Rise Against Hunger

Too often we get so wrapped up with our day to day responsibilities both personally and professionally that we don’t take time to reflect on how fortunate we are to have the basics – food, water and power.

I’m reminded daily of the impact we can have on helping to provide power to people around the world – 1.1 billion still need access to reliable power. I’m so proud to say that the Power Services team is at the forefront of solving this challenge every day.

And this week I was reminded of the “power” we have as individuals to help in the fight against hunger. I was part of some 400 GE Power volunteers in Atlanta who took just 2.5 hours out of their hectic lives to come together for the second time in six months to package 50,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization that distributes food and life-changing aid.

 The statistics are startling when you take a moment to comprehend them:

• 815 million people globally world don’t receive enough nutrition to lead an active, healthy life – that’s 1 in 9 people.
• 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world.
• Poor nutrition causes 45% of deaths in children under five – 3.1M children a year.

Founded in 1998, Rise Against Hunger is mobilizing to end world hunger by 2030. So far, they’ve nourished more than 1.4 million lives in 74 countries. And, the 100,000 meals the GE team has packaged over the last six months is helping to drive this number up even higher!

We all need a reflection moment like I had this week to realize everyone can truly make a difference in creating a better world – in both small and big ways.