| Feeding America | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1979 |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Headquarters | Chicago, IL |
| Region served | USA |
| Membership | Over 200 food banks |
| President & CEO | Vicki B. Escarra |
| Main organ | Board of Directors |
| Website | http://feedingamerica.org |
Feeding America is a United States-based non-profit organization. It consists of a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks and food rescue organizations[1] that serve virtually every county in the United States as well as Puerto Rico. It is the nation's leading hunger-relief charity,[1] headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The organization supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 90,000 programs including pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes.[2] The current president and CEO is Vicki B. Escarra.[3] Feeding America was known as America's Second Harvest until August 31, 2008.[4] (For Second Harvest Toronto, see Second Harvest).
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In the late 1960s, John van Hengel, a retired businessman in Phoenix, Arizona began volunteering at a local soup kitchen, and began soliciting food donations for the kitchen. He ended up with far more food than the kitchen could use in its operations. Around this time, he spoke with one of the clients, who told him that she regularly fed her family with discarded items from the grocery store's garbage bins. She told him that the food quality was fine, but that there should be a place where unwanted food could be stored and later accessed by people who needed it, similar to how banks store money.
Van Hengel began to actively solicit this unwanted food from grocery stores, local gardens, and nearby produce farms. His effort led to the creation of St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix, the nation's first food bank.[5]
In 1975, St. Mary's was given a federal grant to assist in developing food banks across the nation. This effort was formally incorporated into a separate non-profit organization in 1976.[6]
In 2001, America's Second Harvest merged with Foodchain,[7] at that time the nation's largest food-rescue organization.
In May 2007, it was featured on American Idol, named as a charity in the Idol Gives Back charity program.[8]
In September 2008, the organization name was changed to Feeding America. The new name conveys the mission—providing food to Americans living with hunger—and will be supported through expansive public outreach campaigns that will raise awareness of domestic hunger and Feeding America's work.
In August 2009, Columbia Records announced that all U.S. royalties from Bob Dylan's album Christmas in the Heart would be donated to Feeding America, in perpetuity.
Feeding America works to educate the general public and keep them informed about hunger in America. The national office produces educational and research papers that spotlight aspects of hunger and provides information on hunger, poverty and the programs that serve vulnerable Americans. Feeding America's public policy staff works with legislators, conducting research, testifying at hearings and advocating for changes in public attitudes and laws that support Feeding America's network and those the organization serves.[9]