04 Apr, 2013

White House Honors Nancy Hughes as Champion of Change

The White House on April 5th will honor 12 Rotary club members from across the United States as Champions of Change for their volunteer work to improve the lives of others during the second annual Rotary Day at the White House. One of those Champions is StoveTeam's own Nancy Sanford Hughes, who will be honored for her work to bring clean cookstoves to families throughout Latin America.

Nancy transformed a small Rotary club project of Eugene Southtowne Rotary into StoveTeam International, an effective international charity to help develop sustainable local factories that produce safe affordable, fuel-efficient stoves in the developing world. The Ecocina stoves they produce reduce deforestation and carbon emissions while reducing both burns and respiratory illnesses.

In the five years since StoveTeam International's inception, these stoves have improved the lives of more than 260,000 individuals in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico

Nancy said she was truly humbled at the recognition, but she credits her success to the support of hundreds of individuals and more than fifty Rotary Clubs in the United States, Mexico and Central America who have supported her work.

This is the second year that the Obama administration and the White House have honored Americans in various fields who are working to strengthen their communities. Nancy is honored to be chosen a recipient of this prestigious honor.

Take a look at the White House press release here.