Buckhunger was developed and founded in 2010 by Johnny Phillips in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in an effort to combat the terrible effects of hunger and malnutrition among children that he witnessed after visiting that nation.

   Phillips has had a 40 year career developing more than a dozen restaurants and food service operations. It was natural for him to continue serving others.  There were many that contributed to this startup effort; Chad Maxwell for logo design and website, Bob and Dallas Celecia for a major kitchen contribution and Randolph Phillips for hosting and web assistance.   The bulk of day to day operations was funded by Johnny.  Those personal funds were exhausted prior to Buckhunger’s first year of operations. 

   After being forced to halt the highly successful feeding program, Buckhunger received its first news story in the Phnom Penh Post and was later gifted a $10,000 grant from the Tom White Foundation and was able to resume operations. In late 2011, EXO Foundation began its support of Buckhunger and facilitated the acquisition of Kingdom of Cambodia NGO status by the Department of Culture which has been maintained since that date.

   Many individuals have supported Buckhunger since with donations to our website and cash gifts from visits as well as private home fundraisers. Skip and Gabby, Fon and Ben, tea and cakes from The Helen Wilson family of Yorkshire, England, The Woods family and many others, some of whom wish not to be noted. 

   Our dearest thanks to our dedicated family from Singapore that gave so many gifts of food and presents for years and supported our English Learning Program. Buckhunger would not have survived without the corporate help of Maersk Shipping of Cambodia and Herrod foundation of Switzerland. 

   But it’s now 2021 and Buckhunger faces its next 10 years that will require more funds and more Love than ever before. Can you be part of our future and help these kids? They need it

and they deserve it.