FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sep 28, 2022

National service initiatives across the nation are addressing hunger and healthy eating

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In support of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on Wednesday, Sept. 28, AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, joined the nutrition committee meetings to assist with conference planning to ensure a whole-of-government approach to the conference agenda. As part of the nutrition committee, AmeriCorps contributed to the conference’s national strategy, detailing AmeriCorps’ programming that impacts food and nutrition security and diet-related diseases. AmeriCorps partner organizations and grantees also participated in a partner-led convening to share their experience to develop the national strategy to improve nutrition, end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases.

The Biden-Harris Administration released a fact sheet detailing more than $8 billion in new commitments in support of its efforts to end hunger and increase both healthy eating and physical activity by 2030. AmeriCorps will continue to invest in opportunities that address food insecurity and improve economic development in communities with the greatest need.

Public Health AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched Public Health AmeriCorps earlier this year and invested $60 million into the recruitment, training, and development of the next generation of public health leaders who will be ready to respond to the nation’s public health needs.

FoodCorps, a long-standing AmeriCorps grantee and participant in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, has launched its FoodCorps’ Nourishing Futures initiative to partner with schools and districts to advance their goals for food education and school nutrition, expanding FoodCorps programming to reach 500,000 students a year by 2030.

Recent Public Health AmeriCorps grant awards also include:

AmeriCorps Seniors

For more than five decades, volunteers aged 55 and older have been serving their communities through AmeriCorps Seniors to provide independent living support and companionship to other older adults and adults with differing abilities. AmeriCorps Seniors invests in programs that provide meal delivery, perform basic wellness checks, and alert medical professionals if needed.

Recent AmeriCorps Seniors Grant awards include:

AmeriCorps VISTA Food Security Initiative

AmeriCorps has awarded more than $2 million in grants since 2020 to organizations addressing the impact of hunger in their state during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Recent food security initiative grant awards include:

AmeriCorps is committed to healthy futures for all Americans through partnerships with health departments and nonprofit and community-based organizations with members and volunteers focused on building capacity at food banks, combatting the opioid crisis, tackling homelessness and addressing food insecurity.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers.

AmeriCorps offers opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to be a part of the national service community, grow personally and professionally, and receive benefits for their service. Learn how to get involved at AmeriCorps.gov/serve.