Notable Conversations
Celebrities and other influencers add their voices,
sharing personal experiences with hunger or providing inspiration for action to support ending hunger in the United States. |
Ben Affleck, actor and filmmaker, Feeding America Entertainment Council
"We are calling upon everyone in America -- the business community, policy makers and the public -- to do what they can to help people battling hunger in their communities. Hunger is in each and every one of our backyards."
Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut, second man on the moon
“If we can conquer space, we can conquer childhood hunger. Americans have accomplished such wondrous feats. The space program began with a commitment, which enabled us to overcome the myriad obstacles that stood in our way. Surely, we can and must eliminate this earthly catastrophe. It all begins with a commitment. If we could get a man on the moon in 1969, we can certainly end US hunger by 2030.”
Camila Alves McConaughey, model and designer, Feeding America Entertainment Council
"No one should experience hunger, especially children. I was very surprised to learn that 44 million people face hunger in the U.S and about 7 million children live in food-insecure households. I never expected to see these numbers in the United States."
Kristen Bell, actress, No Kid Hungry Champion
"When my kids are hungry, they power down like tiny, cranky robots and there’s no re-booting or re-setting them until they eat. I can’t imagine what it’d be like if I couldn’t give them what they need.”
Halle Berry, actress
"Every human on this Earth deserves clothes on their back and food in their mouth. I'm honored to use my voice to spread awareness about US hunger."
Justin Bieber, singer
"I remember being poor and being teased by other kids. I remember sitting in restaurants with my mother and she'd make me order water instead of soda. I remember so badly wanting to order a soda. And I also remember that, when I got my first paycheck, I was so glad to be able to use that money to take care of my mother."
Simone Biles, Olympic gymnast champion
“Growing up, me and my siblings were so focused on food because we didn’t have a lot of food.”
Jeff Bridges, actor and singer, End Hunger Network founder and No Kid Hungry National Spokesperson
“Millions of our kids can't learn in school because they are hungry. Public charities, food banks, and church pantries are doing more than ever before, but they can't keep up with the need. Like other western democracies, we must end hunger through governmental leadership, driven by public support.”
Kelly Clarkson, singer, songwriter, and TV personality
“We lived pre-paycheck to pre-paycheck…and grew up poor and without a lot of family stability.”
Misty Copeland, dancer
"I've talked openly about the fact that there were times when my family was on food stamps during my childhood. It wasn't about the best and healthiest foods. We ate to survive. After becoming a professional dancer, understanding that my body is my instrument, I finally appreciated the importance of nutrition. So, I can relate to the millions of families in this country who don't have access to fresh produce. I also know the impact these foods can have on our bodies, our health and our spirit."
Katie Couric, journalist and news anchor
“To think that one child would go to bed hungry somewhere in this country is heartbreaking... to know how many do is virtually incomprehensible. It happens right here in our own backyard. Together, as concerned citizens, we must do more to make sure every child's needs are met.”
Stephen Curry, 4-time NBA basketball champion, Golden State Warriors, No Kid Hunger Champion
"I was once a kid who faced food insecurity. When Ayesha and I launched Eat. Learn. Play. in 2019, we saw the tremendous need that existed in our adopted hometown of Oakland and set out to use our platform and resources to help unlock the full potential of the kids in our community. Everyone deserves the chance to live a happy, healthy childhood. We can really end hunger here in our country."
Viola Davis, actress
“I did everything to get food. I've stolen for food. I jumped in huge garbage bins with maggots for food. I had befriended people in the neighborhood who I knew had mothers who cooked three meals a day for food, and I sacrificed a childhood for food and grew up in immense shame.”
Ted Danson, actor
“Kids who are hungry do poorly in school and are unlikely to grow into productive adults. For families, experiencing hunger means living in a world of isolation and shame. Caring citizens must put an end to this national disgrace.”
Kevin Durant, NBA professional basketball, Phoenix Suns
“It was so clear to me at a young age that if you didn’t get up every day and work till it was dark, you weren’t eating. So, working hard and never cutting corners wasn’t even a question for me because we were starving.”
Jennifer Garner, actress
"So, while I did not grow up poor, I was surrounded by it and I always said I was a generation and a holler removed from rural poverty."
Selena Gomez, singer, songwriter and actress
“We would get stuck in the traffic all the time and search for pennies to get petrol for the car…we struggled just to put food on the table.”
Jeff Gordon, NASCAR racing champion
"It just amazes me -- millions of Americans are forced to make a choice between going hungry and medicine. And 6 million of those are 60 or over."
Tiffany Haddish, actress
“Food insecurity is a real thing for me, something I’ve experienced in the majority of my existence.”
Kate Hudson, actress and World Food Programme ambassador
"Women and children make up the majority of people who are going hungry, and one of the things that the school meals program does is allow young women to have an education."
Hugh Jackman, actor
"I think hunger is one of the most debilitating things anyone can experience. It is not a natural state. It is not the way things should be. It is more than a moral issue. It is imperative for us all to do everything we can to conquer this."
50 Cent Jackson, rapper and actor
"We all have choices to maker in life, but I don't think anyone should have to choose between putting food on their table or a roof over their heads."
Lebron James, 4-time NBA basketball champion, Los Angeles Lakers
"One out of 8 Americans struggle with hunger and I think one is too many. With one action, one can make a huge impact."
Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), actor, film producer, and retired professional wrestling champion
"We couldn’t even afford Thanksgiving dinner and was praying someone would invite us over their house to eat. "
Kesha, singer and songwriter
"My family relied on food stamps and I'm the same person I was when I was selling clothes to buy a taco for dinner."
John Legend, singer, songwriter, and actor
"I grew up around people who were on food stamps, people who were living week to week, day to day sometimes, to get the food they needed. If you don't live in that setting, you don't realize that so many people are going through this, and we want to bring it to the forefront."
Julia Lewis-Dreyfus, actress and comedian
"The American people are go-getters. When there's a problem, they roll up their sleeves."
Ludacris, rapper and actor
"One in six children face hunger in our country, now that’s Ludicrous. We do this because we are all family in one form or another."
Tim McGraw, singer, songwriter, and actor
“No one can live and grow without such a fundamental necessity as food. If we Americans reach out in our communities, we could end this crisis.”
Leighton Meester, actress and singer
"Growing up, there were many times when I didn't know if we were going to be able to afford to eat. We relied on lunch programs and food stamps. Today one in eight Americans faces hunger or food insecurity. Most of us don't realize that people can be hardworking and still struggle to put food on the table."
Gwyneth Paltrow, actress and business owner
After responding to a challenge to live on a food budget of $29 for one week: “My perspective has been forever altered by how difficult it was to eat wholesome, nutritious food on that budget, even for just a few days—a challenge that 44 million Americans face every day, week, and year. I know hunger doesn’t always touch us all directly—but it does touch us all indirectly.”
PINK, singer and songwriter, No Kid Hungry Champion
“It makes me want to cry. As a mom, I’ve got two kids, I would do anything to feed them.”
Gordon Ramsay, celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television presenter
“With the current cost-of-living crisis on everyone’s minds and rising food prices being a world-wide problem, now more than ever, households across America face the very real issue of food insecurity."
Sylvester Stallone, actor
“When I was a kid, my mother used to feed me mashed-potato sandwiches, Brussel sprout sandwiches; my brain cells were starving from lack of food. I'll eat anything. I'll eat dirt. Me and my dog Butkus were both thin, hungry, and living in a flophouse above a subway stop. Years later when things got even worse, I had to sell him for $40 in front of a 7-Eleven store, because I couldn't afford food.”
Hilary Swank, actress and film producer
"Growing up in a lower-income family, you don't have the resources to make ends meet. My background is not something I forget. It helps me to not take what I have for granted."
Taylor Swift, singer and songwriter
"No matter what happens in life, be good to people."
Shania Twain, singer and songwriter
“We often went to school hungry. It's very hard to concentrate when your stomach's rumbling. I would certainly never have humiliated myself enough to reach out and ask for help and say, ‘You know, I'm hungry. Can I have that apple that you're not going to eat?’”
Zendaya, actress and singer
Too many kids will go back to school hungry this year, but we can do something about that. My generation has the opportunity to change the world."