50 Years
of Impact
For five decades, WhyHunger has fueled grassroots solutions, advanced food justice, and been a trusted leader in the fight against hunger. The future demands more — bold investment and bold solidarity. We envision a world where every community has the resources and power to secure nutritious food.
The Urgency Is Real
Across federal support systems, massive cuts to USDA, SNAP, USAID, and FEMA are undermining food security at every level, from local programs to global aid. We’re already seeing the impact. Calls to our WhyHunger Hotline are up over 300%.
Our grassroots partners, from urban farmers to community food banks, are experiencing catastrophic funding loss and will struggle to nourish their neighbors at the very moment they’re needed most.
3 Ways To Make an Impact
Hunger isn’t just about food — it’s about poverty, inequity, access, and climate change. That’s why our approach spans immediate relief when families face crisis; resilience and recovery so communities can rebuild after disasters; and systemic change that uproots hunger at its source.
As we look ahead, WhyHunger is focused on three powerful ways you can live your “why” and make an impact:
- Expand our Hunger Hotline & Find Food Tools
- Grow our Rapid Response Program
- Invest in Sustainable Farming Schools
Expand the Hunger Hotline & Find Food Tools
Our 24/7, multilingual Hunger Hotline and Find Food tools connect over 1 million people a year to local food and vital services. With your support, we will make major upgrades to staffing, technology, accessibility, and outreach—so millions more individuals and families in crisis can quickly find nutritious food when they need it most.
Grow Our Rapid Response Program
Crises exacerbate hunger and delay long-term solutions. 100% of our Rapid Response funding goes straight to communities hit hardest by disaster—no overhead, no delays. We’ll provide immediate support for food, water, shelter, medicine, and community recovery led by trusted local partners. Your gift will help us scale this lifeline in the face of climate disasters, economic upheaval, and policy failures that leave communities to fend for themselves.
Scale Sustainable Farming
We’re growing a global network of farming schools that train people to produce their own food sustainably and teach others to do the same. This farmer-to-farmer model improves nutrition, boosts incomes, conserves biodiversity, and strengthens resilience against climate change. Your gift will help strengthen existing schools and pilot new ones to train more people to grow food and multiply the impact for generations.
Growing Solutions
For 50 years, WhyHunger has been a trusted leader in the fight against hunger. Founded in 1975 by musician Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres around a kitchen table, our mission has always been bold: not just to feed people for today, but to tackle the root causes of hunger for good. From New York City to 24 countries around the globe, we’ve partnered with grassroots leaders to drive solutions that work. Hunger is solvable—what’s needed is the will and investment. Fifty years from now, let’s look back and say, “We did it.”