Feeding America facts for kids
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| Formation | 1979 (as America's Second Harvest) |
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| Founder | John van Hengel |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Headquarters | 161 North Clark Street Suite 700, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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Region served
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United States |
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Membership
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200 food banks |
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CEO
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Claire Babineaux-Fontenot |
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Main organ
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Board of directors |
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Revenue
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$3.574 billion (2021) |
Feeding America is a special group in the United States that helps people get enough to eat. It is a non-profit organization, which means it uses its money to help others, not to make a profit.
Feeding America is like a huge network of more than 200 food banks across the country. These food banks collect food and then give it to places like food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. These places then give the food to people who need it. Feeding America helps feed over 46 million people! It is known as one of the largest charities in the U.S. by how much money it uses to help others. Before September 2008, this organization was called America's Second Harvest.
Contents
How Feeding America Started
The Idea for Food Banks
The idea for food banks began in the mid-1960s. A man named John van Hengel was volunteering at a local soup kitchen in Phoenix, Arizona. He asked for food donations and often received more food than the soup kitchen could use.
One day, a woman told him that she fed her children with food that grocery stores had thrown away. She said the food was still good, but there should be a place where unwanted food could be stored and then given to people who needed it. She thought of it like a bank, but for food!
The First Food Bank
John van Hengel liked this idea. He started asking grocery stores, local gardens, and fruit farms for food they didn't want. His efforts led to the creation of St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix. This was the very first food bank in the United States.
In 1975, St. Mary's Food Bank received money from the government to help start more food banks across the country. This effort officially became a separate non-profit group in 1976.
Growing and Changing
In 2001, America's Second Harvest joined with another large group called Foodchain. This made the organization even bigger and better at rescuing food.
In 2005, Feeding America started using a special system to share food more fairly. They used something like "shares" or points. Food banks would get points based on how much food their community needed. Then, they could use these points to "buy" the foods they wanted most. This helped make sure the right kinds of food went to the right places.
In May 2007, Feeding America was featured on the TV show American Idol as part of their "Idol Gives Back" charity program. This helped more people learn about the organization.
In September 2008, America's Second Harvest officially changed its name to Feeding America.
In August 2009, the music company Columbia Records announced that money from Bob Dylan's album Christmas in the Heart would always be given to Feeding America.
Helping People Today
Facing Hunger in America
After the 2008 financial crisis and a tough economic time called the Great Recession, more people faced hunger. In 2013, the government reported that about 49 million Americans, or about one in six people, struggled to get enough healthy food.
To help with this, Feeding America started "Hunger Action Month" in September. During this month, events are held across the nation to make people more aware of hunger and encourage them to help.
In 2015, Feeding America saved over 2 billion pounds of food that would have been thrown away. Instead, this food was given to families who needed it.
By 2018, the government reported that fewer people were struggling with food insecurity (not having enough food) since the recession ended.
However, in 2020, Feeding America shared that about 11 million children in the United States were still facing hunger. Children, families, and older adults often struggled the most to make ends meet.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic caused even more people to need help from food banks. For example, in Eastern Wisconsin, the number of people needing food increased by 36% during the pandemic's peak.
To help with food donations, Feeding America created a platform called MealConnect in 2014. This online tool helps places like grocery stores, restaurants, and caterers easily connect with local food banks and pantries. It helps reduce food waste and makes it easier to donate food. In June 2020, MealConnect became available all across the country.
Leaders of Feeding America
Many people have led Feeding America over the years. Bob Aiken was its first CEO. Vicki Escarra was President & CEO from 2006 to 2012. Diana Aviv became CEO in October 2015. Since October 2018, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot has been the CEO.
How the Network Works
Feeding America works hard to teach everyone about hunger in the United States. Their main office creates reports and studies that explain different parts of hunger. They also share information about poverty and programs that help people in need.
Feeding America's team also works with lawmakers. They do research, speak at meetings, and try to change laws and public opinions to better support their network and the people they serve.
In 2017, Feeding America announced a plan to make the food from food banks even healthier. By 2023, they aimed to offer more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. They also planned to train food banks on how to distribute these healthier foods.
There are more than 200 food banks that are part of the Feeding America network. Each one helps people in its own local area. Some of these food banks include:
- Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland, California
- Arkansas Foodbank Network in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C.
- Community Action Services and Food Bank in Provo, Utah
- Connecticut Food Bank in East Haven, Connecticut
- Feeding Southwest Virginia in Salem, Virginia
- Food Bank For New York City in New York City
- Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano in Concord, California and Fairfield, California
- Food Bank of Delaware in Delaware
- Food Lifeline in Seattle, Washington
- Forgotten Harvest in Metro Detroit
- Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Good Shepherd Food Bank in Maine
- Greater Boston Food Bank in Boston, Massachusetts
- Greater Chicago Food Depository in Chicago, Illinois
- Houston Food Bank in Houston, Texas
- Maryland Food Bank in Baltimore, Maryland
- North Texas Food Bank in Dallas, Texas
- Philabundance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Redwood Empire Food Bank in Northern California
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in Nashville, Tennessee
- Second Harvest North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida
- Second Harvest of Silicon Valley in San Jose, California
- St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix, Arizona
- United Food Bank in Mesa, Arizona
- Vermont Foodbank in Barre, Vermont
Working with Others
Feeding America gets help from many different groups, companies, and people. They receive money and donations of food. Some of the top companies that donate food products include 7-Eleven, Amazon, Costco, CVS Health, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Sam's Club, Target Corporation, Trader Joe's, and Walmart.
See also
- List of food banks
- Second Harvest Toronto (Canada)
