WASHINGTON (April 10, 2025) The Alliance to End Hunger is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Zero Hunger Grants: Creating Stronger Hunger Free Communities. Five communities from across the country were awarded the grants to “advance a goal/goals related to the Alliance to End Hunger’s Hunger Free Communities Initiative promoting multisector, collective impact approaches to ending hunger at the local or state level.” Requested funds will be used for building organizational or network capacities to engage in systemic change rooted in racial equity and community engagement.
This year’s recipients are:
- Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance: Launching an agriculture-driven economic development initiative aimed at addressing food insecurity using the Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping tool that will provide a comprehensive visualization of the region’s food network.
- Hunger Free Vermont: Expanding their established Food Security Roadmap to prioritize more inclusive and diverse membership, ensuring that the FSN represents the people and organizations who are most impacted by, living with, and providing direct services to, people living with low incomes, racism, and other forms of structural oppression.
- Montco Anti-Hunger Network: Creating an interactive needs/asset map covering their service area, Montgomery County, PA. This map – built in ArcGIS – will use survey feedback from member pantries and the individuals that they serve to provide the most comprehensive picture of hunger in the area to date.
- Oregon Food Bank Network: Food For All Oregonians is a coalition campaign led by Oregon Food Bank and is working to create a state-funded food assistance program for individuals currently excluded due to immigration status. Funds will be invested into FFAO to drive long-term, sustainable solutions that address hunger at both the policy and community levels.
- United Way of King County: Updating the original 2009 roadmap for anti-hunger work with strategies designed for the current hunger landscape to broaden the scope beyond King County to include all of Washington state. This revamped roadmap will serve as the foundation for Hunger Free Washington – a common plan to guide programs, networking, advocacy, and outreach over the next decade and beyond.
The $10,000 grants are intentionally awarded to spur capacity building aimed at systemic change, and not necessarily service delivery. Minerva Delgado, Director of Coalitions and Advocacy, directs the Hunger Free Communities Network initiative, through which the awards are made. “We were impressed by the plans laid out by all the applicants for this year’s grants and are excited to see the impact that these recipients will be able to make in their communities. Congratulations on your fantastic work.”
