Although not a "guitarist interview," Six String Soul speaks with Tim Kunin of The Hunger Site. Along with his partner Greg Hesterberg, Tim is the owner and operator of The Hunger Site and related sites The Breast Cancer Site, The Child Health Site, The Literacy Site, The Rainforest Site, and The Animal Rescue Site. Originally launched in June 1999, The Hunger Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need: the eradication of world hunger. Long-time friends and activists Kunin and Hesterberg bought The Hunger Site in mid-August of 2001. On average, over 220,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the "give free food" button and help feed the hungry. The staple food funded by The Hunger Site is paid for by site sponsors and is distributed to those in need by Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest. Funds are split between these organizations and go to the aid of hungry people in over 74 countries, including those in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America. You SSS readers can well imagine how much your help is needed to feed the hungry in Asia right now, so don't forget to click daily on www.thehungersite.com and its sister sites!
Get to Know the Hunger Site
SSS: According to the info on the site, The Hunger Site was not your idea originally. You bought it in 2001. Who started the Hunger Site and why and how did you guys enter into the picture?
Tim: A computer programmer from Indiana got the idea of using the Internet to show ads which would pay for feeding the hungry. He started The Hunger Site in 1999, and sold it to GreaterGood.com, an Internet shopping portal which was one of his advertisers, in early 2000 after it had grown so much that he could no longer keep up with it. We purchased GreaterGood in August 2001 and have concentrated on expanding the click-to-give charity sites.
SSS: And when and how did the other websites develop?
Tim: GreaterGood developed The Rainforest Site and The Breast Cancer Site in 2000. We launched the Child Health Site in 2001, The Animal Rescue Site in 2002, and The Literacy Site in 2004.
SSS: What drives you to run these websites?
The Hunger Site
Tim: This is the most interesting job I ever had. I work on issues that are important to me with a group of very talented people. We have been able to raise lots of money and increase the visibility of our charity partners. We directly source fair-trade products from all over the world to provide third world artisan producers an ability to sell products in the first world. We allow our clickers to help heal the world for free by giving 100% of sponsor advertising to our charity partners, and help our shoppers find gifts that mean more, because we pay a royalty to a charity with each product sold from our sites.
SSS: It seems to me every caring human being with a computer should have The Hunger Site as their starter page when they go on the Internet. What are you doing to increase awareness of these websites? Any wild plans like, for example, Ben & Jerry's ice cream promoting The Hunger Site on their tubs?
Tim: Great idea. Do you know someone at Ben and Jerry's we should call? The traffic on our sites is a testament to the people who click and tell their friends. We don't buy ads, although we do sell them as a way for companies to use their ad budgets to help make the world a better place. 100% of all sponsor ads are paid to our charity partners to help feed people, or provide mammograms, or purchase rain forest land, or care for animals in shelters, or provide kids their first book, or provide medical care to children.
SSS: There's a lot of cynicism these days, and sometimes justifiably so. Not all humanitarian aid reaches its destination, unfortunately. Your websites exist because of corporate sponsorship. That will make some people suspicious and reassure others. It seems almost too good to be true to be able to help with a free click a day. What can you tell people to reassure them they can actually make a difference and that their daily clicks will help get the food, mammograms, medicines, books, and trees where they need to be?
Tim: We work very hard to find great charities to partner with. The charities are required by contract to use it to provide the food, books, mammograms, etc. specified by the site. We provide ads and links to our charity partners so that our clickers can check that we continue to make our quarterly payments, and also can help by giving directly to the charity. Clicking is a way to help, but it will not feed all of the world's hungry. We have to do more. Both individuals and nations need to help. We need to provide markets for third world products, and income to third world farmers. The governments of the first world need to help with the infrastructure needs of the third world. Everyone deserves clean water.
SSS: We currently have a tsunami crisis of the greatest magnitude on our hands. What percentage of the food staples paid for by The Hunger Site is being diverted toward tsunami relief and will this not be at the expense of other areas in the world where food is desperately needed as well? How is the food divided in the most equal manner possible?
Tim: As a result of this disaster, all funds Mercy Corps receives from The Hunger Site through March 31, with the exception of a specific royalty paid to Darfur refugees based on the sale of our cultivate peace bracelet, will be used to provide relief in the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Although aid will be needed for years, it is our belief that money provided now will prevent more people from dying and up to two million people from falling into poverty because of the destruction of their livelihood. We are also selling coffee from Sumatra, and sourcing additional products from Sri Lanka and India. Starting April 1, we'll go back to providing seeds for low income farmers and funding food distribution in multiple countries. We made the decision to earmark funds for tsunami relief based on the scope of this disaster. Money given to America's Second Harvest to provide food to the hungry in the United States has not been diverted to South Asia. The money received from sponsorships on other sites continues to be used for mammograms, books, etc. but we are trying to find a premier sponsor on Child Health who would double the click value to provide tsunami relief for the thousands of children affected.
SSS: Your objective is to end world hunger. What in your view is needed to achieve this goal and do you believe we will see the end of world hunger someday?
Tim: If a small fraction of the money and talent spent developing weapons of war were spent on providing clean water, adequate nutrition, and vaccines for preventable disease we could dramatically reduce poverty and misery. We need to view our choices in that context. The US response to the Asian disaster which killed over 150,000 people and left 5 million homeless is less than what we are spending every few days in Iraq. The Hunger Site is committed to cultivating peace.
SSS: Can we expect any new websites besides the five you're already running?
Tim: We are hoping to develop other sites, but are looking for long-term sponsors who can fund them.
SSS: Are you or will you be involved in any other activities besides The Hunger Site and related sites?
Tim: I really enjoy wilderness canoeing. In 2002, I paddled one of the rivers in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I would be willing to help protect this area from oil development.
SSS: How much experience do you have with the various communities that you are helping? All cultures are unique. How have the various cultures responded to your aid?
Tim: I have traveled widely, with recent trips to Thailand and Peru to source products for sale on our sites. We import products from over 80 countries including 22 in Africa, (the only continent which is poorer today than it was 20 years ago). We are committed to promoting trade as well as aid, because it has more long-term impact. I'm very proud of the exclusive products we have sourced from Burmese refugee groups, and Zambian basket weavers. We work closely with Aid to Artisans in sourcing and selling third world products.
SSS: Are you a musician yourselves?
Tim: No, although I can play the bones, (which I learned from Percy Dansforth while in college).
SSS: Six String Soul is an information resource for the conscious guitarist. This is your chance to raise our awareness. What should our readers be more conscious of in the midst of today's growing population and a world of depleting resources?
Tim: There are enough resources in the world to feed everyone. Distribution is key. We need to cultivate peace, and use the money saved from the reduction of conflict to provide food, shelter, and medical care for the people of our planet. Thanks for caring.
SSS: Thank you for your time, and best of luck with your altruistic ventures.
For more information, please visit TheHungerSite.com.
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