As we head toward the end of the year and straight into the holiday season, many of us will be thinking of all the blessings in our lives.
We really do have quite a few things to be thankful for: Our families, our homes and our health. The holidays are also an important time to think about those around the world who are less fortunate than us. It’s a time to consider giving back.
This year, Natural Healthy Concepts is supporting the non-profit Vitamin Angels, and we’re asking customers and blog readers like you to help us out.
For November and December 2015, every time you purchase Vitamin A, Prenatal Supplements, or top-selling Multivitamins from Natural Healthy Concepts, a portion of proceeds will be donated to Vitamin Angels.
Keep reading to find out more…
The Mission of Vitamin Angels
Vitamin Angels
works with at-risk people groups around the world helping them meet nutritional needs that are essential for good health. They specifically focus on young children, as well as new and expectant mothers.
The charity’s founder knows a thing or two about helping people like that. Howard Schiffer first worked in childbirth education and midwifery as a young man. It was there that he started learning about the unique nutrient needs of mothers and children. Later on in life, Schiffer worked in the natural products industry helping develop popular brands.
Then the 1994 California earthquake hit.
Schiffer was asked to help donate vitamins to help victims of the disaster who were lacking proper nutrition. That was the seed from which Vitamin Angels would grow. As he explains…
“I remember answering the question ‘What do you want to be remembered for?’ I felt if I died tomorrow, my obituary would read ‘He sold a lot of products’. After reflecting, I recalled that the reason I went into the natural products industry was to make this world a healthier place. I knew there was more to accomplish, and I knew I wanted to focus on children in need.”
For more than 20 years now, Vitamin Angels has been dedicated to meeting the basic nutritional needs of chronically undernourished children in the United States and all over the world.
Watch the Video for More On What Vitamin Angels Does
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khGuXCKLwO0
A Closer Look at the Problem of Malnourishment
45% of all childhood deaths are the result of children being under-nourished. Vitamin Angels refers to undernutrition as “hidden hunger.”
Many of these children may be getting enough calories to survive, but theri food often lacks the important nutrients they need to remain healthy.
But thankfully, the people at Vitamin Angels know something can be done – so they are doing something about it!
Vitamin A Deficiencies
One of the biggest global nutrient deficiencies is a lack of vitamin A. It’s estimated that, globally, around 190 million infants and children under the age of five suffer from vitamin A Deficiency (VAD).
Vitamin A deficiency is the leading preventable cause of childhood blindness in the developing world. A severe lack of vitamin A can also lead to a weakened immune system, which leaves children more susceptible to infections and potentially deadly diseases.
It’s easy to see why VADÂ directly contributes to childhood mortality rates across the globe. That’s why Vitamin Angels distributes tens-of-millions of capsules of high-dose vitamin A to children in need ever year.
The organization provides charities and healthcare organizations already working on the ground in these areas with essential vitamins.
Multivitamins
Around 2/3s of Americans take a multivitamin, even though most of us have easy access to healthy food. But that’s not the case for millions of people in developing nations.
In fact, it’s estimated that 2 billion people worldwide are nutrient deficient in some way. Unfortunately, mothers and young children are the most vulnerable.
Vitamin Angels says giving children in these regions proper nourishment can have a dramatic impact on their future.
“For millions of children around the world, reaching their full potential is limited by undernutrition suffered as a child. Without the right vitamins and minerals, their lives—and futures—are at risk… The multivitamins we provide reduce the effects of undernutrition in children under five, and increase their potential for future educational and economic achievements.”
Every year, Vitamin Angels helps give hundreds-of-thousands of children multivitamins that can help fill important nutrient gaps in their diet. Those vitamins not only keep them healthy, they give those families a better shot at a brighter future.
Prenatal Supplementation
Good health starts in the womb. That’s why expectant mothers here in America are always reminded to take their prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. Many mothers in other parts of the world do not have access to those kinds of vitamins.
But all mothers have at least one thing in common…
They all want the best possible lives for their children. They want their little ones to be happy and healthy, and that starts by giving mothers the right nutrition while babies are still in the womb. That’s why providing prenatal vitamins to women in countries like Cameroon, Madagascar and India is yet another important part of Vitamin Angels’ mission.
Even after they are born, infants in these parts of the world continue to depend on their mothers for nourishment. Healthy moms who take their vitamins are more likely to produce healthy breast milk for their babies!
How You Can Help Us Help Vitamin Angels
Sometimes huge global problems, like world hunger and undernourishment, seem insurmountable. How can we ever take on such an issue?
Well, we can’t alone. But the people at Vitamin Angels hope that together we can. They partner with charities that are already working to make a difference all around the world by providing those charities with the supplements they need in their communities.
Vitamin Angels also relies on major retailers, supplement manufacturers and smaller natural health stores, like Natural Healthy Concepts, for product donation and financial support.
But it all starts with people like you!
Here’s how you can play a role in spreading holiday cheer as well as good health all over the world this year…
Every time you purchase one of types of products that Vitamin Angels provides to people in need, Natural Healthy Concepts will set aside a portion of that sale to donate to their efforts. We’ll continue collecting donations through the months of November and December 2015!
That means doing your part to help fight hidden hunger is as easy as remembering to take your own vitamins.
Whenever you order Vitamin A online, you’ll be helping. Whenever you order prenatal supplements online, you’ll be helping. Whenever you order any women’s multivitamins or men’s multivitamins from Natural Healthy Concepts – you’ll be helping those in need..
We’re optimistic that we’ll be able to send a nice big check to Vitamin Angels when January 2016 rolls around.
Thank you in advance for helping us support Vitamin Angels this holiday season!
More About Vitamin Angels
- Website: Visit VitaminAngels.org to learn more about their mission and efforts
- Social Media: Like them on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Check them out on Tumblr.
- Get Involved: Find out more about what you can do here – http://www.vitaminangels.org/individuals
Image Credits:
- Featured Image – hdptcar via Flickr Creative Commons
- Peruvian Children – Alex Proimos via Flickr Creative Commons
- Gambia Mother & Child – Mishimoto via Flickr Creative Commons
- Indian Children – sandeepachetan via Flickr Creative Commons
