Benjamin Homan with Rwandan students
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PHOENIX, AZ, June 22, 2006 — On June 20, 2006, Benjamin Homan, president of Food for the Hungry, was appointed by President Bush to the "Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People (HELP) Around the Globe Commission." As challenged by Congressman Frank Wolf, the original sponsor of the HELP Commission legislation, the Commission will think boldly and openly as it seeks to define ways to make foreign assistance more effective for the taxpayers and the recipients. Ben Homan's in-the-field experience with Food for the Hungry has taken him to more than 30 countries over the past five years, including war-torn places such as Iraq, Congo, Afghanistan and Sudan's Darfur region. He has also served in tsunami-ravaged Indonesia and other places touched by famine and poverty. |
In addition to his appointment to the HELP Commission, Homan is the Chairman of ACVFA (Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid) for USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and President of AERDO, the Association for Evangelical Relief and Development Organizations, and has earned a reputation for his practical knowledge of international relief and development issues.
"The HELP Commission combines what is best in our nation - America's heart of generosity and our spirit of innovation. I am honored to join with my fellow Commissioners in taking the 'right thing to do' and developing ways to 'do it better'," Homan said. "Poverty, disease, war and disaster cry out for action that is accountable, heartfelt and effective."
The purpose of the HELP Commission is to study US foreign assistance and recommend ways to increase effectiveness. The two-year HELP Commission is currently in its first stage, which focuses on gathering a complete picture of all US foreign assistance and development programs. The final stage of the Commission's work will be to generate a report outlining recommendations to be considered by the President, the US Congress, and the American public.
