Children's Hunger Alliance
Who We Are: Founded in 1970, Children’s Hunger Alliance is a statewide nonprofit based in Columbus with regional offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo. Simply put, our mission is to provide healthy meals to hungry children, advocate for the welfare of Ohio’s youngest citizens and teach nutrition education to those we serve. At Children’s Hunger Alliance, we are committed to improving the well-being of the almost half a million* – or 1 in 5 – children throughout the state struggling with hunger.
*Based on Feeding America Map the Meal data, pre-COVID
What We Do: While there are many food safety net opportunities for families in need – all being important – our work specifically focuses on children’s food insecurity. We work to ensure children have their nutritional needs met by collaborating with numerous community partners. We serve as sponsors of the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program. These programs are administered in early childcare settings as well as after school and summer programs. Most recently with the launch of our mobile meal service, we improved access to summer meals in four different cities across the state and plan to expand to additional locations in the future. We also work with schools to increase breakfast participation, and lastly, we teach nutrition education and physical activity to those we serve.
Why We're Important: Our work feeding children has always been critical, but never more so than during a public health crisis. The work we do at Children’s Hunger Alliance to provide our most vulnerable citizens with one of their most basic needs – food – is critical to the future of our children. Research shows that children who regularly have access to nutritious meals not only are healthier overall, but also perform better in school. Consistent access to healthy food is crucial for children to grow and learn, helping give them the best opportunity to become productive adults and break the cycle of poverty.
How We Impact The Community: Through our partnerships, the children we serve receive healthy meals. While providing meals to children is certainly our primary focus, secondarily our work removes some of the financial burden for families that may be struggling to make ends meet. As a sponsor of the USDA federal food programs, we also contribute to the economic vitality of our state by bringing federal funds back to Ohio. Our work is critical to the children in Ohio that simply do not have enough food to sustain a healthy life.
How You Can Help: Ohio’s 1 in 5 children struggling with food insecurity rely on the generosity of community members to help us provide them with the healthy meals they need. If you would like to be part of this important work, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution by visiting ChildrensHungerAlliance.org/GiveMeals. We also rely on our dedicated volunteers to help us pack meals at our warehouse, near our home office, or we can bring our mobile volunteer opportunity to you! We will come to your office for your group to pack meals - a great team-building opportunity. To learn more, visit ChildrensHungerAlliance.org.
Connect with Children's Hunger Alliance
1105 Schrock Road, Suite 505 Columbus, OH 43229 614-341-7700 ChildrensHungerAlliance.org
Executive Director: Judy Mobley, President & CEO
Email: 4kids@childrenshungeralliance.org Vice President of Development: Cindi Marshall Email: development@childrenshungeralliance.org Board Chair: Troy Kemelgor, Northwestern Mutual
