Santa Barbara, CA --January 4, 2006 – Vitamin Angel Alliance announced today a record level of contributions of nutritional help worldwide in 2005. Stimulated by an unprecedented level of natural disasters around the world, the Natural Products and Pharmaceutical Industries rose to the need by contributing product, services and money that allowed the non-profit business to deliver over 80 million doses of nutritional supplements.

Howard Schiffer, founder and CEO of the VAA said, “At a time when the world needed us to step forward with relief aid, our partners helped at a totally new level of giving.” He further added “There are now companies doing planned product runs every month to assure us of supplies for our international relief work. We are making a meaningful difference globally, by addressing chronic malnutrition, preventing vitamin deficiency diseases and improving the quality of life. I am very proud to be working with such wonderful partners.”

The statistics are outstanding year after year for Vitamin Angels. In 2004 the non-profit distributed 23.4 million supplements, while in 2005 that number tripled to over 80 million vitamins. The wholesale value in ’04 was $2.2 million while that number increased to over $6.2 million in ’05. Donations reached over 40 countries during  2005.

The list of help is impressive with the following serving as the truly outstanding achievements;

• 18,000,000 supplements distributed to children, women and families in the wake of Katrina and Rita.
• 10,000,000 supplements distributed to Tsunami relief.
• 1,000,000 supplements distributed every month or 12,000,000 for 2005 total to save the next generation of Tibetan children.
• 30,000,000 supplements distributed to Pakistan earthquake relief effort.
• 250,000 children treated in India to prevent Vitamin A deficiency childhood blindness.

“The list is significant” said Tom Aarts, newly elected Board of Directors member. He added, “These industries couldn’t be putting a better face forward than this huge philanthropic effort. We owe a great deal to many heroes in the nutritional field. We believe that the world community will soon notice what we have done and acknowledge the tremendous opportunity basic nutritional supplements offer to positively impact global health.”

Vitamin Angel Alliance is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to providing basic nutrition and fighting vitamin A deficiency childhood blindness and other vitamin deficiency diseases around the world since 1994. This past year Vitamin Angels donated over 80 million supplements to people in need in 40 countries around the world.

For more information, visit www.VitaminAngels.org

Contact:
Howard B. Schiffer
Ph: 805 564 8400