We believe every child deserves a full plate and a bright future. In 2024, we witnessed countless stories of communities coming together to ensure kids had full bellies, partnerships that will transform lives, and the generosity of thousands of people who believe no kid should go hungry in the US.
Join us on a journey across the best stories from this year of how, with your support, we are changing lives.
Transforming Summer for Kids
Summer is the hungriest time of the year for kids. With many schools closed for break, many kids who rely on school meals struggle to access summer meals due to barriers like time and transportation. With your support, we have successfully advocated for policies that allow grab-and-go and delivered summer meals in rural communities, making it easier for kids to access them.
As we continue to advocate for easier summer meals for every kid, we are focusing our efforts in helping rural community organizations implement summer meal programs. They are a huge operation and require support and essential equipment.
Jose Delgado is a grandfather who takes care of his two granddaughters during the summer. He loves the summer meals delivered by Manzanita Outreach, our partner in Yavapai County, Arizona.
“It helps us a lot because they have given us eggs,” Jose shared. “They have given us milk, gallons of milk. They have given us a lot of fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, onions, broccoli—in the store, all of that is very expensive. It helps us a lot."
Summer EBT
Another legislative win has been the expansion of Summer-EBT. This food assistance program gives families additional money to buy food for their kids during the summer. This year 35 states, five territories and four tribal nations jumped to implement the program. We are working with local communities to ensure a smooth implementation and encouraging families to participate in the program.
“When you go grocery shopping, five things come out to like almost a hundred dollars nowadays,” Joelanis, a mom in New York explained. “Having to provide more meals for my kids in the summer, [Summer-EBT] has been a blessing.”
Breakfast in the Classroom
We continue to also prioritize school meals as a tool for the success of kids. We believe food is the most important school supply because without it kids cannot learn even if they have pencils, pens, and books. Programs like Breakfast in the Classroom significantly increase participation and set up kids to start the day strong.
In Palm Beach County, teachers have seen the difference these programs make on kids' academic performance. But it goes beyond that. Kids are happier; they can be themselves.
Emmanuel, a third-grade student in Florida, put it clearly, “Food is the most important school supply because if you didn't have food in your stomach, you would've been more weak and you wouldn't have been learning because if you don't have a full stomach, you can't learn because your head is going to be down, your stomach is going to hurt.”
Protecting SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP for kids, is one of our nation’s most powerful tools to end childhood hunger. It’s critical for helping kids grow up healthy, educated, and more likely to break the cycle of poverty.
Right now, Congress has an important opportunity to protect and strengthen SNAP as they put pen to paper on the Farm Bill, a once-every-five-years piece of legislation that governs agriculture and food programs.
This year we have worked with chefs, organizations, parents, and even mayors to raise the voice and encourage politicians to protect SNAP.
Shane Bond, a mom in DC, said this when asked what she would say to politicians considering reducing SNAP. “I would definitely invite policymakers to envision themselves at a dinner table with a family or their own family, and kind of just be there with them and understand that the changes and the policies that they are considering are like taking food off the plate of those around them at that table.”
Investment in Moms
How far could kids go if their moms weren’t worried about making it to the end of the month? At No Kid Hungry, we understand that to end childhood hunger we need to make sure families have the resources they need. We need to address the root causes that make kids experience hunger. With 33% of single mothers’ households experiencing food insecurity, we have decided to work with and support organizations helping moms achieve economic mobility. By helping moms, we will also be helping kids.
“I don't think that if my mother's financial condition wasn't improved, that I would actually have the life outcome that I have today,” shared Lilian Singh, who now leads this work at No Kid Hungry. “My life shouldn’t be an exception.”
Across the nation, your support continues to make a difference in the lives of millions of kids! Thank you for your support and let’s continue changing lives next year.
Ways You Can Help:
Donate: 1 dollar can help provide 10 meals* for kids. Your donations help us support meal programs all over the country and help us advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need. *Donations help support programs that feed kids; No Kid Hungry does not provide individual meals. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar
Speak up for kids: 1 in 5 kids in the United States is affected by hunger. Tell your lawmaker to protect SNAP and other federal nutrition programs that feed kids.
