As we get ready to celebrate the holiday weekend, we want to pause and say thank you for being part of the Hunger Free America community and helping us fight for the most basic freedom for all Americans – the right to eat.

With tens of millions of Americans struggling with this basic right over the last year, our work connecting households with nutritious food has been more important than ever. And we couldn’t have done it without your help. 

Together, over the last year, we’ve:

• Helped more than 3,000 households receive SNAP benefits – the equivalent of more than $10 million in annual benefits!

• Connected more than 30,000 callers to food resources through the National Hunger Hotline.

• Served nearly 200,000 federally-funded summer meals for kids through our AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer program participants. 

• Successfully advocated for increased food and cash benefits in the Covid-19 relief bills.

“Ending hunger lifts us all” has long been our motto at Hunger Free America. This July 4th, we encourage you to share this inspirational message as we celebrate and fight for freedoms for everyone in our country.

As our nation recovers from the health and economic impacts of the pandemic, we are especially grateful for our AmeriCorps VISTA program members (VISTA stands for Volunteers in Service to America). These inspiring individuals – including 80 year-long members who are part of our Anti-Hunger Corps and 110 Summer VISTAs – dedicate their time and talents to supporting HFA and other anti-hunger organizations across the country.

This summer the VISTAs are once again working to ensure thousands of kids get access to federally-funded summer meals, connect families to government food programs, and recruit new anti-hunger volunteers. Delaware Senator Chris Coons recognized their spirit at our recent AmeriCorps VISTA conference with these words: 

“National service represents the very best in America. It teaches ourselves and our communities and our country what it means to be American and what it means to be connected to and give back to community. It shows a desire through service to help create a more just society and a dedication to improving yourselves.”

Thank you to our VISTA members and to everyone who has supported Hunger Free America over the last year. Your volunteer time, advocacy efforts, and donations are crucial to ensuring that families across the country can enjoy a happy and hunger-free day on the Fourth of July – and every day.

Wishing you a restful and joyful holiday weekend,

The Hunger Free America Team