According to the United Nations, over 820 million people are undernourished globally. That unfathomable number does not just exist in theory; many of these people live in our own communities in the United States. They are our neighbors.

Driven to help, Vitamin Alliance, a Pennsylvania 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded to alleviate malnutrition among Pittsburgh’s most vulnerable communities by distributing vitamins and supplements through the already existing networks present in local food banks and shelters.

According to Map the Meal Gap hunger statistics, food insecurity plagues the United States, Pennsylvania and Allegheny County. The City of Pittsburgh has the greatest percentage of food insecurity. While vitamins cannot replace healthy, fulfilling food, they will lessen the impact of malnutrition by supplementing meals with essential vitamins and supplements that individuals lack in their diet.