A few weeks ago I wrote a letter to the founders of Visalus Sciences:
Dear Ryan, Blake and Nick,
My son just got home from Sunday School where he spent the morning filling plastic zip lock bags with food for the Food Connection's Backpack Program for our city's kids who are most at risk of hunger. He filled bags with cranberries, granola bars, tomato soup, juice boxes, applesauce, top ramen, and instant oatmeal. I have heard the hints that Visalus is starting some kind of initiative to help children around the world with hunger. Listening to my son, I could not help but think of how wonderful it would be to have healthy Visalus products as part of these backpacks.

Just last week, I discovered that my hope has been realized. Visalus launched a community challenge to provide 100,000 meals to children at risk of hunger by the end of this year. In 2010, 1,000,000. The various visalus teams throughout the US can choose where they want the meals to go. My team has chosen the St. Leo's Food Connection Backpack Program.

The St. Leo Food Connection distributes backpacks of food on Fridays throughout the school year to 330 students at eight Tacoma Public Schools who are at risk of hunger over the weekends. The lack of nutrition in these young bodies can have life long consequences.

Our goal is to provide a Vi-Shake nutritional shake mix to each child for each day that they do not have school. The Vi-Shake will provide them with 26 vitamins and minerals as well as protein and fiber. Visalus has cut the cost of the Vi-Shake to $24.00 for this program. They have also committed to match every donation. That means that for just $24.00 you can provide 60 meals to the backpack program! For more information go to www.kare4ourkids.com and click on Community Challenge