About Hunger Free Vermont

We believe that everyone, at every age, has the right to food.  We believe that people and their families should be able to afford and get the food they need and want with dignity. We also believe that children should have nutritious food available to them wherever they learn and play.

Our intersectional approach to achieving food security for all involves policy advocacy, community engagement, and partner training and education. 

• Policy & Advocacy: We believe that food security is a policy choice. We partner with state and federal policymakers to make systemic change and strengthen existing federal nutrition programs that are essential to supporting food security now.

• Community Engagement: We work with and learn from communities and organizations to raise awareness about the root causes of hunger, destigmatize state and federal nutrition programs, and identify creative opportunities to create food security in every community.

• Partner Training & Support: We have staff with deep expertise in federal nutrition program policy. They lead free training and educational opportunities across the state for service providers who help Vermonters access federal nutrition programs, and provide technical support to entities that operate meal programs for all ages.  

Originally founded in 1993 as The Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, we had an initial focus on expanding meal programs in public schools so children could learn and grow without hunger. We recognized that ending child hunger required addressing the broader, systemic causes of hunger and poverty that affect families and people of all ages. 

Over time, our mission expanded. In 2010, we became the Hunger Free Vermont you know today, working with policymakers and communities to ensure food security for all Vermonters of every age. 

Note: We are not a foodbank and do not provide direct food assistance. Visit the Vermont Foodbank to find a food shelf near you.