Charitable Foundation

Pack Away Hunger is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to greatly improving the lives of children and others who suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Pack Away Hunger’s efforts are local, national and international. To achieve its mission, Pack Away Hunger partnered with the Mathile Institute for Human Nutrition to develop the most highly nutritious pre-packaged meals available.

I got involved with Pack Away Hunger in 2013 (formerly known as Kids Against Hunger-KAH) when my daughter’s Daisy troop participated in a local meal packing event. Later that year, the entire family (all five of us now) packed meals the day after Thanksgiving. And then in early 2014, my wife went on a medical mission trip to Cap Rouge, Haiti. On the last day of their trip, she came across an empty KAH meal packet on the ground. 

From then on, I was sold in their mission and knew that a similar service event could be successful at DOZ. 

In 2019, 107 DOZ personnel participated in a two-day packing period, and then another 13 DOZ parents and their 22 children packed meals during DOZ’s annual Take Your Kid to Work Day. Over 27,000 meals were packed in 2019, bringing total meals packed as an organization to 155,952 since 2014.

In 2020, our annual packing event could not take place due to COVID-19. As a result, the DOZ Charitable Foundation generously donated funds to further Pack Away Hunger’s mission. DOZ looks forward to continuing our packing event in 2021.

-JEFF LATHROP
Member

DOZers participate in a 2019 meal packing event.

For over 60 years, the Muscular Dystrophy Family Foundation has provided support to help people with neuromuscular diseases live each day to the fullest.  DOZ’s involvement in this organization is personal, and we are proud to be able to contribute to an organization that makes such an impact on individuals.  Over the last 5 years, the DOZ Charitable Foundation has contributed over $40,000 to MDFF.  These funds went towards the purchase of two fully accessible vans that help facilitate access to transportation and break down physical barriers for recipients.  In 2020, the Foundation had the opportunity to participate in the presentation of accessible vans to two families –  Kamaria is excited to go to her local park, cheerleading camp, the Children’s Museum and Disney, while twins DaMarri and Dairrean Parker are excited to take more and longer family trips as well as increase their opportunities to attend social functions.  It has been an honor to play a small part in helping these families increase their independence.

ICAN’s connection with the DOZ Charitable Foundation began in 2017 through the generous sponsorship of an ICAN dog-in-training that we named “DOZer”. The foundation also volunteers professional support at ICAN’s largest fundraiser of the year, Wine & Wags, where we manage the evening’s contributions and the sales of ICAN’s annual calendar. Dino Sierp, the Director of Development & Outreach, shares that our “enthusiasm to assist with this significant event is a true reflection of the passion this foundation has for community involvement.”

“Since 2002, it’s been ICAN’s mission to support and encourage people by training and providing service dogs for individuals living with a disability,” says Jillian Ashton, President. ‘’We are deeply grateful for our partnership with the DOZ Foundation and what it has given to our organization. Their involvement has made a huge impact on children and adults living with a disability, and the inmates who train our dogs, and are ready to move beyond their mistakes.”

DOZ sponsored the training of Dozer, the service dog.

Fair Haven provides a home-away-from-home for seriously-ill patients and their families who travel to Indianapolis for critical medical care.  Fair Haven’s warm and welcoming lodging facilities are fully-furnished and located near the downtown medical center and on the south side.  Having a convenient and comfortable place to stay near the hospital lifts a tremendous burden for these families, allowing patients to get the critical care they need and making it possible for families to be together when they need each other most.

“We are so grateful for the amazing partnership of the DOZ Charitable Foundation!  DOZ’s incredible team has served and been involved in so many ways over the years.  Every fall, a DOZ team volunteers at our annual fundraiser, the Parisian Flea Market – it wouldn’t be the same event without them!  DOZ volunteers have also served the families at Fair Haven by preparing and delivering meals, setting up new TVs at apartments, and by answering our “SOS” call when we desperately needed help with various projects!  Through your generous support and service, DOZ has truly made a difference for hundreds of families battling a serious illness.  We couldn’t do what we do without you.  Thank you, DOZ!” – Amanda Milner, Executive Director