From time to time Smart Family Tips will feature an organization that is a “Do-Gooder”: a group that works to help both people and the environment. The Do-Gooders may be companies, nonprofits, or any organized group that focuses its efforts on making the world a better place. 
Free Rice is part of the United Nations World Food Program. It’s a nonprofit website that is composed of a vocabulary game. The more words you define correctly, the more rice is donated to those in need. It’s an interesting way to add fun, education, and helping world hunger together. You don’t have to stop at simply vocabulary, though. By clicking the “Subject” button at the top of the homepage, you can choose the category of your game from subjects like paintings, English grammar, basic math, and geography. You can even track your totals from visit to visit on their “Options” page. When you go to the Free Rice website, you’ll be presented with a word and four possible definitions. If you choose the correct definition, 10 grains of rice will be donated. If you get the answer wrong, you’ll be given an easier word and will have an opportunity to try again. Free Rice is a great example of how small efforts add up. While 10 grains of rice may not seem like much, the “game” is somewhat addictive, so it’s hard not to play through at least a few words each visit. Also remember that thousands of people will play the Free Rice game each day. It really does add up. According to the Free Rice website, “over 60 billion grains of rice have been donated to date.” My favorite question & answer from the Free Rice FAQ page:
Do I really make a difference by playing FreeRice? The rice you donate makes a huge difference to the person who receives it. According to the United Nations, about 25,000 people die each day from hunger or hunger-related causes, most of them children. Though 10 grains of rice may seem like a small amount, it is important to remember that while you are playing, so are thousands of other people at the same time. It is everyone together that makes the difference. Thanks to you, FreeRice has generated enough rice to feed millions of people since it started in October 2007.
How does it work? When you play the game, ads appear at the bottom of your screen. The advertisers pay money for each screen viewed and that money is used to buy the rice. The FAQ page is excellent and it explains the whole process in detail. The best way to learn about Free Rice is to click on the button and play. I’ll be installing a permanent button on the sidebar so you can easily click over and play each time you visit this site. For now, click the button below and enjoy.
