The program aims to fill a gap left by the school lunch program. | Photo: Shutterstock
A who’s who of restaurant company CEOs are collaborating this summer on a moonshot of a social give-back program: ensuring U.S. children have access to food.
At least nine corporate chiefs have pledged support for No Kid Hungry’s drive to provide meals while school is out of session to children who rely on the National School Lunch Program for lunch, breakfast or both. The specific target of the CEO Pledge to End Summer Hunger initiative is increasing the number of children who receive meals this summer to 30 million, from the current level of 2.8 million.
The participating CEOs have agreed to lend their names to the cause and to enlist their operations in a $50 million fundraising drive.
The money raised will build on the $2.5 billion Congress earmarked earlier this year for the distribution of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that parents can use to defray the cost of groceries.
Without additional funds from the participating chains, the money works out to about an extra $120 per family to spend on food during the summer, or roughly $40 a month.
The participating company chiefs include Paul Brown of Buffalo Wild Wings parent Inspire Brands; Danny Meyer, Union Square Hospitality Group; Brian Niccol, Chipotle; Kelli Valade, Denny’s; Darin Harris, Jack in the Box; Barry McGowan, Fogo de Chao; Christine Barone, Dutch Bros; Charles Watson, Tropical Smoothie; and Noah Glass, Olo.
They’re joined by Tony Spring, CEO of Macy’s.
“As business leaders, we have a shared responsibility to build a nation where every child is set up for success, and that starts with making sure they are nourished,” Tropical Smoothie CEO Charles Watson said in a prepared statement. “This is not just a moral imperative but it’s also a strategic vision that drives our entire network of franchises to raise funds for No Kid Hungry.”
Despite the nature of the cause, some states have balked at the EBT subsidy program’s requirement that they match a portion of the federal funding with state dollars. Iowa, for instance, backed off after Gov. Kim Reynolds said the initiative might increase childhood obesity.
The National School Lunch Program provides free or reduced meals during the school day to children from underprivileged homes.
No Kid Hungry is a signature program of Share Our Strength, the charitable organization founded by former politico Billy Shore. It reportedly spent $132 million during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, on combating childhood food insecurity.
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