Interviewee: Larry Jones
Interviewer: Justice
Date: December 15, 2008

Feed The Children founder and president Larry Jones has devoted his life to bringing relief and hope to the world’s neediest people. Whenever natural disasters, famine, and displacement from war occurs, Larry Jones and the Feed the Children team are there to help rebuild lives and restore the dignity of families. From a small fledgling charity in Oklahoma City to a worldwide charity in 118 countries, Feed The Children is a nonprofit success story. Larry Jones continues to make a positive impact on this trouble world.

Starting as a Christian minister when he was 17, Larry Jones eventually built up a successful career as a televangelist based in Oklahoma City. Larry Jones gained notoriety for his anti-pornography crusades, and engaging Hustler publisher Larry Flynt in a spirited debate. But it wasn’t until 1979 when Larry Jones discovered how he could make the biggest impact on the world. That year, Larry Jones was visiting Port Au Prince, Haiti for a religious conference. While touring the streets of Port Au Prince, he encountered little boy who begged him for some pocket change for bread. The bread would be the child’s only meal of the day. From this simple boy, Larry Jones was inspired to not just feed him, but children all around the world.

When Larry Jones returned to Oklahoma City, he discovered that while children were starving in Haiti, his home state had a huge grain surplus. He immediately realized that not only he could help feed children in Haiti, but he could assist American farmers as well. The grain storage was costing farmers and the government thousands of dollars, but that expense could be alleviated if the grain could be shipped somewhere. Along with his wife Frances Jones, Larry Jones launched Feed The Children on this win-win scenario.

As an established televangelist, Larry Jones had the resources to spread his message. His first televised campaign was framed by a direct, provocative question: “Why should children be starving to death while we have surplus wheat in America?” Larry and Frances Jones launched Feed The Children from their kitchen, and the charity eventually became one of America’s best known and successful charities. The charity not only works in direct hunger relief; Feed The Children also donates books, backpacks, and other necessities for children and their families.

Many organizations have honored Larry Jones’s work with Feed the Children. The awards include the H. J. Heimlich Humanitarian Award, the Humanitarian Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Oklahoman of the Year, and the National Caring Award. ABC News “Person of the Week” featured Larry Jones in one of their segments.

Larry Jones is a prolific writer as well. His book include How to Bend without Breaking, How to Make It to Friday, The 15-Second Secret, Life’s Interruptions God’s Opportunities, I Lost My Ball and Found My Life, his personal memoirs Keep Walking: One’s Man’s Journey to Feed the World One Child, and a fictional novel Black Box. He continues to lead Feed The Children in their worldwide mission to end hunger.