HARRISON, N.Y. – PepsiCo, PepsiCo Foundation and Feed the Children today announced that the Feed the Children Food & Essentials Hub program has provided over 2 million meals served this year, marking a significant milestone in their longstanding work to help address childhood hunger. Through school-based hubs, the program connects students and families with nutritious food, household essentials and educational resources, helping bring critical support directly into the communities where families live and children learn.
The program launched in 2020, when food insecurity among U.S. households with children rose to 14.8%, up from 13.6% in 2019.
"For many families, access to food isn't the only challenge. Time, transportation and awareness of available resources can all create barriers to getting support when it's needed most," said Monica Bauer, SVP, Social Impact, PepsiCo and President of the PepsiCo Foundation. "That's what makes this model so powerful. By working with Feed the Children to provide food, household essentials and educational resources through local schools, this program helps reach families through institutions they already know and trust. As the program exceeds two million meals delivered, we're seeing how community-based partnerships can help strengthen family stability and support student success."
Today, the Food & Essentials Hub network continues to bring together Feed the Children and a coalition of supporting partners to help address school hunger and strengthen support for children and families.
During the 2025-26 school year, Feed the Children's Food & Essentials Hub network delivered meaningful impact across the country, including:
- More than 154,900 students and 58,600 households reached
- 834 schools engaged across 11 states
- More than 686,000 meals provided
- More than $6.7 million in food, essentials, books and school supplies distributed
Unlike traditional food distribution programs, the Feed the Children Food & Essentials Hub model goes beyond food assistance, providing families with household and personal care items, school supplies and educational resources through participating schools. By bringing these resources together in one place, the program is designed to help reduce household stress and support children both in and out of the classroom.
The program is making a meaningful difference for participating families and schools, including:
- 71% of caregivers reported reduced household stress.
- Nearly two-thirds of caregivers said the program helped reduce the need to cut or skip meals for their children.
- Concerns about food running out dropped by 17.3 percentage points, with nearly twice as many families reporting they did not worry about food at all.
- 85% of families said access to household and personal care items helped free up resources for other essential expenses.
- 87% of participating school districts reported improvements in student confidence and attendance.
- 83% of students and families said they felt treated with dignity and respect while accessing resources.
"When we talk about the true impact of fighting school hunger, we're talking about much more than food. We're talking about helping children arrive at school ready to learn, reducing stress for families, and creating opportunities for children to grow, succeed and thrive," said Emily Callahan, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "Through our long-standing relationship with PepsiCo and the support of partners who make the Feed the Children Food & Essentials Hub program possible, we're helping provide food, essentials and support that strengthen families and communities while advancing our shared vision of a world where no child goes to bed hungry."
The milestone builds on more than three decades of collaboration between PepsiCo and Feed the Children to help expand food, essentials and support for families across the U.S. Together, these organizations continue to invest in community-based solutions that help address immediate needs while supporting long-term well-being for children and families.
