Lunches for Learning

Organization

Lunches for Learning, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2004 and incorporated in 2005 by Ron Hicks. Lunches for Learning, Inc. is also listed as an incorporated entity in the republic of Honduras, where it predominantly operates. The scope of the Lunches for Learning program is to help break the cycle of poverty in rural Honduras by providing nutrition and nutritional supplements to the impoverished children in public schools and kindergartens. The primary objective of the program is to permit children, who would otherwise have to leave school to seek food, to attend school and receive a basic six-grade academic education (adequate in exponentially increasing the chances of a decent future above the poverty level for an individual in Honduras). Lunches for Learning provides and supplements a daily lunch for elementary school children by utilizing the cooperative efforts of individual contributors, corporate sponsorship, and the government of Honduras. Currently, the Lunches for Learning program accommodates 29 schools and 1,700 children. In the US, L4L's operations are predominantly staffed by volunteers under the leadership of an Executive Director. In Honduras, L4L employs local Honduran citizens who provide essential management and administration of their program in country. Both volunteers and employees in Honduras and the US are dedicated individuals, working efficiently to keep administrative and logistical costs low so that more hungry children can be fed. In addition to its main goal, Lunches for Learning also helps build kitchens and assists World Food Program (WFP) transport legumes, corn, rice, and cooking oil necessary for producing meals.

Board of Directors

Craig Simons, Chairman: As a graduate Electrical Engineer, Craig began his career in Technical Product Development, ultimately leading to a 20-year career in Sales Management for a fortune 500 technology company. More recently he partnered with his wife, becoming COO of their Healthcare Recruiting & Staffing firm. Presently, Craig is active as an investor, coach, teacher and volunteer. He is a leader in his church, an active Rotarian, a leader in a Job Networking Ministry, and community supporter.

Terry Taylor, Vice-Chairman:Mr. Taylor is the founder and President of Tight Line Drywall and Exteriors a construction firm located in Marietta Georgia. He has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry previously holding the position as Director of Sales for USG Corporation. He has lived in many parts of the country, moving from the west coast, to the mid-west to the south for various corporate career opportunities. In 1997 he moved his young family to Marietta Georgia where he assumed the role of Director of sales for North American Industrial products. In 2004 he began his entrepreneurial career investing in Tight Line.

Terry has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He has a passion for faith based mission work, and is active in his community and church. He currently sits on the board for Roswell Rotary and Lunches for Learning.

Art Walsh, Secretary:Mr. Walsh recently retired from full time employment but continues to provide consulting services to a few clients. He was a senior executive with more than 40 years’ experience involving consulting, senior operating roles, project management, start-up/IPO management, M&A activities and divestitures. He has a strong background in finance and accounting, corporate governance, human resources management, information systems, office services, facilities management, cost management, legal matters and contract administration. Mr. Walsh also helped form a 501 (c)(3) organization and initially held the Treasurer position on the Board. Mr. Walsh has also been very active in Roswell United Methodist Church, having served on the Finance Committee, the Grow Committee as a member and Chairperson, the Board of Stewards, the Space Allocation Committee and the Golf Committee. Mr. Walsh currently is a member of the Pastor Parish Relations Committee.

Mr. Walsh graduated magna cum laude with a BBA in Accounting from Georgia State University.

Jeff Bohman, Vice President and Treasurer: Vice President and partner with the consulting affiliate of Wilson Price, a large accounting firm in Alabama. With more than 20 years of combined business and IT experience, Mr. Bohman provides leadership in areas of financial integrity, operation infrastructure, and administration of L4L.

Linda M. Browder, Director: Ms. Browder recently retired from Warren Averett CPA and Advisors where she was the Regional Director of Warren Averett Staffing & Recruiting. She is the former Human Resources Director of the Montgomery Advertiser, former Senior Human Resources Manager for MacMillan Bloedel (now Weyerhaeuser), and also served as the Human Resources Director at Vaughan Regional Medical Center.

She is the immediate Past President of the Montgomery Capital Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. She is a past member of Business Networking International and the Business Council for Troy University. Ms. Browder is the former President of the Society for Human Resources Management Montgomery Chapter and is currently serving as the Foundation Chairman. She is the former Board President of the Family Guidance Center of Alabama. Ms. Browder is a magna cum laude graduate of University of Southern Colorado and received her Masters’ degree from the Troy University Executive program.

Jacque Digieso, Director:Mrs. Digieso is a retired educator, who was raised in a military family and traveled her whole life. She began her education at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia and earned her doctorate from Century University in New Mexico. Jacque’s teaching career began in Bangkok, Thailand where she was introduced to an extremely diverse student body. Her professional growth has focused on individual learning styles, successful techniques for teaching diverse learners and creating environments that were both nurturing and challenging. In 1985 her husband Joe, an executive turned teacher, founded The Cottage School, for teens with learning disabilities where she served as Executive director until July 2015.

Her passion for education quickly brought her into the world of community service. She’s served on boards for learning disabilities, youth, church, independent schools, charitable organizations, chambers of commerce and international service organizations and continues to serve on the Board of Directors for The Cottage School, and as an accreditation agent for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). She serves Rotary International as a Past President of Roswell Rotary Club, and current Awards Chair for RI District 6900.

Steve Gulledge, Director: Mr. Gulledge is the founder of Continental Brokerage Corporation, which has been a leader in volume beef sales for over 34 years. He is a graduate of Florida State University. Mr. Gulledge became interested in Lunches for Learning after hearing Ron Hicks' presentation at a Rotary Club meeting. Having seen the need during business trips to Honduras, Mr. Gulledge is helping the children at Jose Trinidad Reyes Elementary take advantage of their educational opportunities by sponsoring their school.

Kristi Holzimmer, Director: Ms. Holzimmer is chief manager of a real estate-related business, Central Alabama Title Center, LLC, which is owned by a consortium of Alabama Banks. Ms. Holzimmer is a founding member of Lunches for Learning and brings over 25 years of combined business experience in the areas of management, marketing and business development to Lunches for Learning.

Rudiger Lind, Director: Mr. Lind was born in Germany, lived in Mexico for 7 years and served 5 years in the US Air Force. After leaving the Air Force Rudy became a flight instructor and a Delta Airlines pilot. After retiring he has become very active in his church, Episcopal Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Marietta, GA and the Rotary Club of Roswell where he has headed numerous committees. Since 2014, Rudy regularly travels to Honduras to visit the schools and to assist in keeping the sponsors informed of the happenings at the schools they support. He likes to travel, hike and does several triathlons each year.

Rudy serves as Director of Honduran Operations with Lunches for Learning.

Armando McCormick, Director: Mr. McCormick is co-owner and General Sales and Custom Relations Manager in a family business, Grupo Mccos, that started in Honduras as a courier service in 1996, but has expanded to a logistics company that sees to custom services for personal and corporate clients. Mr. McCormick is a charter member of the Villa Real De Tegucigalpa Rotary Club. He volunteers as a board member of the Alternativas y Oportunidades (nonprofit) since 2014 and the Fundación Uniendo America (microcredit-nonprofit) since 2015.

Ace Necaise, Director: Mr. Necaise has served as a member of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, D'Iberville Chamber of Commerce, member of NRECA's T & D Engineering Underground Subcommittee (past Secretary and past President), and a Director of Chemical Abuse Prevention Services in Jackson County, MS. Mr. Necaise has been involved in Rotary International for almost 30 years starting with the Rotary Club of Gautier, MS where he was club president in 2003-2004. He was Rotarian of the Year for his club in 2008. He served as an Assistant Governor for District 6840 from 2004 to 2007, and was Rotarian of the Year for District 6840 in 2004-2005.

Bill Rivers,Director: Mr. Rivers graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Pharmacy. He spent forty-two years as a registered pharmacist in both retail pharmacy and pharmacy management. He is an active member of Roswell United Methodist Church.

Mr. Rivers serves as Chair of the Governance Committee of Lunches for Learning.

Staff

Phil Dodson, Executive Director, United States: Phil joined the Lunches for Learning team as Executive Director in April 2016 after serving as Development Director for North Georgia Camp & Retreat Ministries in Atlanta for the past 10 years. As a 1986 graduate of LaGrange College in LaGrange, GA, Phil began his career in higher education, serving three different colleges in the Admission and Financial Aid arena. In 1997, he transitioned to the credit and financial services industry where he served in several Client Relations roles before returning to the nonprofit sector in 2006 with North Georgia Camp and Retreat Ministries.

Mary Lou Monaghan, Operations Administrator, United States: Mary Lou (ML) joined the Lunches for Learning team as Operations Administrator in March 2015 after serving as a Senior Manager, Government Affairs and Association Manager at National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) for 16 years. ML earned her Business Management degree from University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and University of West Florida in Pensacola.

Fernado Ortiz, Manager of Honduran Operations: Born and raised in Nacaome, Honduras, Fernando Ortiz currently serves as General Manager of the Honduras Operations. Mr. Ortiz studied in Tegucigalpa and received a degree as a CPA from the Instituto Central Vicente Caceres, a prestigious university in Honduras.

Jessica Gonzales, Manager of Government & External Relations: Jessica studied at Jose Cecilio del Valle University in Tegucigalpa. Jessica attended elementary school at the Andrea Gonzalez Elementary School in El Amatillo, which is the very first school in the Lunches for Learning school lunch program. Jessica has worked with Lunches for Learning over the years in a variety of capacities, which include translating during business appointments and administrative duties. Jessica understands first-hand how important Lunches for Learning is for the children in Honduras and is so proud to be part of this amazing program that is helping the children of Honduras to have a better future.

Origin

In 2004, while on a trip in Central America, waiting for a border crossing between El Salvador and Honduras, Ron Hicks experienced first-hand a multitude of poverty stricken children. A little girl who just happened to make eye contact while begging for money became the catalyst for a series of choices made by Hicks.

That day, he chose to turn away. Hicks returned to the United States, still struggling with his choice to turn her away. He began to think about what to do. He concluded that his only choice on this day was to return to Honduras and cross the border in the same location, and try to find this little girl. He didn’t know yet how he could help her, but he was determined to find a way. After a great deal of effort, he located the little girl and her family living in a small shack in El Amatillo, Honduras. He spoke with the family and the little girl through an interpreter and soon learned that the families in this rural town were also faced with a choice.

Hicks's serendipitous discovery revealed that the choice these parents had to make was between sending their children to the streets to beg for money so they could buy food or to send them to school for an education and hope for the future, but with an empty stomach because there was not enough money for food. So an idea was born. If these children could be provided with meals every school day while they attended school, then these children would not be sent into the harsh and unforgiving streets to beg for a meager existence. The Lunches for Learning program was created in 2004 and incorporated in 2005 and with it, a tradition of hope, empowerment, and dignity arose. Support for the program has continued since the initial idea's conception, and amidst the global recession Lunches for Learning as still adequately managed to not only remain in existence, but grow.

Mission

Lunches for Learning exists to help break the cycle of poverty by providing a school meal and nutritional supplements to all the children in very poor public schools and kindergartens within the Republic of Honduras. It costs approximately $0.50 per day to feed one child a nutritious meal each day of the school year. In the schools where the Lunches for Learning program has been implemented, the results have been outstanding. All of the community children are coming to school to receive a meal, as well as the priceless gift of education and knowledge. It has been demonstrated that those children who receive at least an elementary school education in Honduras are at far better odds in respect to the prospect of receiving a better-paying job and consequentially end the cycle of poverty.

Growth

The Lunches for Learning program started with 84 children in 1 school. Since 2004, the L4L Organization has grown to sponsor 29 schools and accommodate over 1,700 children.

The facts

For every one school that gets chosen to participate in the Lunches for Learning program, five more are awaiting the opportunity to be selected as a part of the L4L program in the Valle Province alone. Without prompting from L4L, twelve surrounding schools have already submitted a formal request to be considered for participation in Lunches for Learning's lunch program. The Board of Directors for Lunches for Learning is committed to adding schools only when there is a prudent expectation that the program can support the school over the long term and produce consistent results. The Board of Directors is also aware that current program sponsors/contributors expect their donations to benefit the children in the most timely manner as possible.

Sponsored schools

The "Schools" section of the Lunches for Learning website provides an interactive GPS map with geographically accurate map-points in which all L4L program-sponsored schools are shown, number of students, along with their current community (see www.lunchesforlearning.org).