Real Stories of Hunger in America

An illness, a job loss, a move to care for aging family members — these are just some of the reasons Americans have turned to their local food banks for help in a time of need.

Zoey

West Monroe,

Louisiana

We eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner sometimes. My mom and dad have to go without just so that us kids can have food in our stomachs.

8-year-old Zoey adores animals. And when she grows up, she wants to be a veterinarian. But before Zoey can be a veterinarian, she needs to grow up healthy and strong. And for her family, that can be hard because there's not a lot of food in the fridge to feed everyone.

Watch a video about Zoey ›

DeAdra

Bradenton,

Florida

I’d spent many days going to sleep with an empty stomach, making sure he had all the food in the house.

DeAdra wants a better childhood for her three-year-old son with special needs but can't always put food on the table while caring for him full-time. With her local food pantry, DeAdra is now able to provide healthy food for Dacian and herself.

Watch a video about DeAdra ›

Terri

Bradenton,

Florida

When you look in the fridge and there's nothing there, it's very shameful. I never should have gotten there. I never thought I would be totally broke.

Terri's great life suddenly vanished when her job disappeared and she needed help from the food pantry at her local church. Now that she's back on her feet, she's a regular volunteer at the pantry that helped stabilize her life.

Watch a video about Terri ›

Lamont

Layton,

Utah

A little girl handed me her report card and she told me ‘my grades are now better because I get breakfast every morning from the food pantry’ and it broke my heart.

Lamont’s life took an unexpected turn when an on-the-job injury left him unemployed and relying on the food pantry to help feed his children. Now, he helps other families get back on their feet as the director of the same food pantry.

Watch a video about Lamont ›