When I began forming Custom Spoon in my mind, I knew I wanted it to incorporate giving back into my business model. After lots of research, our concept of One Spoon Feeds Another was adopted. The One Spoon Feeds Another program is very simple. For each spoon that is purchased @CustomSpoon, we will donate one meal to Feed My Starving Children.Â
The church I went to would host meal-packing days dedicated to a mission they were involved closely with. Meal packing involves a small team of volunteers at each station. Each volunteer would have a job to do to create a meal pack from placing the meal bag to receive the ingredients, adding the  ingredients to the bag, weighing, sealing, and packing the completed bag. Each meal was developed by food scientists to specifically stop malnutrition. I always enjoyed working with small teams to create the meal packs.Â
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When brainstorming ideas for ways for my company to give back, I couldn't pinpoint the right fit. When dropping my son off at college, we stopped by a restaurant for lunch. Their mission was to feed the hungry - buy a meal, give a meal. I remembered back to the meal-packing days at the church, and I knew a similar program would be the right fit for our company.
I began researching different companies that offer meal programs. While most of them had a great mission, Feed My Starving Children met the standards of how I wanted to help out. Â
- I wanted a charity that used donation proceeds for their charity purposes. 91% of FMSC donations go directly to meal production.
- I wanted a tangible donation. The one meal for each spoon sold fit the model and affordability I was seeking.
- I wanted to be a part of a child's hope for a future. "To a starving child, hope can only begin with a reliable source of nutritious food." FMSC
- Fair Trade was a must. I was seeking a charity that encouraged fair trade practices. FMSC partners with artisans around the world and offers them opportunities to grow a business.
- I wanted a corporate volunteer activity to do with my team. FMSC has a local facility that offers many opportunities for a food packing team building day. Our team will be volunteering at least once a year to pack meals.Â
- FMSC hosts meal-packing days throughout the country. Click here to see if one is near you. Â
- Collect food for your local food bank.
- Go a step further and organize a small group to collect food.
- Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or food bank. Â
- Consider a monetary donation to your local food bank or FMSC.