Healthy Hunger Relief

Our food bank partners ensure that no one has to sacrifice good health during difficult times.

Millions of Americans struggle with hunger each year. Food banks and food pantries play a key role in meeting the nutritional needs of low-income children and families, who have less access to nutritious, affordable foods. While the charitable food system provides 3.6 billion meals to vulnerable individuals each year, a 2018 study by Mazon found that 900 million of those meals consist of candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, and other unhealthy food items. The children and families served by food banks and pantries often lack access to affordable, healthy foods, and are more likely to live with obesity and chronic diet-related conditions.

Since 2016, the Partnership for a Healthier America has recognized, elevated, and accelerated the work of food banks and large-scale food pantries across the country that are uplifting the health and well-being of their communities. This new type of partnership was created in response to PHA deepening its focus on the issues of equity and access as they relate to nutritious and healthier food.

PHA Healthy Hunger Relief partners are committed to addressing hunger, malnutrition, and chronic disease by increasing the supply of healthier options and fostering their demand. PHA’s 28 food bank partners reach more than 7 million food insecure individuals across 19 states and have increased the amount of healthy food distributed by 115 million pounds, while eliminating 19 million pounds of junk/snack food from their inventories.

19 Million pounds of low nutrition food removed from the system through PHA's food bank partnerships

Our Work

Food Banks are Raising the Standard for Creating Standards
PHA’s Food Assistance Partnerships: Nourishing Communities Most In-Need
Industry Rapid Response: Arkansas Foodbank

Resources

Resource

Healthy Hunger Relief Fact Sheet

Learn more about PHA's Healthy Hunger Relief work.

Read the Defining Food Equity Paper

Our food bank partners ensure that no one has to sacrifice good health during difficult times.

Our Work

Resources

Our Partners