Feeding America’s vision is an America where no one is hungry.
Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.2 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.
Food banks are responding to unprecedented needs due to COVID-19.
In 2020, we provided 6.1 billion meals to our neighbors facing hunger, an increase of 44 percent over 2019. Feeding America is also the largest nationwide nonprofit partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the implementation of federal nutrition programs. USDA foods composed 2.4 billion meals to people in need through our network in 2020 alone. Additionally, our food banks work to provide summer meal sites, afterschool meals, senior meal programs, and to connect the people we serve with resources for which they are eligible. That includes running one of the country’s largest Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment assistance programs, by helping more than 300,000 people nationwide enroll in SNAP. However, we know that even when the pandemic ends, the economic turmoil for many of the families we serve will not end.
To achieve our vision of an America where no one is hungry, we must address the root causes of hunger and deepen our understanding of structural and systemic inequities that affect disproportionately impacted communities and people in need of assistance. Our 40 years of experience, broad national reach, and deep local presence thanks to the Feeding America network of food banks gives us an unmatched ability to assess these issues and respond with informed and innovative solutions.
Food banks cannot end hunger alone.
We need to work in partnership with our lawmakers to ensure strong investments in federal nutrition programs so none of our neighbors go to bed hungry tonight.
