FoodFinder
FoodFinder is a nonprofit organization whose website and app show food insecure families where to get help from their nearest food pantries and school meal programs.
As a high school student, FoodFinder founder Jack Griffin, tried and failed to find a food pantry to volunteer at by searching online. He discovered an online information gap that impeded Americans facing hunger from finding nearby food aid. A year later, FoodFinder launched as a website in May of 2014, to guide hungry children and families to assistance programs in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The mobile app launched two years later, and has been growing ever since.
What began as a humble website with the info on a couple dozen food pantries has turned into a nationwide and award-winning platform with 5 out of every 6 food pantries in America in its database. FoodFinder has connected more than 400,000 people across the United States to food relief, including more than a quarter-million community members served during the COVID-19 pandemic alone.
The earliest estimates from Feeding America and No Kid Hungry project that a heartbreaking 50-55 million Americans are now food insecure because of the pandemic, including 1 out of 4 children. However, 37 million people in America and 1 out of 6 children were food insecure BEFORE the pandemic - when the U.S. was effectively at full employment. Widespread hunger didn’t begin with COVID-19 and won’t end with it either; there’s much more to be done to address the root causes of food inequity (especially along racial and ethnic delineations) if we are to ever achieve true food justice in this country.
FoodFinder is on pace to triple its annual impact for the 3rd straight year. FoodFinders goal is to go from 127,000 people served in 2019 to at least 375,000 food insecure Americans served in 2020. With COVID-19 making the need for emergency food relief even greater than it was during the Great Recession, they have their work cut out for them. Beyond overall impact, FoodFinder's ultimate goal is to become the first-ever directory of every food pantry and food assistance program in America. We want to help hungry individuals and families wherever they live in America, whenever they need our support.
If FoodFinder’s work to alleviate hunger and the use of technology for good resonates with you, there are three main ways you can support them directly!
DONATE: Financial support is so important for FoodFinder’s ability to be there for hungry families since our costs increase as we serve more people. A little goes a long way though - a $10 donation helps FoodFinder connect 200 food-insecure families to food assistance!
SPREAD THE WORD: An easy and cost-free way to support their mission is to spread the word in your communities and on social media. Their social handle is @FoodFinderUS. Message them directly if you'd like FoodFinder cards and flyers sent at no charge to a school or community center near you!
UPDATE FOODFINDER’S DATABASE: The FoodFinder website has functionality for users to make direct updates to food pantry listings - inputting changes in hours or location for your local pantry helps our neighbors in need receive accurate information.
click the FoodFinder logo below to be directed to their website
