【History Archives】

Meal delivery services aren't just for the wealthy. In fact,History Archives they could be the key to curbing hunger.

A new food service from hunger nonprofit Feeding Children Everywhere is bringing simple meal kits to low-income families struggling to afford food. The program, called Fed 40, is giving families across the United States the ability to apply for 40 meal bases that are delivered to their door at no charge.

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Fed 40, which launched in early June, was created for people in need of "legitimate food assistance." They can fill out a simple form online or through the Fed 40 app on iPhone or Android, detailing their income, household size, and current food assistance need.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The person applying can also explain their need in their own words, giving them a platform to explain circumstances that make putting food on the table difficult. Once reviewed and accepted, Feeding Children Everywhere sends 40 nonperishable kits the very next day.

"Fed 40 is the food pantry of the future, designed to disrupt hunger here in the U.S.," said Dave Green, CEO of Feeding Children Everywhere.

So far, the service only offers one meal — Red Lentil Jambalaya. But the simple meal was created to be versatile, vegan, nutritious, and free of common food allergens. The ingredients are lentils, white rice, dehydrated vegetables, and pink Himalayan salt.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Feeding Children Everywhere also has a series of instructional cooking videos on YouTube that use the Red Lentil Jambalaya as the base for larger meals, like Chicken and Lentils and Lentil Casserole. The meals are all budget friendly, using low cost EBT-eligible items as ingredients.

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The base, however, can be eaten by itself in times of extreme need.

Approximately 42 million people in the United States struggle with hunger, including 13 million children. An estimated 13 percent of households are food insecure, meaning they struggle to keep food on the table.

Feeding Children Everywhere says the Fed 40 service is a "more efficient, cost effective, and environmentally responsible" way to end hunger in the U.S. So far, the nonprofit has provided more than 36,000 meals to more than 3,600 Americans in need within the last month.

"Fed 40 is the food pantry of the future, designed to disrupt hunger here in the U.S."

Though the program is already making an impactful mark, Feeding Children Everywhere hopes to continue to grow, giving low-income families access to a more robust catalogue of options, like other meal delivery services.

"Our vision is to one day soon offer an entire menu of food options that allows those in need of food assistance to build their online shopping cart of 40 healthy meals that arrive at their front door in one business day," Green says.

And the program is already growing in the weeks after its initial launch. On July 17, the program will be adding a breakfast portion to the program -- a pack of Apple Pie Oats.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Feeding Children Everywhere doesn't want to just tackle hunger through meal kits, which can be seen as a Band-Aid solution to a systemic problem. The nonprofit wants to help address the roots of hunger through its app, adding an educational and referral component to the program to get low-income families the assistance they need.

"We're working to add additional services to the app to help those struggling with poverty climb out of their current situation," Green said. "We are planning to launch a financial literacy course, information on job skills programs, and referrals to other critical services, such as getting an ID."

Editor's Note:As of December 2023, the Fed40 app is no longer available; however, families can sign up online for a similar assistance program called Full Cart. Additionally, Feeding Children Everywhere is now known as U.S. Hunger.

Related Video: Amazon Prime offers low-income families a discounted membership

Topics Social Good