We've found that the most effective way to communicate love to a family is to bring help directly to their homes. At CHF, we give 20 pound boxes full of nutritious foods called Food Paks® which volunteers use as relationship-building tools. This strategy puts love into action and provides ongoing relief and hope for the future.

Imagine you are a grandmother. Your daughter has made some wrong choices and now she is unable to care for your 3 grandchildren. Being a loving grandma, you take them in and care for them. Your pension and social security are meant to pay your bills and feed you, but with 3 growing children under your roof, those checks only stretch so far. Soon, you're forced to choose between paying rent or buying groceries. You become desperate and take any job you can. Despite your failing health, you work long hours to keep food on the table and your grandchildren in your home.

Now imagine you hear a knock on the door. Fearing that it may be another bill collector, you hesitate, but you reluctantly go to the door and open it.

There, on your porch, stands a couple holding a large box of food, and they want to give it to you.

This situation is more common than many of us might imagine. We've all been in a place in our lives where we need someone else to come alongside us and help us past a difficult challenge. This is exactly what Children's Hunger Fund does through our Food Pak program. The Food Pak is a unique tool designed to open doors into the lives of poor families where they can be served more completely.