I am very disappointed with Food for the Hungry. We have been faithful donors for over a decade, and recently after falling on very difficult financial circumstances and after prayer, we made the decision to cancel our sponsorship. Yet Food for the Hungry was angry with us and refused our calls, instead of appreciating the years of sponsorship we contributed to their charity. We will NEVER donate to Food for the Hungry once we are financially able to sponsor another child. I am appalled that they call themselves Christians - this is not the way Christians are to treat one another, grace should have been given. Additionally, whenever our sponsored child left the program there was zero notification to us - Food for the Hungry just reassigned our funds, as if the relationship to our sponsored child didn't matter. Do not give to Food for the Hungry - take your donations elsewhere.
I’m sorry but your website doesn’t work!! It is the hardest thing to navigate! I keep trying to change my banking info so I can continue to support but I CANT and I am so frustrated!!!
Review from Guidestar
I truly enjoy having the opportunity to partner with FH, and would like to reiterate how very thankful I am for Food for the Hungry and the many ways it ministers the love of Christ to impoverished children and families all over the world. It's truly a blessing to me and I feel so fortunate to be apart of this organization that represents the body of Christ!
Review from Guidestar
Please beware of "Tuk," the head of the Global Kingdom Network for Food for the Hungry International. He is a sexual predator and abuser. If you go to one of his small groups or go to him for individual prayer, he will never stop stalking you and leave you alone. He will also psychologically abuse you to try to normalize his abuse and shame you into silence. His "deliverance" techniques are abusive and harmful. If you try to break rank with him and his abuse to heal, he won't let you and will further religiously and spiritually traumatize and abuse you.
FHIF is the international branch of FH. Both organizations claim the same founder and previous overlapping history. FHIF does not have a way to leave a review, but I feel it is very important others be warned so as to not experience abuse.
We've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the girl we chose to sponsor through this organization—it's been an absolute joy and blessing for our entire family. Food for the Hungry has provided us with so many great ways to connect and watch her grow these past few years, and are excited to see what the Lord has in store for her future.
Review from Guidestar
We have been blessed to be able to support two children growing up in Africa through the FFTH program. Getting to know these children, see their development and provide financial support and encouragement is improving their lives and communities. We encourage anyone reading this review to get involved in helping and serving others as Jesus did. God Bless!
Review from Guidestar
For as long as I've known about Food for the Hungry (7 years or more), I've always heard amazing stories about the work that they do to empower people in poverty. I trust Food for the Hungry (FH) as an organization with a fantastic guiding ethos -- they treat people with dignity and help them to change their own lives through meaningful projects based on the true needs. The FH staff I know are truly passionate about their work and do an amazing job of sharing their story, faith motivation, and the philosophy behind the poverty work that they do.
I would give FH five stars, except that I believe the work that they do and the way that they fundraise in emails are inconsistent. I wish that the philosophy they have of treating people with dignity and following beauty, goodness, and truth would be expressed in their fundraising appeals. I will continue giving because I believe in their mission, but sometimes their marketing makes me feel like they will say anything to get my money.
I sponsor a little girl in Kenya with FH and the entire experience has been such a blessing. FH is one of the most well-respected Christian orgs out there, and they have a graduation model so that communities can rise out of poverty. That's sustainable development--not like some orgs which can stay in a community forever! Through child sponsorship I get regular and timely correspondence, sometimes fridge magnets/bookmarks as reminders to pray for her, and more importantly a personal relationship.
I am saddened by the change this organization has taken. I have seen teams spend their hard earned time and money (months of fundraising) and travel to remote areas of Nicaragua only to be left at a cheap motel with no running water, overflowing toilets, and unclean conditions. Then the teams coordinator left the group on their own (they did not speak Spanish and could not communicate) and would not answer his phone. The team had a plan for activities in the community, which they spent time preparing. But the teams coordinator had a totally different agenda Not only did he not provide the needed schedule or help to organize events, he never showed up in the community. To make matters worse, the team was forced to go somewhere they didn't want to go (they had been there several times before) on their "day away" because the teams coordinator and country director wouldn't give them permission to go anywhere else. FH really dropped the ball on this one. And it is walking away from its original vision. It takes advantage of team members, and all it sees are dollar signs.
Review from Guidestar
My church has had a partnership with Food for the Hungry for more than 10 years, partnering with them in two communities in Peru. I have had the privilege of going on two short-term missions trips to these communities. Food for the Hungry uses staff from in the country to work daily in the communities. These workers are amazing in their ability to work on developing the whole person and improve the lives of the community members. They are also careful to avoid fostering dependency and have an exit strategy once the goals of the community have been reached.
Review from CharityNavigator
I spent 2 weeks in Rwanda with Food for the Hungry. We worked in a small village building a home for a woman with health issues (HIV) and her children. She was chosen by the village, not by FFH, FFH hires many locals to work directly with recipients. They empower the locals and do not push their agendas, instead are cooperative and inclusionary. I currently sponsor a child from the village where I work. I saw first hand what my money does for her, and I know the FHH staffer who writes update reports. I would highly recommend sponsoring a child if you can't volunteer or give a large amount.
Over 94% of this charity's funds are used directly for program expenses - the highest I have seen among its class. Their Gift Catalog is extensive, from giving farm tools, to seeds, to goats, to school supplies, to water and medicine. All very practical and tangible ways to impact a life. I like their Poverty180 program where you choose among 4 programs to support and just give $9 a month (really?? JUST $9??? Yes!) and get quarterly updates of how your money is changing a life or a village! And they have recently been recognized by the USAID as a valuable partner in the African drought crisis and receiving grants which multiply your donation 10 times so you get (or give) more bang for your buck. Oh and the best part of all, they are faith based and do it all in Christ's name with the intent of spreading the Gospel through their relief work. There's really NOTHING more I could look for in a charity!
Review from CharityNavigator