Social media is a powerful tool and two young entrepreneurs have harnessed its power to fight world hunger. According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, around 925 million go hungry each day. In light of that number, Dustin Tessendorf and Joseph Tuson from Arizona developed the social media app Mealmatch.

Mealmatch is using social media to fight world hunger in a very, easy way. The app is downloaded to users’ phones and when they eat or drink at participating restaurants, they can check-in and the restaurant donates $.30 per meal to a charity. While $.30 may not seem like a lot,  it is the average cost of a meal in Africa and it can make a big difference if enough users download the app. Currently, the money from donated meals goes to over a dozen charities in Africa and two in  Chandler, Arizona. All the information about the charities is easily found on the Mealmatch website.

The benefits to restaurants are few other than positive advertising which can go a very long way. Despite this, about 40 restaurants have signed up to participate in the program. When a restaurant participates in a charitable cause, it gains them continued support and recognition. As the founders put it, “Business can no longer get away with exploiting the world for money.”

While Mealmatch is currently limited to Arizona, there is potential for growth across the United States.  Social media is powerful and two young entrepreneurs are proving that with a little creativity, it can be used to fight global hunger with the ease of checking in at a restaurant you are already visiting.

– Amanda Kloeppel

Source: Phoenix New Times