Community Program Feeds 3,500 People Daily in the Philippines

on April 25, 2024

With almost 45% of the Philippines’ population facing food insecurity, addressing the nutritional needs of affected communities is crucial. That’s why we work with our international office Rise Against Hunger Philippines and in-country impact partners, International Care Ministries and Convoy of Hope, to provide urgent meals for people facing hunger and extend beyond the meal to support real, long-term food security. We collectively serve more than 1.73 million people in the Philippines annually through various programs — including one of the country’s longest-running community feeding programs. In Calauan, Philippines, the Don Bosco Center operated by Salesian Missions serves hot meals to 3,500 people daily. Rise Against Hunger Philippines has supported this program for years, not only providing the meals but also building the center’s kitchen. The kitchen now enables 18 volunteer cooks to prepare and serve the meals during two distribution periods each day.

Rise Against Hunger Philippines meals are served to people of all ages in the community, enabling them to take home food to their families. Of the 3,500 daily recipients, a large percentage are internally displaced people. Many were relocated to the region through the government but faced challenges finding work and, therefore, face food insecurity. Charlotte, Ricardo and John are three of the participants.

Charlotte Grace Tundayag, mother and program participant

28-year-old Charlotte is a mother of three children ranging in age from two to 10 years old. She operates a store and her husband works in Manila, but they sometimes cannot earn enough to address all of their family’s needs. The community feeding program helps alleviate these income gaps by ensuring they have food to feed their family and enables them to allocate money they would have spent on food to other needs. She says, “The feeding program is important because, because of it, we don’t consume too much of our income, because of the breakfast and lunch that the feeding program is giving us.” In addition to alleviating their financial challenges, Charlotte’s children have gained weight and are less frequently sick since they began participating in the program. She is happy to see this, as it supports her hopes for their bright futures. “All I hope for my children is to graduate and to be healthy.”

Ricardo Capistrano, father and program participant

A father of four children, Ricardo used to be employed but then became unable to do his job. He began participating in the community feeding program, with the meals supporting him during financial challenges while he’s unable to work. He now says, “I get my food from the program for more than four years.” He has noticed that the meals have supported his health, noting that he feels good after eating the food he receives from the program.

John, 9-year-old program participant

From a family of seven, John and his four siblings receive nutritious meals at the Don Bosco Center. He’s participated in the feeding program for four years and says, “The food is delicious and satisfying.”At age nine, John is in kindergarten after starting school late due to health issues. But the meals now support his health. “I am energized. I’m getting stronger.” He is able to continue attending school and working toward his dream of becoming a policeman when he grows up.

In addition to operating the feeding program, the Don Bosco Center has a large garden. Three farmers harvest vegetables like eggplant and bottle gourds to sell at local markets. They also sell the crops to the program at a reduced price. This not only supports long-term food security solutions as the farmers generate income to support their families, but it also nourishes the entire community as the produce is added to the program’s meals.

Watch the video below to hear firsthand from Charlotte, Ricardo and John and learn more about how this feeding program supports the health and nutrition of this community. The work to end hunger starts with a meal, and it starts with you! Your support leads to improved health, nutrition and brighter futures for communities — like those in Calauan, Philippines — worldwide. Donate $10 or more today to make a difference and help end hunger across the globe!

Strength, Stability And Hope

The gift that filled Nelly’s table.

“We were yielding very little, and the crops could not sustain us the whole year,” Nelly remembers. As a mother of seven and a farmer with two decades of experience, the stress of inconsistent yields was all-consuming. A poor harvest not only strained her family financially, but also limited their own meals to just two a day. Their story reflects that of many in their fishing and farming village near a lake in the Karonga district of northern Malawi. Here, heavy rainfall makes conventional farming methods nearly impossible. The entire village is, quite literally, saturated in food insecurity — a reality that leaves families struggling to survive season after season without a dependable source of nourishment.

In 2019, Nelly began participating in Harvesting Prosperity and Resilience, a sustainable agriculture project implemented by Rise Against Hunger in partnership with the Foundation for Community Support Services (FOCUS). The project works with 3,100 smallholder farmers in Malawi’s Karonga and Mzimba districts to strengthen food and nutrition security by improving production methods, nutrition practices and household income.

Just one year later, Nelly was ready to expand the variety of crops on her farm. What land once only produced maize began to flourish with sesame, cowpeas, rice and groundnuts during the rainy season (summer), as well as maize and vegetables during the dry season (winter). Through climate-smart agriculture training, she learned new techniques like manure making, pit planting and mulching, crop rotation and intercropping. Equipped with these tools, Nelly’s farm began to thrive.

After the 2023–2024 growing season, she sold enough produce to purchase an ox cart. Her harvests in 2024-2025 season yielded over 500 pounds of crops, including 22 bags of groundnuts, seven bags of maize, 12 tins of sesame and three bags of rice. With this surplus, she was able to invest in a motorbike, which she now uses to transport African doughnuts (mandasi) that she cooks and sells — creating yet another source of income for her family.

The transformation reaches far beyond her finances. Nelly now has the stability to provide for her husband and children. “I am able to eat different food types, pay school fees for my children and fulfill the visions that I have made with my family,” she beams. “I am now sleeping peacefully without any fears of food or paying school fees for the children.”

Her leadership has also grown. Today, Nelly serves as a leader in the Harvesting Prosperity and Resilience project, teaching other farmers in her district to adopt climate-resilient, labor-saving practices. By sharing her knowledge, she is multiplying her impact — empowering her neighbors to experience the same transformation she has achieved.

Across Nelly’s community, food and economic security are on the rise. Lombani, a government extension officer for the region, explains, “I can see the community is being transformed in the sense that in the area, there is food, income and nutrition security. Development is also happening at the household level.”

Nelly reflects on what it means to invest in holistic programs that address the root causes of hunger: “We are now healthy people. Children are going to school after eating their breakfast, having high yields and different types of crops due to conservation agriculture practices. With the support from the project, we have food, and we can access other food items from the market after selling our produce.”

This is the gift that fills: a future full of stability, strength and hope. It fills tables with food, families with security and communities with the resources to thrive. It’s an investment in futures rooted in resilience and hope.