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.
A]er Hurricane Katrina, Koner started a program called “In the Bag”, based on the same one‐to‐one Family‐to‐Family model, and
linked over 1,000 displaced Katrina families to matching dona-ng families. Donors shipped basic necessi-es like blankets, dishes
and clothing to families who had lost almost everything.
Family‐to‐Family also made Xmas 2005 happen for Katrina families with a toy drive that yielded over 15,000 donated toys,
wrapping paper and ribbon. The toys and wrapping paper were sent to selected sites in the Gulf area, so that Katrina parents could
“shop” (no funds needed) for their own children, wrap the gi]s themselves… and come Xmas morning the gi]s were given by mom
and dad, as if they were purchased. Family‐to‐Family has done a similar toy drive for its hunger relief families every Christmas
since.
In the spring of 2008 Family‐to‐Family added a “cyber‐sponsorship” program… a way for people to sponsor a family in need by
signing up on‐line on the F‐to‐F website. An automa-c credit‐card dona-on pays for 7 meals worth of food every month for a
specific family in need. Cyber‐sponsorship is a way for people who can’t, or don’t want to send a box of food every month to s-ll
sponsor a specific family. Family‐to‐Family was a 2009 CNN Hero nominee for community services:
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.
Annual in‐kind dona-ons by individual families for other basic necessi-es (personal care items, over‐
the‐counter children’s cold medicines, school supplies) total $45,000.
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. Sponsoring a family is also a meaningful way to teach children empathy and
caring, because sending life’s necessi-es is such a hands‐on way to give. Kids can help shop for food, pack the box, draw a picture,
or write a leYer to “their” family.
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.
A]er
Hurricane
Katrina,
Koner
started
a
program
called
“In
the
Bag”,
based
on
the
same
one‐to‐one
Family‐to‐Family
model,
and
linked
over
1,000
displaced
Katrina
families
to
matching
dona-ng
families.
Donors
shipped
basic
necessi-es
like
blankets,
dishes
and
clothing
to
families
who
had
lost
almost
everything.
Family‐to‐Family
also
made
Xmas
2005
happen
for
Katrina
families
with
a
toy
drive
that
yielded
over
15,000
donated
toys,
wrapping
paper
and
ribbon.
The
toys
and
wrapping
paper
were
sent
to
selected
sites
in
the
Gulf
area,
so
that
Katrina
parents
could
“shop”
(no
funds
needed)
for
their
own
children,
wrap
the
gi]s
themselves…
and
come
Xmas
morning
the
gi]s
were
given
by
mom
and
dad,
as
if
they
were
purchased.
Family‐to‐Family
has
done
a
similar
toy
drive
for
its
hunger
relief
families
every
Christmas
since.
In
the
spring
of
2008
Family‐to‐Family
added
a
“cyber‐sponsorship”
program…
a
way
for
people
to
sponsor
a
family
in
need
by
signing
up
on‐line
on
the
F‐to‐F
website.
An
automa-c
credit‐card
dona-on
pays
for
7
meals
worth
of
food
every
month
for
a
specific
family
in
need.
Cyber‐sponsorship
is
a
way
for
people
who
can’t,
or
don’t
want
to
send
a
box
of
food
every
month
to
s-ll
sponsor
a
specific
family.
Family‐to‐Family
was
a
2009
CNN
Hero
nominee
for
community
services:
hYp://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/14/cnnheroes.pam.koner/#cnnSTCVideo
5/24/10](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)