The health and well-being of millions of individuals around the world was supported this year thanks to nearly $7 million in product and cash donations from NBTY Inc., along with its affiliates (together NBTY), a leading global provider of health and wellness products.

As a manufacturer and distributor of high-quality vitamins and nutritional supplements, NBTY, its global brands and NBTY Helping Hands, its 501(c) (3) charitable foundation, channel vitamins, nutrition bars, supplements and money to organizations supporting people who are homeless, hungry, veterans, children, victims of natural disasters, rescue and relief crews, and many others.

In 2013, NBTY supported more than 30 organizations, including Feed The Children and International Aid, that used the company's products and money to provide sustenance, nutrition and support to those who need it most. From relief and recovery efforts surrounding the Oklahoma tornadoes to helping families impacted by Superstorm Sandy return to newly rebuilt homes, NBTY products and funds were on the ground being distributed to those who lost everything.  NBTY's donations to Feed The Children alone are estimated to have reached almost 450,000 beneficiaries.

In addition, for the seventh year, NBTY manufactured and packaged, free of charge, a proprietary blend of vitamins to be distributed worldwide through Vitamin Angels. In 2013, NBTY provided Vitamin Angels with enough children's chewable daily multivitamins to reach nearly 123,000 children in 23 countries, including 18 U.S. states.  Additionally, through cash donations received from its Vitamin World customers, hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial support has enabled Vitamin Angels' continued program expansion, helping them reach 30 million children in nearly 50 countries in 2013.

Also in 2013, NBTY Helping Hands supported a variety of organizations, including but not limited to: Long Island Cares, 9-1-1 Veterans, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Long Island Blood Services and the Ski's Open Heart Foundation. The organization also purchased, filled and donated more than 3,000 backpacks to help underprivileged children return back to school in the fall. Donations allowed Long Island Cares to build a new facility in Lindenhurst from which it can serve an additional hungry population, provided scholarships to deserving children through Big Brothers Big Sisters and provided Thanksgiving meals to veterans and their families for the holidays through 9-1-1 Veterans.

"All of us at NBTY take a great deal of pride in being able to reach out and support our local and global communities in such a profound way," said Jeff Nagel, CEO of NBTY.  "Beyond our products, our Associates donate their own time and effort to make many of these donations possible and to figure out ways to give back. We are a company that believes in wellness, and I'm proud that we are able to truly get behind our wellness mission by helping others."