Honoring Cindy Levin

Photo from Cindy Levin's blog

What do U2 lead singer Bono, Etharin Cousin (executive director of the World Food Programme), philinatropist Bill Gates, and Cindy Levin have in common?  They all made the list of 30 Innovators Fighting World Hunger and Poverty, published in 2014 by Top Master’s In Healthcare Administration.

Bono, Cousin and Gates are very recognizable names, but I can't say I have interacted with them in any form. And the other 26 individuals on the list are all worthy of recognition, but I also can't say I know them personally. On the other hand, I know Cindy Levin as a fellow grassroots advocate, as an anti-hunger and anti-poverty blogger, and as a Facebook friend. Check out her blog,  Anti-Poverty Mom: Raising my voice & my kids.  Cindy is passionate about advocacy, as evidenced by her work with RESULTS and Bread for the World (and early on with the ONE Campaign). In 2013, I reprinted a great piece from her article 7 Reasons You Should Take Your Kids to Lobby Congress

In addition to her advocacy efforts, Cindy is very involved in direct service, as evidenced by her work with Shot@Life, a movement to protect children worldwide by providing life-saving vaccines where they are most needed. Read more in A Shot@Life in Uganda: Vaccines for Children

Here is what the article on the 30 anti-hunger and anti-poverty champions says about Cindy.

Image from Momentumnation

Levin is a former automotive engineer turned volunteer activist and fundraising coach in Chicago with RESULTS, Bread for the World, and Shot@Life. She is a mother to two daughters, and she credits her own mother for her calling to serve her community.

Levin is particularly passionate about vaccination, a cost-effective way to save lives worldwide. She brings congressmen letters from children, who urge them to legislate greater access to vaccines. Levin combines her love of running with advocacy by competing in half-marathons. She trains with her daughters, who along with Levin ran for Charity Miles and raised enough money for Shot@Life to vaccinate over 100 children against polio, measles, rotavirus, and pneumococcal virus. 

The world is a better please because of the work of people like Cindy Levin.