all sizes to send professionals abroad to help local governments, small businesses and civic groups in developing nations. The new Center of Excellence for International Corporate Volunteerism was developed with IBM and CDC Development Solutions (CDS), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that manages companies international volunteer initiatives.

Pierre Ferrari, chief executive officer of nonprofit Heifer International, told msnbc.com he doesn't begrudge the corporate newcomers.

"It makes sense to work together … At Heifer we work with the poorest of the poor, small-holder farmers, producers who need a market for their goods," said Ferrari, a former Coca-Cola USA vice president and a member of the board of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. "(But) everyone brings a separate and complementary expertise. NGOs have expertise in community development at a grassroots level; governments can assist with infrastructure and laws; companies like IBM provide financial resources and intellectual property, even market demand for emerging markets in the same field, such as dairy. A partnership can include corporations as both buyers and mentors."

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Elanco to spend $2M to bolster hunger relief

Lilly's animal health division plans to spend $2 million over the next two years for hunger relief efforts in Third World countries and to expand food "backsack" programs for needy children in Indianapolis.

The moves are part of a hunger initiative begun two years ago by Elanco Animal Health in an effort to raise awareness about world hunger.

Elanco, which makes feed additives and antibiotics for farm animals and medicines for pets, said more than 25,000 people worldwide die each year from hunger and malnutrition.

For the past two years, Elanco has been working in partnership with Heifer International, a nonprofit group that aims to lift families out of poverty and hunger through gifts of livestock, seeds and trees and extensive training in animal husbandry and health care.