McMaster grad launches venture to help feed hungry kids

Mac grad Derek Woodgate has launched a socially responsible business that’s both cuddly and kind.

A few years ago, he and his family were watching a documentary about child hunger. “It was very touching to learn how many children die of hunger every year,” says Woodgate.

He and his wife, Jennifer, decided to do something about it.

This week, they officially launched cuddle+kind — described as “hand-knit dolls that help feed children.”

The nine designs are handcrafted by women artisans in Peru. For every doll sold, 10 children will receive a meal, through the World Food Program USA and the Children’s Hunger Fund. The ultimate goal is to provide one million meals a year.

Cuddle+kind’s Indiegogo campaign runs today until Oct. 16 to coincide with World Food Day.

“We started from scratch about 18 months ago,” says Woodgate, who graduated from McMaster with a kinesiology degree in 1998. He and Jennifer — who completed a post-doctoral fellowship in kinesiology at McMaster — have three young children.

The 20-inch dolls are non-toxic and safety-tested for newborns and up. During this initial offering, dolls are expected to be delivered in November – just in time for holiday gift-giving.

And for those who don’t want to buy a doll, you can still have an impact — until Oct. 16, one meal will be donated for every new cuddle+kind follower on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

With his brother, Woodgate also co-founded a nutritional supplement business.

He credits his McMaster degree with inspiring his passion for nutrition. “I absolutely loved my time at Mac.”

This new venture, though, has been a full-time job for him and his wife for many months now — “in addition to parenting, of course!”