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Too often grocery stores and restaurants find themselves throwing out food, when there is great need in nearby communities. MEANS Database modernizes food recovery in 48 states and the District of Columbia by connecting excess food to organizations and individuals who need it. Hunger lingers in the lives of the people it affects. In infants and toddlers, food insecurity is associated with failure to thrive, a devastating condition with consequences into adulthood (1). In early childhood, hunger is associated with diminished academic progress, more behavioral problems and unhealthy weight (2). By high school, it's linked with dropping out, and by early adulthood, with having children who also face hunger, the cycle starts over again (3). Food insecurity exists in every American demographic and geography, affecting every population tracked by the US Census. However, as it seems for every other social ill, the most rural, the most urban, and minorities in any location bear a disproportionate burden of the weight of hunger. While 12.7% of American families are food insecure, the rate for Black and Latino families are each about 20% (4). Jefferson County, Mississippi, is a study in these disparities: it has the highest percentage of black residents of any American county, and also holds the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of food insecurity in the United States, with nearly 38% of residents facing hunger (5). Meanwhile, while more than 42 million Americans rely on food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency food providers to feed their families, the United States grapples with an massive food waste problem. Forty percent of the American food supply ends up in landfills, with perfectly edible meals being thrown away at all stages of production (7). Food is the single largest contributor to landfill and incinerator mass in the United States, choking the nation's air while 1 in 8 Americans face food insecurity (8). Further complicating this feast and famine dynamic is the uncomfortable truth that even programs meant to address hunger frequently end up wasting food. The issue we are tackling with MEANS is huge: we're trying to prevent food waste and adequately address the problem of hunger. The USDA reports that 48.1 million Americans live in food-insecure households, while Feeding America says that 70 billion pounds of food are wasted in the US each year (8). This task may seem daunting, but we know that through the use of innovative technology like ours, we can help to change the future of food recovery. MEANS (Matching Excess And Need for Stability) is an online communications platform for emergency food providers and their donors. On a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, agencies create an account with MEANS, registering their contact information, location, the kind(s) of foods they are searching for, and the distance they are willing or able to travel to pick up those goods. Donors post their excess goods on MEANS, and the system emails and/or texts organizations nearby that need those goods. Our tool substantially reduces the communications gap between emergency food providers and their donors, preventing "donation dumping" on both sides. MEANS was designed to handle both traditional food donations, from grocery stores or caterers, and donations between emergency food providers. There is no charge for any of our organization's services, for nonprofit agencies or retailers. Citations: 1) Kersten, Hans B. and Bennett, David (2012) "A Multidisciplinary Team Experience with Food Insecurity & Failure to Thrive," Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 6. 2) Jyoti, Diana F.; Frongillo, Edward A.; and Jones, Sonya J. (2005) "Food Insecurity Affects School Children's Academic Performance, Weight Gain, and Social Skills" The Journal of Nutrition vol. 135 no. 12 2831-2839. 3)"Changing the Picture of Education in America: Communities in Schools Spring 2014 Impact Report" (2014) 4) USDA (2015). "Food Security Status of U.S. Households in 2015" 5) Feeding America (2016). "Map the Meal Gap 2016" 7) Gunders, Dana (2012). "Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill" 8) Feeding America (ND), "Food Waste In America"

UsAgainstAlzheimer's is a relentless force committed to ending Alzheimer's by 2020. Driven by the suffering of millions of families, UsAgainstAlzheimer's presses for greater urgency from government, industry and the scientific community in the quest for an Alzheimer's cure. We accomplish this through effective leadership, collaborative advocacy and strategic investments. Our theory of change is rooted in the strong belief that we, the American people, can create the national will to prevent and treat Alzheimer's by pressuring our political, business and civic leaders to devote the necessary resources to outcomes-oriented research and to reform the drug development systems that currently slow the development and availability of promising treatments. We call this "leadership for the cure."

His Little Feet is a non-profit organization that exists to help, love and train orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide. His Little Feet is dedicated to assisting orphaned and disadvantaged children around the world through its International Children\u0027s Choir and Life Training Academy. The choir promotes the plight of millions of orphaned and vulnerable children by inspiring and connecting American audiences with partnering organizations that offer practical ways to help children, including child sponsorship, local and global volunteering opportunities and/or through adoption. From November 2010 until now, the choir has been comprised of participants from Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Vision Charity of choice for all Americans based on faith, compassion and service. Mission: ICNA Relief USA seeks to alleviate human suffering by providing caring and compassionate service to victims of adversities and survivors of disasters. ICNA Relief USA strives to build healthy communities, strengthen families and create opportunities for those in despair while maintaining dignity and advocating for basic human needs. Goals: Assist and empower under-privileged Americans through sustainable social service programs. Strengthen the family system through education and value based family services. Foster effective partnership and coordination with Islamic Centers, faith based organizations, civic and governmental agencies. Develop effective disaster response and recovery programs. Outreach effectively through leading edge technologies and means of mass communication. Streamline and Strengthen of the Organization Enhance the financial stability of ICNA Relief. We are successfully running the following programs: Domestic Disaster Relief Family Support Services/National Crisis Hotline Women's Shelter/Temporary Housing Hunger Prevention Burial Assistance Health Clinics Back 2 School Giveaways Our headquarters is located at 87-91 144th Street, Jamaica, NY 11435 with more than 14 field offices over all in the United States. Volunteers from across the country are helping us accomplish our mission. We are a Muslim organization and feel the responsibility to help and support the needy as our religious responsibility.

The Summer Hope Foundation is a federally recognized, 100% volunteer-driven non-profit organization dedicated to providing hope in the fight against cancer. Our mission is simple: To provide moments of hope in the fight against cancer to those who must endure it. We are proud of our internal programs, such as The Hope Package sent to cancer patients. The Annie Alahverdian Fund for Mothers with Cancer and the Steven Alvarez Fund for Children with Cancer, provide support for mothers, children and their families who have been touched by cancer. A focus of our organizations is also to provide funds to other organizations such as the American Cancer Society & Memorial Sloan-Kettering, who are funding important research to find the answers to cancer.

WIZO, founded in 1920, is an international organization of volunteers working to improve the lives of women, children, and the elderly living in Israel. WIZO's members work to support over 800 WIZO programs in Israel, including child care centers, schools, shelters for battered women and girls in distress, and services for the elderly. WIZO USA, established in 1982, is a membership organization whose primary focus is supporting its WIZO projects in Israel. WIZO USA aims to strengthen the bond between Israel and American Jewry by promoting Jewish identity and education. Since 1959, WIZO is recognized by the United Nations as a non-governmental organization with consultative status at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

CWLA will lead the nation in building public will to ensure safety, permanence, and well-being of children, youth, and their families by advancing public policy, defining and promoting practice excellence and delivering superior membership services. CWLA challenges Americans to make children a national priority. Our mission is to engage people everywhere in promoting the well-being of children, youth, and their families, and protecting every child from harm. We envision a future in which families, neighborhoods, communities, organizations, and governments ensure that five universal needs of children are met. They include (1) basics such as food, shelter, education, and health care, (2) nurturing relationships, (3) opportunities for optimal development, (4) protection from harm, (5) and healing from harm if it occurs.

Vaga Lume Association is a Brazilian non-profit organization founded in 2001 grounded in the belief that investing in people is the best way to transform a reality. Its mission is to create opportunities for cultural exchange by reading, writing and orality, valuing the empowerment of people and rural communities of the Brazilian Legal Amazon region. Vaga Lume works in 160 rural communities (indigenous, riverside, roadside, rural settlement people or quilombolas - Brazilian with African descent) of 23 municipalities in the Brazilian Legal Amazon region, which encompasses nine federal states (Acre, Amapa, Amazonas, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia, Roraima and Tocantins), occupies 59% of the Brazilian territory and has 20 million people (12% of the Brazilian population). Despite the fact that education and culture are basic social rights, protected by the Brazilian Constitution and under human rights international treaties ratified by Brazil, its access and implementation in the Amazon region are very limited. It is one of the poverty zones in Brazil - with a GDP per capita 30% lower than the national value - where 42% of the population survives with less than US$ 5.00 a day. Due to the outstanding impact of Vaga Lume's work in the region, the organization is recognized by many international and national awards such as the Juscelino Kubitschek Award of Merit for Regional Development in Latin America and the Caribbean given by the Inter-American Development Bank (2009); the Millennium Development Goals Award, conferred by the United Nations and the Brazilian government (2005); the Vivaleitura Award, from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education (2008); and the Chico Mendes Environment Award, given by the Ministry of Environment (2006 and 2008). In 2011, Vaga Lume received its most important recognition: the 4th place at the Intercultural Innovation Award, conferred by United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group. As an awardee, in 2012, Vaga Lume was welcomed to the World Intercultural Facility for Innovation (WIFI), a network formed by the UNAOC, the BMW Group and the ten 2011 winners. Through this network, the UNAOC and the BMW Group challenged all winners to replicate and scale up their actions to promote intercultural dialogue and offered training, consultancy and institutional support to assist organizations to accomplish such results.

The House of the Historic Foundation's purpose is to protect, preserve, maintain, and restore the House of the Temple located in Washington, D.C. The House of the Temple serves as the headquarters for the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. Located within the House of the Temple are the museum, archives, and library. The museum has been open to the public since 1915 and houses many unique and important exhibits. These artifacts and important documents have been, and will always be, open and free to the public. They cast important light on significant individuals and events in American history. The building was designed by the famous architect John Russell Pope. The House of the Temple was his first monumental commission. It garnered him the attention of the architectural community, leading to many awards and commissions in the District, such as the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, National Archives, and the National Gallery of Art-West Building. The building's design was widely praised by contemporary architects, and it won John Russell Pope the Gold Medal of the Architectural League of New York in 1917. Fiske Kimball's 1928 book American Architecture describes it as "an example of the triumph of classical form in America". In the 1920s, a panel of architects named it "one of the three best public buildings" in the United States, along with the Nebraska State Capitol and the Pan-American Union headquarters building in Washington, D.C. In 1932, it was ranked as one of the ten top buildings in the country in a poll of federal government architects. The House of the Temple is designated as a contributing property to the Sixteenth Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Temple's Library is the first free library opened in the District of Columbia and remains so today. It contains books on Freemasonry, including history, philosophy, symbolism, poetry, lodge proceedings, and periodicals. Because of its historical value, researchers from around the globe request access to the library. The Archives are the repository of the official records of the Scottish Rite. They house the original documents dealing with our founding, rituals, and current domestic and international affairs. Two main storage areas comprise the Archives. They are not generally open to the public. Because Freemasons assisted in the foundation of our Republic, including many signers of the Declaration of Independence, the writing of the Constitution, and a number of Presidents including George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt, the value of the Archives in explaining the philosophy and purposes of the Masonic Order is very significant. The Temple is currently undergoing a capital improvement project. One of the main focuses is to improve safety, such as a new railing outside, new windows and improvement to the facade, and installing an elevator to meet ADA compliance. Ensuring this building is here for many generations to enjoy will rely on the generosity of many.

The Children's Radio Foundation (CRF) uses radio training and broadcast to create opportunities for youth dialogue, participation, leadership, and active citizenship. Through giving youth the tools and skills to produce radio, young people are mobilized to engage in productive dialogue about the issues they face, and work together to improve their lives and communities. With 74 youth radio projects across six African countries, CRF works with radio stations and CBOs to create local platforms for discussion, information sharing, social engagement, and action. Our reporters take on issues that resonate with youth in their community, including but not limited to children's rights, sexual reproductive health and rights, power dynamics in teenage relationships, gender norms and stereotypes, HIV and AIDS-related issues, climate change, and the environment. Speaking in local languages and in a youth-friendly style, they interview community members, host debates, and bring out local perspectives. Their reporting projects, broadcasts, and outreach activities are geared to generate discussion about issues facing youth.

Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) was created in 2001 in response to the HIV crisis in western Kenya. It is built on a partnership between Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and the Moi University School of Medicine in Eldoret, Kenya, and a consortium of North American academic health centers, led by Indiana University. The partners joined forces to create one of Africa's largest, most comprehensive and effective HIV/AIDS management and control systems. AMPATH is a formal partner with the United States government through a $75 million grant from USAID and has continually expanded its successful HIV approach to into a more comprehensive primary health care system. With a tri-partite mission of care, education, and research, AMPATH provides healthcare services to a population of 3.5 million people in western Kenya and focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of the entire population-leaving no one behind.

Hearts of Epilepsy Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing effective tools and programs to improve the quality of life for children and families living with epilepsy. As your Advocate, we developed a deep appreciation for the need for further ongoing collaboration to address epilepsy and specific needs within our community. We've learned that many who are living with epilepsy, lives are impacted by various aspects; involving the fear of seizures, the dangerous side effects, which can lead a person to abandon normal activities; such as, cooking, cleaning, or pursuing long-term goals. Use of life-management, such as living day-to-day life is always a journey. Learning to live a normal life with epilepsy can be a struggle, but with the right treatments and care, it doesn't have to control your life. Epilepsy affects more than three million Americans directly, and sixty-five million worldwide.