Zoey is 11 and lives in Maine. Like all kids, Zoey deserves a life where she doesn’t have to worry if she will have enough to eat. Zoey can grow into a healthy adult thanks in part to free breakfast and lunch programs at school and a summer lunch program, made possible by the Feeding America network. But many children in America don’t have access to the nutritious foods they need.
Watch Zoey's story ›Kids who don’t get enough to eat — especially during their first three years — begin life at a serious disadvantage. When they’re hungry, children are more likely to be hospitalized and they face higher risks of health conditions like anemia and asthma. And as they grow up, kids struggling to get enough to eat are more likely to have problems in school and other social situations.
Repeat a grade in elementary school
Experience developmental impairments in areas like language and motor skills
Have more social and behavioral problems
Children facing hunger often grow up in a family where a parent or parents also face hunger.
For more data and information, download our Child Hunger Fact Sheet ›
The Feeding America network serves more than 12 million children in America. In addition to accessing food through traditional food pantries, the Feeding America network also offers specialized programs to help kids get the food they need when they need it most.
We have a responsibility to the next generation to give them every opportunity to succeed — which in turn will strengthen our communities and our country. That’s why feeding children facing hunger is a main priority of Feeding America, but we can’t do it without your help.
For every dollar donated, the Feeding America network of food banks secures and distributes 11 meals to people facing hunger — including children like Zoey.
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