The Hunger Relief Fund for North Korea is a San Francisco Bay Area grassroots organization, started in 1996 and comprised of students, professionals, and community workers who volunteer their time and energy to raise donations for this urgent cause.

100% of the money they raise goes toward earmarked North Korean famine relief programs, not toward overhead. Donations are sent through these highly respected humanitarian agencies:

• American Friends Service Committee
• International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

A proven track record

Thanks to generous sponsorship from individuals, companies and foundations, the Hunger Relief Fund for North Korea has raised more than $103,000 since last spring to buy food supplies for hungry children in North Korea facing malnutrition, starvation, and disease. Last year, the Hunger Relief Fund sponsored a nationwide fast in which hundreds of people around the country participated and made donations.

Acting globally and locally: Our "Double Cropping" initiative

"Double Cropping" is an effort that links fundraising for North Korean hunger relief with volunteer work to address hunger in our local communities. Since last Thanksgiving, groups of volunteers have put in scores of hours, helping out at soup kitchens and food banks in San Francisco, Oakland, and elsewhere. Participants have been seeking sponsors for their volunteer hours, and those donations are then sent to aid famine relief in North Korea.

Spring 2000: Commitment to Improving Agricultural Productivity

In December 1999, the United Nations renewed its appeal for international aid for North Korea, stating that the crisis had eased but was by no means over and requesting US $331.7 million in donations from member countries for North Korean relief this year. The UN coordinators for relief reported that this year's grain shortfall is likely to amount to about 1.3 million tons, and that homes, schools, and hospitals have little heating. Pope John Paul II, in a March 2000 meeting with South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, also called for the international community to respond to the North Korean need. The Hunger Relief Fund for North Korea remains committed to this issue, in particular as interest fades. This spring, our Double Cropping efforts will raise funds that will go entirely to improving the agricultural capacities in North Korea. We will be raising money for AFSC's shipments of farm supplies as well as their efforts to identify systematic methods to maintain soil quality with fewer chemical inputs. By supporting AFSC's ongoing project, we help to ensure that the money we raise is used productively -- AFSC is investing in North Korea's self-sufficiency. We have planned Double Cropping events for both April 15 and April 29, 2000, in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can join us either by volunteering at the food banks, or by sponsoring the efforts of our volunteers.

For more information

Contact Hunger Relief Fund for North Korea volunteers by phone (510-645-9678) or email. Our mailing address is 65 Ninth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (c/o AFSC).