Feed the Children Kicks Off Its No Hunger Holidays Campaign With Goal of Delivering 10 Million Meals Across U.S.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 13, 2024) – As the holiday season approaches, more families will find themselves experiencing difficult choices about basic needs and living without essential resources. That’s why Feed the Children, a leading nonprofit committed to ending childhood hunger, is kicking off its annual No Hunger Holidays campaign with a goal of delivering 10 million meals to help children, parents and caregivers during this challenging time. The nonprofit is raising awareness around the surge in food insecurity across the nation.

Feed the Children will hold Resource Rally events across the U.S. to provide food, resources and hope to families who are currently experiencing the effects of inflation and ever-increasing food prices. At each event, families will receive a 25-pound box of self-stable food; a 15-pound box of much-needed personal-care items (such as shampoo, lotion, laundry detergent); as well as additional items like books, toys and more. At select events, families will receive innovative meal kits

At select events, Feed the Children will be distributing winter coats thanks to a partnership with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that manufactures brand-new, high-quality coats and shoes for children in need. This winter, the organizations will partner to distribute 25,000 coats to children.

For parents like Dan, his budget has been stretched to the breaking point.

“I have to choose between buying food or fuel to go to work. I’m facing hard decisions right now.”

In the U.S., 1 in 5 children are estimated to be food insecure. In fact, more than 18 million families in America were hungry at some point in 2023. Price hikes at the grocery store have made food less affordable for families. Since 2021, food prices have increased by nearly 20 percent according to the USDA. While food inflation has started to ease, prices are still high compared to pre-pandemic levels. Families are also experiencing increased housing costs with average rent costs increasing 30.4 percent nationwide between 2019 and 2023.

Jenny, a mom of two teenagers, said the holidays are a happy time, but also extremely stressful because of high food prices.

“Food is a big part of the holiday season and some of people’s best memories come from sitting at holiday dinners eating mashed potatoes, stuffing and those comfort foods. You remember it just from the smell and it takes you back. It’s a tradition we want to pass to our family, but it’s difficult with the high prices of everything.”

For moms like DeeDee, Feed the Children brings hope to the holidays.

“Christmas is very hard,” says DeeDee, noting that she must make sacrifices in buying food and in buying gifts. “I try to balance it so we’ll have a decent meal and a decent holiday season, because I can’t make it both. I have to cut everything in half. When holidays come around, we are really short on everything,” she said. “Without food and resources from Feed the Children, I don’t know where we would be. It is really a big help, it’s a blessing, and it helps us in more ways than I can explain. When money is low and times are hard, the food and resources go a long way.”

This holiday season, Feed the Children is working to support families through the assistance of corporate and community partners, volunteers and donors alike. The No Hunger Holidays campaign has numerous generous sponsors such as (Gold Level Sponsors) FedEx, Frito-Lay, Niagara Bottling, Operation Warm, Smithfield Foods (Silver Sponsors) Magic Johnson Enterprises, Campbell Soup Co., Costco, Detroit Pistons, Price Rite Marketplace, Yamaha Motor Corp. (Bronze Sponsors) Blue Planet Eyewear, Chickasaw Nation, Los Angeles Lakers, Norman Regional Health System, StarKist, Teleperformance; [Proud Partners], Bentgo, BNRG Inc., C.A. Fortune, Coca-Cola North America, Dole Food Company Inc., Iroquois Southwest, Mattel Children’s Foundation, Novolex, PLEZI Nutrition, R.C. Bigelow, W. Buehler Foundation, Sprouts Farmers Market, Starbucks and Suave.

“It is only through partnership that we can reach these families during the holiday season,” said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. “No child should go without, and Feed the Children is thankful for our partnerships that can help ease the burden many families are facing. If you are fortunate enough to experience joy and generosity around your own holiday table, you can make a tremendous difference when you give from your heart.”

To learn more about how to help Feed the Children create a hunger-free holiday season for children and families across America, visit feedthechildren.org/nohungerholidays.