Feeding America is a United States-based non-profit organization that is a natio nwide network of food banks that feeds more

that 37 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in communities across America and leads the nation in the fight against hunger. The president and CEO is Bob Aiken.[1] Feeding America was known as America's Se cond Harvest until August 31, 2008.[2] (For Second Harvest Toronto, see Second H arvest).

Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Network programs 3 Notable food banks in the network 4 Notes 5 External links History[edit] In the late 1960s, John van Hengel, a retired businessman in Phoenix, Arizona be gan volunteering at a local soup kitchen, and began soliciting food donations fo r 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 tha t she regularly fed her family with discarded items from the grocery store's gar bage 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 ne eded it, similar to how banks store money. Van Hengel began to actively solicit this unwanted food from grocery stores, loc al 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.[3] 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-pr ofit organization in 1976.[4] In 2001, America's Second Harvest merged with Foodchain,[5] at that time the nat ion's largest food-rescue organization. In May 2007, it was featured on American Idol, named as a charity in the Idol Gi ves Back charity program.[6] 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 Dyla n's album Christmas in the Heart would be donated to Feeding America, in perpetu ity. There has been a rise in the numbers suffering from hunger since the 2008 financ ial crisis. In 2012, Feeding America reported that about 49 million Americans we re now facing the condition, about one in six of the population. In September, t hey launched Hunger Action Month, with events planned all over the nation, to ra ise awareness and get more Americans involved in helping out.[7] [8][9] Network programs[edit]

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 an d the programs that serve vulnerable Americans. Feeding America's public policy staff works with legislators, conducting research, testifying at hearings and ad vocating for changes in public attitudes and laws that support Feeding America's network and those the organization serves.[10]