Helping Hands Ending Hunger Inc.

HHEH began in a small, rural town in northwest Georgia as the result of Carla Harward’s effort to feed two little boys who had come to her daughter Sophie’s school on a Monday crying, their bellies hurt, because they hadn’t eaten any food over the weekend. Noting all the food waste that occurred in the school’s cafeteria during meals, Sophie posed a simple question that became the catalyst of HHEH’s programming: Why can’t we take the food that students throw away during breakfast and lunch and give it to that family, so those little boys don’t go hungry? Turns out, long-enforced policy governing school nutrition programs (applicable nationwide) determined it was better to trash nutritious, edible food than to repurpose it to feed hungry children.

HHEH is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation established in 2016 with an inspired vision: to alleviate childhood food insecurity, reduce school food waste, enhance educational outcomes, and shape a sustainably healthier world. HHEH's innovative, “Kids Helping Kids” program empowers student leaders to repurpose uneaten food from school meals and join hands with their communities to nurture food insecure families. A true grassroots organization, HHEH establishes and trains a volunteer base comprised of school staff and community supporters for program operations in each school chapter. Re-educating that food is medicine, not trash, is a primary focus. As a result of determined efforts measured to change existing policy, HHEH now offers the only program operating in Georgia which has been expressly reviewed and approved by the Dept. of Public Health and Dept. of Education/School Nutrition to rescue cold storage food (milk, cheese, yogurt, fruit, vegetables, etc.) along with dry packaged foods and channel it to children when they need the most, over weekends and school breaks. Providing constant access to nutritious food so that participants can enjoy active healthy lives is our goal. A non-profit operating with strict food safety protocols, we remove the risk of liability for food donations under state and federal law. Moreover, with our unique student-led design, our program, once established in a school, requires minimal coordination from school staff and easily integrates into daily routines.

Further resolved to make significant differences in the quality of life for people living with food insecurity, HHEH employs a “whole family” focus, while encouraging everyone at participating schools to dispel stigma, change school climates, and develop parent/caregiver engagement for best outcomes. Strategic partnerships with established nonprofits working to bridge need gaps for the same population HHEH serves (Good360/ESTHER/GA Communities in Schools/American Heart Association/NW GA Regional Cancer Coalition/GA Dept. of Agriculture/ GA Dept. of Community Affairs/k-12 Food Rescue/Affordable Equity Partners) expand outreach and effectiveness. By incorporating nutrition/healthy living components along with STEAM learning, soft-skill development, CTAE pathway, and other relevant curriculum (preK-12), HHEH strives to help students achieve their full human potential through education, stability, health, and well-being. HHEH believes that students can be ambassadors for change in their communities, learning about resourcefulness and the power of collective efforts, inspiring others to act. Building local community partnerships in each district we operate creates program sustainability. Now approaching 160 schools and adding more chapters monthly, HHEH has collected and distributed over 4.625 million pounds of food and put more than 3.75 million meals on the tables of struggling families. HHEH has been recognized as "one of the most dynamic and committed social organizations in Georgia." GA Senate Resolution 147 (February 25, 2021).