Our History
Food for the Hungry was founded in 1971 by Dr. Larry Ward. His dream was to create an organization solely dedicated to ending hunger. Our early years emphasized emergency relief and refugee assistance. His compassion for the hungry and poor was captured in his frequent exhortation, "people die one at a time, we can save them one a time".
In 1980, Food for the Hungry became an international organization, registered in Geneva, Switzerland. During the 1980's, FHI expanded its programs to development and the number of countries served.
In the 1990's, FHI created its definition of success at a community level, called "Vision of Community". This is a community-led process that enables communities to become sustainable and keep growing without long-term assistance.
In 2006, FHI multiplied into two groups under the same mission: FH and FHIF. FHIF was created with a decentralized management style. The FH association maintained a more centralized style of management. Members from both groups continue to collaborate with one another.
Today, FHIF members have grown dramatically to serve over 80 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas.