Today, in every community across the country, people are working hard to provide for themselves and their families. Yet, in every county, there are neighbors facing food insecurity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, released in September 2024, reported that 47 million people, including 14 million children, are facing hunger. As the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, the Feeding America network is committed to changing these statistics.
Through continued partnership and collaboration with food banks, food pantries, meal programs and community-based organizations across the country, Feeding America invests in programs and initiatives—guided by the voices of neighbors facing hunger—to advance its vision of an America where no one is hungry. This includes addressing disparities, increasing access to nutritious and culturally preferred foods, leveraging technological advancements, and advocating for policies that best impact neighbors.
To accomplish our goals, we work in partnership with donors like #1 New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, philanthropist and the nations #1 Life and Business Strategist, Tony Robbins. Mr. Robbins is committed to helping billions of people in America and around the world gain access to the food and resources they need to thrive.
“As an 11-year-old boy, I experienced the kindness of a stranger who knocked on my family’s door and shared two giant bags of groceries and an uncooked frozen turkey with our struggling family at Thanksgiving,” Mr. Robbins recalled. “My life changed after that knock. Ever since that moment, I have understood the power that the kindness and generosity of strangers can have to change the course of people’s lives.”
In 2014, Mr. Robbins and Feeding America launched the 100 Million Meals Challenge. Then, in 2019, he decided to do even more. The goal was increased by launching a 10-year 1 Billion Meals Challenge, the first of its kind. This ambitious goal was reached in 2023— nearly two years earlier than projected. This historic milestone of 1 billion meals could only be achieved thanks to the generosity of thousands of donors who met Mr. Robbins’ rallying call.
Now, Mr. Robbins has recommitted to ending hunger with a yet another bold initiative: The Next Billion Meals Challenge. With a lead matching gift presented by Mr. Robbins, the challenge aims to raise another billion meals by 2035 in partnership with Feeding America. Mr. Robbins knows we must accelerate our collective efforts—uniting people facing hunger, community leaders, advocates, policymakers, companies, organizations and nonprofits—to put an end to hunger in our country.
“At the start, did I think [that] one day I, with the help of many giving strangers, would help provide meals to millions of people facing hunger? No. I started with two families. The next year, four, and then eight,” Mr. Robbins said. “If we all band together as a society, we truly can solve food insecurity for all through building transformative philanthropic efforts at scale.”
Achieving food security and helping people gain access to the meals they need is a lifelong mission of Mr. Robbins. “That stranger’s act of unselfish giving and the memory of what it feels like to not aways know where your next meal may come from fuels my calling to aid those facing immediate hunger and solving longer-term food insecurity for all humankind,” he said.