Food Aid: The American Red Cross provides food aid to people in short-term, acute need primarily during emergency situations. This type of intervention provides temporary safety net assistance. Beneficiaries may include:

• disaster and war-affected victims
• refugees and internally displaced persons
• other vulnerable groups, e.g. elderly, malnourished children, orphans, single-headed households, disabled and unemployed individuals

Food Security: American Red Cross food security programs assist people with long-term, chronic need who are living in persistent poverty or environmental instability. These longer-term programs help people regain their ability to feed themselves and their families. Beneficiaries may include:

• malnourished children and their mothers who lack food and the knowledge of good nutrition practices
• people suffering from life-threatening illnesses such as AIDS or TB
• farmers and rural dwellers affected by either reoccurring drought or flood

American Red Cross food programs strive to be integrated
The American Red Cross designs food programs in a holistic manner, integrating the delivery of food with education and training in nutrition, health, water and sanitation and agricultural recovery.

• Nutrition projects can include the distribution of micronutrients (Vitamin A, iron, iodine, deworming tablets) as well as training for caretakers regarding nutritional balance in cooking, food preparation and vegetable gardening.
• Health and child survival projects address a lack of sufficient knowledge among caretakers about how to breastfeed, wean, and manage malnutrition, diarrhea and other illnesses of their children.
• Water and sanitation projects focus on building and maintaining adequate water and sanitation systems and include training in hygiene and health practices. Potable water is key in decreasing diarrhea and water-borne illness, especially among young children.
• Agricultural recovery projects address the lack of resources such as seeds, tools and fertilizer that farmers need to regain their ability to feed themselves and their families.

American Red Cross food programs are diverse
To meet a wide range of needs for vulnerable people worldwide, the American Red Cross promotes a variety of food interventions to suit regional, cultural and socio-economic differences. Examples of American Red Cross food programming include:

• Bulk food distributions which are food pAmerican Red Crossels often containing a staple grain, beans, and oil, conforming to minimum international nutritional norms. These distributions are generally provided monthly to individuals or families. The food received can be consumed, but some of it may be traded or sold to purchase other household essentials, such as medicines, fuel, etc. Countries with American Red Cross projects include Russia and the Dominican Republic.
• Supplementary food distributions which are partial rations targeted to specific groups such as pregnant women and malnourished children. These often include specially fortified foods for children and are designed to augment bulk food distributions. An example would be the American Red Cross project in Ethiopia.
• Complementary food distributions which often include iodized salt, sugar, meat, fruits and vegetables. While these items do not make up the bulk of the diet, they are important for good nutrition. They too can be consumed, traded or sold to purchase other household essentials. Countries with American Red Cross interventions have included Venezuela, Mexico and India.
• Soup kitchens which can be set up rapidly in emergency situations. While more expensive to operate, soup kitchens provide hot meals to beneficiaries who are often refugees or internally displaced persons. An example would be Kosovo.
• Food-for-Work projects which offer food in exchange for labor, often to address only seasonal food insecurity, while also addressing a need for infrastructure. Workers can be employed to build roads, wells, latrines, health clinics or other infrastructure that will benefit the entire community. An example would be the American Red Cross project in Kenya.
• Agricultural recovery projects which include distributions of seeds, tools and fertilizer to farmers and their families. Some agricultural projects teach beneficiaries proper cultivation techniques. This includes projects in Guatemala and Malawi.