International Medical Corps Matched with Top 25 American Express Members Project, 'Saving the Lives of Malnourished...( LOS ANGELES Sept. 24 -- Internat...),Health

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International Medical Corps was selected by American Express to implement one of the Top 25 Members Projects, 'Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children.' (http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/OZH1P1) The project was chosen out of 1,190 submissions nominated by American Express card members. The five projects to receive the most votes by September 29 will vie for $2.5 million in funding.

The five finalists will be announced on September 30 and will then move onto a second voting round where the one with the most votes receives $1.5 million; second place $500,000; third place is $300,000; and fourth and fifth place $100,000. The winning project will be announced on October 14.

"As a mother of children who go to bed with a full stomach every night, it is heartbreaking to consider the millions of kids who do not have the nutrients their little bodies need to survive," says Paige Strackman, who submitted the idea to American Express. "I hope this project will bring people to the same conclusion I have - we can solve malnutrition through nutrient-rich, ready-to-eat food. With enough votes from American Express card members, thousands of children's lives can be saved."

Hunger and malnutrition kill more people in the world than HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. As food prices rise, millions are being driven deeper into poverty everyday while trying to afford basic staples. Many are at risk of having nothing to eat at all.

"International Medical Corps is honored to have the opportunity to match Paige's passion for this cause with our 24 years of experience in helping children in need," said Rebecca Milner, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. "We are a vital lifeline for hundreds of thousands of children every year, saving more than 90 percent of the children we treat. Videos of this dramatic r
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