MENDOTA ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Come, Share, Grow!

Heifer International's mission is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

Dan West was a farmer from the American Midwest and a member of the Church of the Brethren who went to the front lines of the Spanish Civil War as an aid worker.  His mission was to provide relief, but he soon discovered the meager single cup of milk rationed to the weary refugees once a day wasn't enough.  And then he had a thought: what if they had not a cup, but a cow ?

That "teach a man to fish" philosophy is what drove West to found Heifer International; and now nearly 70 years later, that philospohy still inspires the work to end world hunger & poverty throughout the world once and for all.

How it Works

We empower families to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity -- it's more than giving them a handout.  Heifer links communities and helps bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty.  The animals provide partners with both food and relaible income, as agricultural products such as milki, eggs and honey can be traded or sold at market.  When many families gain this new sustainable income, it brings new opportunities for building schools, creatingagricultural cooperatives, forming community savings and funding small businesses.

The core of the Heifer model is Passing on the Gift.  This means families share the training they receive, and pass on the first female offspring of their livestock to another family.  This extends the impact of the original gift, allowing a once impoverished family to become donors and full participants in improving their communities.  

Go to www.heifer.org for the whole worldwide story.