OKLAHOMA CITY, March 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Many Americans take clean water for granted, but you might be surprised to learn that nearly one-third of people – nearly 2.2 billion – around the world don't have access to safe drinking water. And, at a time in history when we're still fighting a global pandemic, the importance of clean water has become even more evident. That's why Feed the Children is celebrating World Water Day in hope of bringing awareness to this critical issue.

The nonprofit recognizes the importance of access to clean water and works with corporate and community partners across the U.S. and in nine countries around the world to help maintain access to this vital resource. 

In the U.S., Feed the Children works with partners such as Niagara Bottling to ensure families have access to clean water – especially following natural disasters. In 2020 alone, Niagara Bottling donated 90 semi-truck loads of its bottled water to aid the nonprofit's disaster relief efforts. Other partners who supply water for Feed the Children's work in the U.S. include Nestle Waters, Hint Water, Safeway, Waiakea Water, CVS and Taste Nirvana.

Feed the Children's water and sanitation intervention in communities across El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, the Philippines, Tanzania and Uganda are crucial in protecting children and their families from the illnesses caused by waterborne diseases, which can often be fatal – especially for children under the age of five. The nonprofit focuses on improving access to safe and clean water for parents and children and encourages the adoption of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices through child-focused community development programs.

As COVID-19 was spread through communities around the world, Feed the Children's international teams increased their emphasis on the importance of handwashing and, in several communities, established extra handwashing stations.

Last year, Feed the Children promoted WASH practices to nearly 13,000 children to keep them healthy. The nonprofit's health and water program impacted more than 391,000 children and caregivers in the communities where the organization works.

With help from corporate partner P&G, the nonprofit distributed 1.3 million point-of-use water purification packets in 2020 alone. These were used to help maintain access to clean, safe water in international communities where it isn't always readily available.

While Feed the Children's work to support vulnerable children and families continues, it cannot be done alone. To learn how you can help make a difference, visit feedthechildren.org.

About Feed the Children

At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in nine countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships. Every dollar given goes eight times as far to provide food, hope, dignity and comfort.

For more information, visit feedthechildren.org 

 

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SOURCE Feed the Children