Globally, 957 million people are undernourished. This means that nearly 12% of the total global population cannot effectively learn, work, or care for themselves or their families simply because they do not have enough food to eat.
WHERE OUR MISSION STARTED
In 2009, we started by donating HALF of all profits, taking no pay for four years and keeping expenses to a minimum by meeting in homes and coffee shops rather than renting an office space. When we realized profits dwindle as business grows, we decided to restructure by donating seven meals to children in need for every product sold. This idea turned out to be a good one. Within five years, our customer's purchases made it possible to give over one million meals to partnering organizations in Cambodia, Liberia, Fiji, USA, and Nepal. We did this in the most creative ways: providing school lunch meals, creating school gardens, giving holiday meals, starting fish farms, and by purchasing bee hives that provided honey and pollinated school crops. Our business is growing, but fighting hunger will always be at the core of everything we do.
HOW IT ALL CHANGED
2015 was a pivotal year for us. We were invited by a larger give-back brand to visit Haiti. We were so excited to see the country and learn about the culture of the people living there. However, by the time we left, our view on how to create lasting change in the lives of those in need shifted. We realized that giving meals is an incredible short-term solution to fighting hunger, but it will never solve why hunger exists to begin with. In response to what we saw and experienced, we decided to create a sustainable, holistic and lasting solution to hunger: gainful employment. As the old adage says, if you give a man a fish he will eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish he will eat for a lifetime. We wanted to see lasting change in these places we so deeply cared about such as Haiti, so we made a way to see it through.
We are in this for the long haul.
SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS - FIGHTING HUNGER
HALF UNITED has been committed to giving meals to children in need for every product purchased, but we are now going beyond that by providing gainful employment opportunities to adults in need all over the world, partnering with them in both the design and manufacturing of our goods. At HALF UNITED we believe in holistic, well-rounded approaches to fighting hunger and poverty. We have seen the difference gainful employment makes in the lives of children and families in need first-hand, and because of that, we are committed to partnering with artisans living in the world's most vulnerable communities. Our artisan partners create beautiful wares using techniques handed down through many generations.
LONG TERM SOLUTIONS - GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT
When a country faces political unrest, corruption, extreme educational challenges, fragmented food systems, limited financial resources, excess pollution, water contamination, electricity shortages, and limited + outdated healthcare you will find widespread poverty and hunger. The reasons hunger exists are complex, generationally rooted, and often systemic, However, gainful employment is an impactful way to stop the cycle of poverty and hunger. When you create dignified employment for adults, they are able to provide for themselves, their families, and the communities in which they live.
HOW WE ARE FIGHTING HUNGER SHORT TERM
PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY GARDENS
VOLUNTEERING WITH FOOD BANKS
PROVIDING MEALS TO FAMILIES IN NEED
WHERE YOU FIGHT HUNGER + EMPOWER LIVES
HOW WE ARE FIGHTING HUNGER LONG TERM
Ethically Sourced Goods
Haiti
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Every person who is employed in Haiti supports 8-10 people who are unemployed. Your purchase does more by giving a child the chance to be in school or a family member an opportunity to gain medical care. Our partnership in Haiti averages 45 workers a month, making upwards of twice the minimum wage in Haiti. In 5 years, they have provided roughly 500,000 hours of work to the Haitian people.
Mexico
We are proud to create gainful employment opportunities in Mexico - a place where some of the world's most talented artisans live and a country with one of the oldest and most robust handcraft cultures in the world. Our artisan partnership produces glassware using a centuries old tradition of Mexican mouth-blown recycled rustic glass, made of melted soda bottles like Coke and Pepsi. Each piece is hand-made, allowing for variations and personality in their bubbles and hues.
India
The Maira Wooden Taper Candle Holders as well as all of our beautiful vermeil jewelry items are made by talented Indian artisan partners. In India, nearly 70% of the population lives on less than $2 a day. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. By creating gainful employment there, we empower people in need and give you the opportunity to change lives with your purchases.
