Riverfund, Inc.

<div> <strong>Florida - Feed Everyone<br /></strong>We are facing an uphill battle in a down economy to help feed our neighbors in a poor community near Florida&#8217;s wealthy Atlantic coast. Before, most clients were middle-aged and older men. New clients are young men, laid off con-struction workers, and older women who have lost their jobs; we also see more families and women with young children. From a small wood church, our all-volunteer organization runs a pan-try serving 250 people each month and a group meal program feeding about 800 people per month. Yearly events include Back to School, which provides school supplies for 800 local chil-dren, and Christmas Dinner, which offers a holi-day meal and a gift to 600 men, women and chil-dren. We participate in the Association of Letter Carriers annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.</div><div><strong>UGANDA - NORTHERN REGION<br /></strong>Our recent visit to the River Fund Women's Association of Kitgum found an organized structure of four groups presenting educa-tional workshops on HIV/AIDS Long Term Survival Skills to the villages of the 2 local districts. Along with their presentation, they weigh and measure infants for malnu-trition and give special nutritional counsel-ing to mothers. Future plans are to expand the Survival Skills workshops to 20 more villages within their travel range, and to add cooperative kitchen gardens and micro-financing to the program. Funds are needed for transport, umbrellas and rain-coats for travel in the rainy season, and seeds to share with workshop participants.</div><div><strong>UGANDA - EASTERN REGION</strong><br />Our partner in East Uganda since 2002, The Rayland Rural Development Organization , is teaching HIV/AIDS Long Term Survival Skills in school workshops and with support groups for HIV+ persons. They are also working to empower women through micro financing, craft making and cooperative farming projects. Children are provided with uniforms and school fees, the elderly and infirm with basic needs, and the HIV+ with counseling. They are also working with child headed households in goat raising, school and agriculture. Members with disabilities are speaking in schools and other forums to teach people with disabilities about their rights and abilities. Everyone is re-ceiving training in best practices for HIV pre-vention, nutrition, and sanitation.</div><div><strong>INDIA&#8212;LITTLE HEARTS<br /></strong>A River Fund volunteer&#8217;s post Tsunami trip to India led to our support of Little Hearts Or-phanage in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, a region with a high rate of HIV infection. In India, children orphaned by AIDS have little chance of obtaining an education and getting access to healthcare. Children are often turned away from schools, clinics and even orphanages because they or their family members are HIV+. Little Hearts is now home to 43 children, ages 3-14, with a goal of accommodating more orphans and abandoned children. Cur-rently, we are able to support this project for just $16,000 a year. Additionally, the project works to bring awareness about HIV/AIDS to the youth and adults of Nellore District .</div>