The Hunger Site Supporters Reach 500,000,000 Cups of Food Funded for the Hungry.

Millions Click to Benefit Leading Hunger Relief Charities

SEATTLE -- The Hunger Site (thehungersite.com), the world's first click-to-give Web site, announced today that its supporters have funded a milestone value of more than 500,000,000 cups of food for the hungry since the site began on June 1, 1999. This innovative site launched during the Internet boom with an ambitious goal to harness the power of the Internet for good, uniting people around the world to form an online community devoted to the eradication of hunger.

The Hunger Site has since become the flagship in a growing family of cause-related Web sites operating as the GreaterGood Network. Anyone with access to a computer is empowered to make a real difference by visiting these do-good sites. The sites connect people to the causes they care about. That goodwill translates to funding for established non-profit organizations that implement vital programs and initiatives.

It is estimated that one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Worldwide, more than 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. The majority of the victims are children under the age of five.

"The tragic truth is that hunger is an entirely avoidable epidemic. There is enough food in the world to feed everyone," said Tim Kunin, co-owner and CEO of The Hunger Site. "Poverty, natural disasters, and conflict are the root causes of famine and malnutrition. Clicking the 'Feed the Hungry' button on The Hunger Site is a way to trade a few seconds of your time to help complete strangers. Because thousands of people click daily, we are able to improve the lives of millions over time."

Kunin continues, "500 million cups of food is progress, but there is more to be done. We need to work to reduce poverty, war, and genocide. Buying products from rural artisans helps also. We are proud to be one of the best places to find meaningful gifts like Tuareg silver from Niger, recycled silk from Nepal, baskets from Zambia, and goats for Rwandan families."

Visitors to The Hunger Site can make a cost-free daily click on the gold "Feed the Hungry" button and automatically generate funding to give over a cup of food to those in need. Sponsors pay for the value of each click, and 100 percent of sponsor advertising fees goes directly to The Hunger Site's non-profit partners, Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest, to benefit the hungry in the U.S. and countries around the globe.

Comments Dan O'Neill, Mercy Corps founder, "Mercy Corps' partnership with The Hunger Site translates into lifesaving assistance for people in tremendous need around the world. When you visit, click, and shop at this unique site, you're making the future a little brighter for families who need food in the world's poorest places."

Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of America's Second Harvest, adds, "We are grateful for the generosity shown by supporters of The Hunger Site. Their compassionate actions continuously strengthen our ability to bring critical assistance to millions of Americans, including nine million children last year alone."

About The Hunger Site (thehungersite.com) & GreaterGood Network

The Hunger Site is the original, flagship Web site in a growing family of cause-related sites operating as the GreaterGood Network. Other sites include The Breast Cancer Site, The Child Health Site, The Animal Rescue Site, The Rainforest Site, and The Literacy Site. Each site is focused on a specific need and allows supporters to benefit leading charities with simple, everyday online actions such as clicking to give and shopping to give more. In addition to sponsor advertising, a portion of every sale in the suite of GreaterGood Network stores goes to charity. Since The Hunger Site launched in June 1999, hundreds of millions of people from around the world have clicked and shopped to make a difference. On average, over 220,000 individuals visit The Hunger Site each day. The charity partners of The Hunger Site are Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest. The Hunger Site is a proud member of the Save Darfur Coalition, and the ONE campaign against poverty.

About Mercy Corps (mercycorps.org)

Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided more than $1 billion in assistance to people in 94 nations. Supported by headquarters offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, the agency's unified global programs employ nearly 3,200 staff worldwide and reach more than 13.5 million people in nearly 40 countries. Over the past five years, more than 90 percent of the agency's resources have been allocated directly to programs that help people in need.

About America's Second Harvest (secondharvest.org)

America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than two billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs and Kids Cafes. Last year, the network provided food assistance to more than 25 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including nearly nine million children and nearly three million seniors.