Our History

Feeding America’s story began in the late 1960s when a mother visiting a local meal program suggested there should be a place where food could be stored for people to pick up rather than being thrown away. With that, food banking was born.

Since then, Feeding America has become the leading voice on ending hunger in America.

Feeding America Today

Today, we’re part of a nationwide network that includes food banks, food pantries, and local meal programs. 

We’re committed to listening to the tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity and working together to help the communities most impacted by hunger get the food and resources they need to thrive. We advocate for policies that address the root causes of hunger and continue to innovate solutions that increase equitable access to nutritious food.

Looking Ahead: A Bold Aspiration for Our Nation

Approximately 1 in 6 people turned to charitable food assistance for extra support in 2022. When people are fed, futures are nourished, and people can go from just living to truly thriving. 

That’s why we put forth a bold aspiration for our country:

Every community and each person within it has access to the food and resources they say they desire and need to thrive. The food insecurity rate will be 5% by 2030, and disparities by race and place will be cut in half.

It’s a tall task, but we believe it’s possible if we work together to address the inequities facing the people most impacted by food insecurity.

Join us in the fight to end hunger in America. Learn more about how we get food to communities through hunger relief, food rescue, disaster response and our Equity Impact Fund.