Bret and Kathleen Gundersen are from Lindon, have been married for 25 years and have seven children — the oldest is 25, the youngest is 15. They are active in their church and have provided service in many ways, including serving church missions.

Around 2012, their 10- and 12-year-old children approached Kathleen at different times during the week and said, “Mom, we need a bigger TV.” She replied, “Kids, the words ‘need’ and ‘TV’ should never be used in the same sentence.” She and Bret decided they needed to do something to show the children that they really didn’t need a new TV.

Consequently, they took the three oldest children — 14, 12, 10 — to Guatemala on a service trip with Choice Humanitarian. Every day, they dug trenches for a new vocational school and played soccer with the local youth.

“Each evening our family would meet and share what took place that day,” Bret said. “On night three or four, Kathleen asked the children, ‘Do you really think we need a bigger TV?’ All of them looked at her and said ‘no.’ It was a defining moment for our family.”

Courtesy of the Gundersen family

The night after arriving home from Guatemala, Kathleen found their 12-year-old daughter quietly sitting in her bedroom. “I asked how she was doing,” Kathleen said. “She said, ‘Not good.’ When I asked her why, she said, ‘My bedroom is bigger than the houses of the people we met in Guatemala. I have a whole shelf of books and toys just for myself. It’s not fair.'”

Then, in July 2022, Bret and his son Dexter joined a group of volunteers from Humanitarian Experience (HXP) to build a chicken farm outside a refugee camp in Malawi as part of Dexter’s senior humanitarian trip. The camp helped provide jobs and food for refugees.

Dexter hasn’t forgotten what he learned.

“It was both exciting and heart-wrenching to see and hear about the hard things that happen to people,” Dexter said. “I grew pretty close with a local young man named Rashid and his friend Jewels. My new friends were living those stories. When I returned home, I felt a desire to help, to go and do because it’s so much easier for me to become what I want to be than it is for them. I now have a greater motivation to give back.”

While Dexter and his father were in Malawi, they became friends with the headmaster and superintendent of one of the schools in the refugee camp. Approximately three months after returning home, Bret received a call from the headmaster, who informed him that food prices had tripled because of the Ukrainian war. He asked Bret if there was anything he could do to help feed the children at the school.

Courtesy of the Gundersen family

Bret asked the headmaster what it would take to provide a lunch snack for 385 students. He said about 50 cents per child per day. Bret and Kathleen talked about what they should do.

“At first, I said, we cannot afford $50,000 per year,” Kathleen said, “But the Lord said, ‘I can!’ I went downstairs to do something, with the question running through my head, ‘Do you want me to do something?’ Then, a thought came into my mind. ‘Stop talking and start working.’ That’s when Feeding Hope and Hunger (FHH) began. Within 10 days, we sent the money for the first week, then the second week. Now, we just finished three years, and the money keeps coming.”

According to the Gundersens, Africa keeps choosing them.

“Africa is in our heart because our youngest child is from Africa,” Kathleen said. “In 2008, we were saving up to go to Disneyland as a family, but we decided to adopt a baby instead. When I talked to our children about our decision, their answer was simply, ‘Okay, Mom, we don’t care.’ Bret and I went to Africa, picked up our daughter and left our hearts there. We all have an invested interest in Africa because of her.”

Julie Church, now the vice president for FHH, first connected with Bret Gundersen as a fellow parent builder on the senior HXP trip that Dexter and her daughter went on. When she arrived home, she and Bret felt there was something more to do. So, she connected with Kathleen and began working to help grow FHH. She, too, felt the pull to Africa.

Courtesy of the Gundersen family

“Serving in Malawi was one of the most powerful experiences we have ever had. A piece of my heart is there, and I want so much for their success,” Julie said. “I have been blessed to help others and see miracles. Anytime you can shine a light in a dark place, it is an opportunity to consecrate your efforts with a higher power.”

Both Odilon, the headmaster, and Samuel, the school superintendent, send updated reports, receipts and pictures of the children on a regular basis. From the reports, the Gundersens were able to see almost instantaneous differences in the children.

After the program first began, Odilon emailed Bret and said, “When a refugee eats like this, it’s a miracle.” Just a few months later, Samuel sent a note that said, “There is a big change at school. Children are very motivated. They are now coming to school almost every day. Even their bodies are changing because of the beans and other nice food they are eating these days.”

Donors are important part of FHH’s success. Many donations come from friends, family and students. Initially, the project required $52,000 per year; now, with soaring food prices and increased attendance, $92,000 per year is needed annually, and the Gundersens are still able to fund the school’s lunch program.

“I look back and say, ‘The Lord has raised $92,000 this year.’ Neighbors have just dropped by with a $10,000 check,” Kathleen said. “Plus, we have people who give the widow’s mite. We have made a lot of friends through all of this.”

One of the donors was Kathleen’s uncle, who is definitely not rich. He owns a truck way too small for his tall frame. One day, he sent $2,500 because he woke up and felt he needed to help feed children.

Other volunteers, including family members, help in different ways.

“Our families and friends really support FHH. My brother, an author, initially helped with all the write ups,” Kathleen said. “My sister, a lawyer, helped set up the 501(c)(3). My sisters-in-law helped come up with our charity’s name. Some of our kids are on the social media team. We have so much help and support from others. I watch with pride as they do good.”

The Gundersens, four of their children and two spouses recently returned from their 2025 trip to Malawi and the Dzaleka refugee camp, where they joined a group of volunteer doctors from Brazil. Two of the Gundersen children are medical students and were a part of the medical team. Also, they were able to visit with the headmaster and superintendent, read to the students and hand out menstruation kits from Freedom Kits of Yakima.

Mykell Johnson Gundersen, the Gundersen’s daughter-in-law, went with them on the 2025 trip and volunteered with the medical clinic. Before she went, she really didn’t know what to expect.

“I had never been to a third-world country,” she said. “Initially, I was frustrated that they are in this challenging situation and cannot practice self-reliance. Overall, I discovered that although they didn’t have much, they were very joyful and faithful and praised God in everything they did. It was a life-changing experience for me.”

The school has grown and continues to grow. In 2022, 385 students were enrolled. Now, more than 700 students attend classes. Consequently, Feeding Hope and Hunger has three future focuses: developing teacher training and providing stipends to the teachers, providing books and school supplies, and building a bathroom for the school.

“In the future, we hope to live there part time to see our goals come to life,” Kathleen said. “Granted, there are various issues, but we are confident that we can do it! We feel every child in the camp should be able to eat, and we hope that our charity will literally feed children and also give members of the refugee camp hope — hope that they have not been forgotten.”

When the headmaster first reached out to the Gundersens in 2022 about providing meals, attendance at the school was just 50%.

“During our recent trip to Malawi, we saw the children in person. Their faces have filled out, and they look much healthier,” Kathleen said. “The good thing is that 97% are now attending classes at that school.”

Feeding Hope and Hunger sees the differences when they receive reports from Odilan and Sam. One report states, “You are already saving lives at the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi. Although life is very, very difficult at the moment, your involvement gives nourished hope and protects the health of the children.”

People sometimes ask Bret whether it would be financially more feasible just to donate the money to a charity than to travel there.

“I often have people say to me, ‘If you do the math, wouldn’t you do more if you just donated the money you spend on travel?'” Bret said. “Our experience has been that when you take your family and get to know people, your heart changes. In our children, it has caused us to do a lot more with them, inside and out, than if we had just donated money.”

Kathleen and Bret love to share a message of hope with everyone they meet.

“We want people to know that Feeding Hope and Hunger is just one of many organizations set up to help people who need help. If everyone just did a little to help someone else, the world would be a much better place,” Kathleen said. “We don’t have to do huge things to make a difference in the lives of these children and help others. We just need to do something. If you move your feet, the Lord will open doors for you.”

To connect with Finding Hope and Hunger, call 801-356-6475; send an email to feedinghopeandhunger@gmail.com; or visit the website at feedinghopeandhunger.org. Donations can be sent via Venmo: @FeedingHopeandHunger.