Feed the Children Launches End Holiday Hunger Campaign, Uniting a Global Movement to Help Children Thrive This Season

Feed the Children, a global movement working to end child hunger, is launching its End Holiday Hunger campaign this week, running through Dec. 31, 2026. The organization is asking donors, corporate partners, volunteers and communities to join a collective effort, so Feed the Children can provide the food and essentials they need most -- because hunger doesn't take a holiday.

"Every child deserves the chance not just to survive, but to thrive," said Emily Callahan, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "Hunger doesn't pause for the holidays -- it intensifies. The season is a powerful reminder of what's at stake and a meaningful opportunity for all of us to come together and change that. When we give now and give monthly, we can help children have consistent access to nutritious, culturally relevant food and essentials they urgently need."

From Urgent Support to Lasting Stability

Feed the Children has focused on providing the support families need most urgently, and that commitment remains. Now, the organization is also working to make that support more consistent, so families can build stability.

Rising food, housing, fuel, insurance and other household costs are stretching family budgets and leaving children's basic needs uncertain, especially during the holidays. That is why Feed the Children is asking people to give now, when holiday need is greatest, and to go a step further by signing up as a sustaining donor at $19/month. Monthly giving allows the organization to plan ahead and provide families with more consistent support, so children's needs are met now and in the winter months to come.

A Global Crisis That Knows No Borders

The scale of child hunger is both vast and urgent. According to UNICEF, one in four children under age 5 worldwide is living in severe child food poverty -- 181 million children who don't have reliable access to the nutritious food they need to grow, learn and thrive.

In the U.S. alone, more than 14.1 million children lived in households that experienced food insecurity in 2024, according to the USDA. This challenge extends well beyond the United States. From Malawi to Honduras, from the Philippines to Uganda, children and families are facing hunger and hardship, and seasonal pressures can intensify the strain.

The challenge is compounded by economic pressure. Across the world, rising food costs and household expenses stretch community resources in ways that fall hardest on children. Whether in a farming community in Malawi, a neighborhood in Honduras or a city in the United States, children and families are experiencing hunger -- and sustained economic strain can affect children's health, development and ability to learn.

For many families, the holidays bring added financial strain, and parents like Lyn feel it most. "During the holidays, money is a challenge," Lyn said. "I don't want my kids to be hungry. I don't want any child or anyone to be hungry. There's no words to explain the feeling that you get when you know your children are going to have dinner on the table for Christmas or Thanksgiving."

A Growing Need, A Global Response

Across the regions Feed the Children serves, that pressure is real and immediate. In Tanzania, 12-year-old Catherine knows firsthand how hunger can stand in the way of learning. "It was hard to study when I was hungry," she said. "Sometimes I couldn't even finish my assignments because I was tired and hungry. Now I can learn with energy."

Feed the Children works across nine countries – the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and the Philippines -- to deliver food, essentials and educational resources through strategic community partnerships. In fiscal year 2025, the organization distributed nearly 78 million meals to nearly 15 million people spanning almost every U.S. state and those eight countries. That impact is made possible by supporters: every $1 given provides $8 in food and essentials for children and families around the world.

"Hunger is not always visible, but it is everywhere," Callahan said. "From rural communities to urban neighborhoods, children go without the food and essentials they need to grow. When we come together -- donors, partners, communities -- we can help rewrite that story."

A Season for Global Action

The End Holiday Hunger campaign, kicking off this week, reflects a broader truth about food insecurity: the holiday season is one of the most critical times for collective action. As communities across East Africa, Central America, Asia and the United States enter a season often marked by celebration, families experiencing food insecurity see demand for food and essential resources rise -- and the opportunity for partners, donors and communities to make a meaningful difference grows with it.

Feed the Children is uniting communities, corporate partners and individual supporters around a shared conviction: every child should start the new year with enough to eat. The most powerful way to help is to become a monthly donor at $19/month. Monthly gifts allow Feed the Children to plan ahead and provide food and essentials more consistently.

Every gift helps, and donations made through Dec. 31, 2026 will bring food and essentials to children and families across the U.S. and around the world.

Watch the End Holiday Hunger PSA

See how communities are coming together to help children survive and thrive this season: Watch the PSA

Campaign Partners

Feed the Children is proud to work alongside a coalition of mission-aligned organizations committed to helping end holiday hunger for children and families everywhere. Feed the Children is grateful for the support of Magic Johnson Foundation, Mattel, StarKist, Operation Warm, Los Angeles Football Club, Detroit Pistons and Premier Nutrition, whose generous contributions are helping to put food and essentials into the hands of children and families in the U.S. and around the world this holiday season.

Each week through December, Feed the Children will share the story of a child from one of the four regions where it works—the United States, Africa, Central America and Asia. These firsthand accounts reflect what's possible when communities unite around a common cause: ensuring every child can survive and thrive. Sharing these stories helps more people understand that hunger exists everywhere right now. Follow their stories, and become a monthly donor at $19/month and join the global movement to end holiday hunger at EndHolidayHunger.org. 

About Feed the Children
Feed the Children is a global movement focused on ending childhood hunger in the U.S. and around the world. Working alongside communities, we provide food, essentials, and opportunities to children and families who need them most so every child can survive and thrive. We are committed to helping families experiencing hunger and hardship so children have what they need to stay healthy, learn, and grow. By uniting people and inspiring action, we work to create a world where no child goes to bed hungry. Compassion has no borders. We believe that every child deserves a chance to thrive. Learn how you can help create a world without childhood hunger at feedthechildren.org.

Feed the Children | Create a world where no child goes to bed hungry.

Media Contact: Richard Presser | 405-247-0345 | [email protected]

SOURCE Feed the Children