HUNGER FREE AMERICA INC

HUNGER FREE AMERICA IS A NONPARTISAN, NATIONAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION BUILDING THE MOVEMENT TO ENACT THE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS NEEDED TO END DOMESTIC HUNGER AND ENSURE THAT ALL AMERICANS HAVE SUFFICIENT ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD. SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 1983, WE HAVE BEEN AN EFFECTIVE CHAMPION IN THE FIGHT FOR ECONOMIC, RACIAL, AND FOOD JUSTICE. AS A LEADING RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, WE WORK TO IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE YET PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO HUNGER. WE WORK TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF HUNGER AND ENGAGE AMERICANS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS IN THE FIGHT TO ENSURE THAT OUR SOCIETY SUPPLIES LIVING WAGE JOBS AND AN ADEQUATE GOVERNMENT NUTRITION SAFETY NET. WE ALSO SUPPLY DIRECT SERVICE, HELPING AMERICANS ACCESS GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL SOURCES OF FOOD AND BY BUILDING A NEW GENERATION OF ANTI-HUNGER LEADERS. PROGRAMS: ADVOCACY, RESEARCH, AND POLICY: OUR ADVOCACY TEAM IS A VOICE FOR THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO STRUGGLE AGAINST U.S. HUNGER. ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND COURAGEOUS ADVOCACY GROUPS IN THE NATION, WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS TO ADVANCE POLICIES TO END HUNGER AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC JUSTICE, LIKE THE HOPE ACT, A BILL THAT WILL MAKE IT DRAMATICALLY EASIER FOR LOW-INCOME AMERICANS TO APPLY FOR AND ACCESS PUBLIC BENEFITS. WE ALSO CONDUCT GROUND-BREAKING RESEARCH AND PUBLISH CUTTING-EDGE REPORTS THAT PROPOSE BOLD AND CONCRETE SOLUTIONS TO HUNGER AND POVERTY, SUCH AS RECENT REPORTS DETAILING THE NEED FOR MORE COORDINATION BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT, SNAP, AND WIC APPLICATIONS THROUGHOUT THE US AND OUR COMPREHENSIVE, NATIONAL PLAN TO END HUNGER IN AMERICA. AMERICORPS VISTA: OUR AMERICORPS VISTA NATIONAL SERVICE TEAMS ENABLE PARTICIPANTS TO SERVE THE COUNTRY WHILE FIGHTING HUNGER. IN 2025, HFA FACILITATED 460 VOLUNTEER TRAININGS AND RECRUITED 3,282 VOLUNTEERS, MANAGED 47,569 VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVED A TOTAL OF 75,638 HOURS. OUR EFFORTS CREATED 281 PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY. HELPED 6,501 PEOPLE ACCESS INFORMATION ABOUT FOOD SECURITY PROGRAMS. VISTA MEMBERS ALSO ASSISTED WITH GRANTS, RESULTING IN $200,000 IN FUNDING AND ANOTHER $6,896,432 IN IN-KIND DONATIONS. ALL OF HUNGER FREE AMERICA'S PROJECTS ARE UNITED BY THE BASIC GOALS OF REDUCING HUNGER, IMPROVING NUTRITION, AND EMPOWERING FAMILIES TO OBTAIN MORE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. "BENEFITS ACCESS: OUR TEAM WORKS TO CONNECT LOW-INCOME NEW YORKERS WITH BENEFITS TO ACCESS FOOD ACROSS ALL FIVE BOROUGHS. OUR STAFF SCREENS FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS FOR FEDERAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND HELPS THEM THROUGH THE APPLICATION AND RECERTIFICATION PROCESS. IN 2025, WE PRE-SCREENED 6,482 HOUSEHOLDS FOR SNAP BENEFITS, ASSISTED 5,927 HOUSEHOLDS SUBMIT THEIR SNAP APPLICATION, AND SUCCESSFULLY ENROLLED 4,361 HOUSEHOLDS. OUR 2025 EFFORTS GENERATE APPROXIMATELY $21.6 MILLION IN SNAP BENEFITS ANNUALLY." IN ADDITION TO FOOD ASSISTANCE, PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE ENROLLED ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO VALUABLE SUPPORT SERVICES, INCLUDING FREE NUTRITION AND BREASTFEEDING COUNSELING. THESE SERVICES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN PROMOTING HEALTHIER LIFESTYLES, IMPROVING MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND HELPING FAMILIES NAVIGATE NUTRITIONAL CHALLENGES DURING THESE CRUCIAL YEARS IN THEIR LIVES. OUR ONGOING OUTREACH EFFORTS ENSURE THAT FAMILIES NOT ONLY ACCESS BENEFITS BUT ALSO GAIN THE NECESSARY TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. HFA'S SOCIAL SERVICES JOB TRAINING PROGRAM, CURRENTLY IN ITS SECOND YEAR, IS A PAID 16-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM TO ENABLE UNEMPLOYED AND UNDEREMPLOYED PEOPLE IN CHICAGO AND BALTIMORE TO OBTAIN THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE THEY NEED TO OBTAIN LIVING WAGES CAREERS IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES SECTION. CHILD NUTRITION: OUR CHILD NUTRITION EFFORTS ARE DEDICATED TO ENSURING THAT EVERY CHILD IN AMERICA HAS ACCESS TO SUFFICIENT AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD. THROUGH OUTREACH AND POLICY WORK, WE FOCUS ON INCREASING PARTICIPATION IN FREE SUMMER MEALS AND SCHOOL BREAKFASTS, CONNECTING CHILDREN WITH THE NUTRITION THEY NEED TO GROW AND THRIVE. IN 2025, HFA PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN PROMOTING THE SUMMER EBT PROGRAM. OUR CEO, JOEL BERG, PROPOSED THE CREATION OF A COALITION OF KEY ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATIONS, SUPPORTED BY THE ALBERTSONS FOUNDATION, TO LEAD A NATIONAL OUTREACH CAMPAIGN. THIS INITIATIVE INVOLVED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DEDICATED WEBSITE THAT ALLOWS FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO CHECK IF THEIR STATE IS PARTICIPATING IN THE SUMMER EBT PROGRAM. THE SITE ALSO REDIRECTS FAMILIES TO THEIR STATE'S SUMMER EBT APPLICATION PORTAL, MAKING IT EASIER FOR THEM TO ACCESS BENEFITS. ADDITIONALLY, WE EXPANDED OUR WORK WITH HEAD START PROGRAMS, PARTICULARLY THROUGH OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE NEW YORK STATE (NYS) HEAD START TEAM. THIS PARTNERSHIP HAS ENABLED US TO CONNECT WITH AND WORK ALONGSIDE 74 LOCAL HEAD START PROGRAMS. WE HAVE CONDUCTED A RANGE OF WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS FOR BOTH FAMILIES AND FAMILY-FACING STAFF MEMBERS, HELPING TO PROVIDE THEM WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION ON NUTRITION, RESOURCES, AND SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THEM. OUR TEAM WAS A KEY ADVOCATE FOR UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS IN NEW YORK STATE, HELPING TO PUSH FOR FREE MEALS FOR ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF INCOME. AS A RESULT, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL ANNOUNCED A PLAN IN HER 2025 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS TO PROVIDE FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TO ALL 2.7 MILLION STUDENTS IN THE STATE. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY AND COULD SAVE FAMILIES ABOUT $165 PER CHILD EACH MONTH (AROUND $2,000 ANNUALLY). THE STATE IS ALLOCATING $340 MILLION TO FUND THE INITIATIVE. FOOD ACTION BOARD (FAB): OUR PIONEERING FAB PROGRAM EMPOWERS LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HELP THEM DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP, ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING SKILLS. FOR OVER 16 YEARS, OUR FOOD ACTION BOARD HAS BUILT A COMMUNITY OF OVER 200 LOW-INCOME, IMMIGRANT, AND MAJORITY NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING MEMBERS FROM UNDER-RESOURCED NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT NEW YORK CITY, TO FIGHT FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES AND TO BUILD THE ANTI-HUNGER MOVEMENT IN NEW YORK CITY AND BEYOND. FAB MEMBERS TAKE ON KEY POSITIONS AND LEADERSHIP ROLES IN EFFORTS AT THE CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE POLICIES THAT SUPPORT FOOD SECURITY AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. STRATEGIC VOLUNTEERISM PROGRAM: OUR GROUND-BREAKING ENDING HUNGER THROUGH STRATEGIC VOLUNTEERISM INITIATIVE WORKS TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM ACCEPTING HUNGER TO ENDING IT; FROM PERPETUATING SHORT-TERM CHARITY TO BEING ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN A BROAD-BASED MOVEMENT TO ENSURE ALL PEOPLE IN THE US HAVE ACCESS TO SUFFICIENT, AFFORDABLE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD. BY USING THE TALENTS AND PASSIONS OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS WITH CAPACITY BUILDING VOLUNTEERISM, WE MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT FOR BOTH THE VOLUNTEER AND THE ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATION. WITH 53 NON-PROFIT PARTNERS THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC VOLUNTEERISM HUB PARTNERSHIP, THE TEAM OFFERS INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ANTI-HUNGER ORGANIZATIONS, SUPPORTING THEIR ABILITY TO ENGAGE MOTIVATED VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION EXPANDING WORK. DURING 2025, 1,047 VOLUNTEERS SERVED 32,084 COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS FOR BOTH HUNGER FREE AMERICA AND HUB PARTNERS AND OFFERED 147 UNIQUE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING 217 VOLUNTEERS FOR THE MLK SERVE-A-THON. USDA CLEARINGHOUSE: OUR USDA NATIONAL HUNGER HOTLINE IS A RESOURCE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES SEEKING INFORMATION ON HOW TO OBTAIN EMERGENCY FOOD. THE HOTLINE STAFF CONNECTS CALLERS WITH EMERGENCY FOOD PROVIDERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY, GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SUCH AS SNAP, WIC AND SUMMER MEALS, AND VARIETY OF OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES. IN 2025, WE ENABLED OVER 39,119 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO ACCESS NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENT FOOD RESOURCES VIA OUR HOTLINE (20,369) AND TEXT SERVICE (18,750). THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED DECREASED BY 8% COMPARED TO 2024. IN ADDITION TO SERVING PEOPLE, WE ALSO VALIDATED 9,361 RESOURCES IN OUR NATIONAL DATABASE OF FOOD PROGRAMS, FINDFOOD,HUNGERFREEAMERICA.ORG. THE DATABASE IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC 24/7 FOR FREE TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS TO SEARCH FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE AT THEIR CONVENIENCE. DATABASE LISTINGS INCLUDE HOURS OF OPERATION ALONG WITH DETAILED MAPS AND TRAVEL DIRECTIONS TO EACH SITE.