LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The Sylmar-based Children’s Hunger Fund Legacy Foundation has announced a multimillion-dollar gift from the founder of USANA Health Sciences Inc.
Dr. Myron Wentz’s gift — the exact amount was not revealed — will be provided to the fund over a period of 10 years and will be used to support expansion of international and domestic programs, according to foundation officials.
The Dr. Myron Wentz Legacy Initiative will begin immediately, in celebration of the immunologist and microbiologist’s 80th birthday this month, they said.
The Children’s Hunger Fund, whose stated mission is to provide hope to suffering children, currently serves 25 countries, including the US. The Wentz Legacy Initiative will allow the fund to expand into more countries, establish in-country partnerships and provide services to impoverished children and families, according to the CHFLF.
The initiative also provides for expansion of national programs, allowing the fund to serve large populations of impoverished children and families in the US, according to the CHFLF.
“Dr. Wentz has dedicated his life to alleviating pain and suffering in the world,” said Dave Phillips, the fund’s founder and president. “The provision of this incredible legacy gift is yet another example of his heart of compassion for the next generation, particularly children living in extreme poverty. This gift will have generational impact on a global basis, restoring hope to the lives of suffering children.”
Wentz has sponsored other projects to improve the lives of suffering children around the world, including medical centers built in Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda, according to the foundation. Wentz Mercy Centers serve impoverished children in Romania, Albania, Myanmar and the Dominican Republic.
USANA Health Science is a Salt Lake City-based multi-level marketing company that produces various nutritional products, dietary supplements and skincare products.