NEW YORK, NY - HelloFresh, the world’s leading meal kit provider, and No Kid Hungry, a campaign focused on ending childhood hunger, announced the Kids Helping Kids to End Childhood Hunger initiative. This joint effort aims to provide critical relief and resources to combat the urgent summer hunger crisis affecting millions of children nationwide, while empowering the next generation to get involved in the fight against hunger.
Childhood hunger remains a rampant crisis in the United States, affecting one in five households. The issue intensifies during the summer when millions of kids lose access to dependable school-provided meals. Today, skyrocketing grocery prices have left American families struggling to afford basic necessities, deepening the strain on regional food banks. This economic pressure, combined with a critical lack of resource awareness, threatens to leave millions of families facing severe hunger this summer.
New data commissioned by HelloFresh shines a light on the daily struggles so many families face. The Hunger Matters for Kids Report, a nationally representative survey of American parents with children ages 5-18, revealed:
- A Top Household Concern: Hunger and the ability to afford food are major concerns for 80% of parents. In 2026, 67% of parents say they are more worried now than this time last year about putting food on the table, as compared to 44% in 2024.
- Widespread Hardship: One in two (51%) of parents report their household experienced difficulty affording essential food in the past 12 months, with 26% admitting their household completely ran out of food before having money to buy more.
- A Psychological Toll for Parents: Food costs and affordability cause daily stress or anxiety for 71% of parents, according to the report. Three-quarters (75%) of parents expressed feeling a sense of “parental failure” when they are unable to provide sufficient food for their household.
- Deepening Summer Concerns: Nearly two-thirds (63%) of parents are worried that high grocery prices will prevent them from adequately feeding their children this summer.
- Severe Sacrifices: More than one in three parents (36%) of parents reported skipping meals or eating less so that their children would have enough to eat, a sacrifice most prevalent among Gen Z parents. Families also reported cutting back on enrichment programs like summer camps (35%) and essential utility usage like household cooling and air conditioning (33%).
- A Critical Awareness Gap: While 90% of families have utilized external support, 34% of those missing out on aid cited a total lack of awareness regarding available community and government hunger relief resources.
“We cannot talk about the joy of summer break while ignoring the millions of kids who face hunger when schools close,” said Adam Kalikow, managing director at HelloFresh US, in the recent release. “That is why we are proud to partner with No Kid Hungry again on a campaign designed to bridge this gap, empower youth advocates, and deliver wholesome meals directly to the families who need them most.”
As part of this summer campaign, HelloFresh will host meal distribution events in communities across the country, providing free, wholesome HelloFresh meals and vital grocery assistance resources compiled by No Kid Hungry. This year’s events will be led not only by HelloFresh, No Kid Hungry, and regional food bank partners, but also by local youth groups. By involving younger generations, the initiative gives children a unique opportunity to advocate for, support, and uplift one another in the shared fight against hunger.
“Summer should be a time for joy and rest, but instead, it is the hungriest time of year for millions of kids,” said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York. “We are incredibly grateful for HelloFresh’s continued partnership to address this issue. By combining nutritious meal deliveries with localized youth advocacy, this campaign ensures that families not only get the immediate food assistance they need, but also the long-term resources to navigate the summer months with dignity.”
This campaign builds upon HelloFresh’s year-round commitment to fighting food insecurity. Through its Meals with Meaning program, HelloFresh works directly within its operating communities to deliver 36,000 meals each week to households facing hardship. Additionally, the company provides direct, individual relief through its LimeAid initiative, which supplies three months of free meal kits to families. Community members are encouraged to apply for themselves or nominate neighbors and friends in need of support.
To learn more about the Kids Helping Kids to End Childhood Hunger campaign and join in the action, please visit www.hellofresh.com/nokidhungry.
