PRESS RELEASE
MURFREESBORO, TN., January 9, 2020 – NewsChannel5 Nashville today aired coverage put together by reporter Hannah McDonald about NUTRISHOP® multi-store franchisee Kenneth Hargis, his wife and their charitable donations to children in the Philippines. To date, the couple have privately donated 6,000 shoes and 6,000 bibles to children at various schools and orphanages with plans to donate 4,000 more later this year.
“We are so proud of Kenneth and his wife, not only for helping people in their communities improve their lives through proper nutrition and supplementation, but for going above and beyond to help others in need,” said Bryon McLendon, founder and CEO of NUTRISHOP®, a national retail nutrition, wellness and supplement chain (www.NutrishopUSA.com). “We applaud their efforts and hope they inspire others to give back. We know we’ve been inspired by these two!”
Hargis, who owns the NUTRISHOP® franchise stores in Cookeville, Murfreesboro and Hendersonville in Tennessee, admits he grew up very poor, but it wasn’t until he visited the Philippines with his wife, Millet, a native Filipina, when he fully understood the expression “dirt poor.” It meant that many people there live in shacks with literal dirt floors. Forget about refrigerators and cozy beds to sleep on. Many of these people don’t even know if or when they will get their next meal.
Hargis visited a local school in the Philippines and asked the principal why so many of the children were without shoes. She explained their parents were often too poor to buy them. Hargis’ wife told him she had grown up without proper shoes as well (her sister and her had to actually share a pair of worn out flip-flops), and expressed to him how deeply embarrassing it was for her. Plus, with soaring temperatures of 110 degrees F there, the ground is so hot, it can burn bare feet. Hargis’ heart broke. He knew right then he had to do something.
Hargis struck a deal with the principal. If she would allow the school to host a bible study at the school through a local church, then he would donate 1,000 shoes and 1,000 bibles to the children. The principal agreed. Thus began a yearly trek to the Philippines starting in 2016 to donate shoes and bibles to other schools and orphanages. The Hargises actually buy the shoes and bibles in the Philippines and then they are distributed to the children (with help from volunteers). Every year since, they have increased the number of donations by 1,000.
Until now, Hargis has never asked for a penny or any kind of support for what he and his wife have done to help children in the Philippines. They’ve spent their own hard-earned dollars. He said owning the three NUTRISHOP® stores is his “ministry.” Not only is he able to help people live healthier lifestyles, but the revenue the stores bring in allows him to buy the shoes and bibles. For their next trip, which they are planning for April, they decided to start a GoFundMe page in case anyone else wants to help the cause. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go towards shoes and bibles.
About NUTRISHOP®
NUTRISHOP® is dedicated to helping others live a fit, happy and healthy lifestyle. NUTRISHOP® stores offer customers a low-price guarantee on a wide array of cutting-edge dietary supplements along with exceptional, individualized customer service; easy-to-follow meal plans, body composition assessment tools and sound nutritional guidance. The NUTRISHOP® business model focuses primarily on franchisee-owned and operated stores that provide consumers with the necessary tools to achieve their health and fitness goals. Learn more at www.NutrishopUSA.com.
For Media Inquiries:
LaRue Gillespie
NUTRISHOP®
PR@NutrishopUSA.com
