A recent Forbes profile of U.S. Hunger shines a light on a national nonprofit that is reimagining how we talk about and respond to hunger in America. Instead of only counting how many meals are given out, they are asking a deeper question: Why are people running out of food in the first place, and what can we learn from their stories to create real, long-term change?
Listening to the people who ask for help
U.S. Hunger operates Full Cart, an online program that allows households to request food assistance and have healthy groceries delivered to their door. Along the way, people are invited to share what is going on in their lives. They can talk about work, income, health, caregiving, school, and the everyday pressures that brought them to this moment.
That information is not treated as a form to get through. It is treated as a conversation. A chance to listen. An opportunity to recognize that every request for food comes from a real person with a real story.
Over time, U.S. Hunger has built a large national dataset that connects numbers with lived experience. In their recent report, “When Making a Living No Longer Covers the Cost of Living,” they describe a growing group they call the “newly vulnerable.” These are families where people are working and often have health insurance, yet they still cannot reliably afford food and are just one missed paycheck away from crisis.
Turning stories into insight, with care
One of the innovations highlighted in the Forbes article is Voices: Unpacked. It is a public platform that shares anonymized stories from people who have requested food support and invites all of us to really see the human reality behind the statistics.
The idea is to pull back the curtain on hunger. To show that food insecurity is often quiet and hidden in plain sight, in every kind of community across the United States.
The stories shared through Voices: Unpacked and other channels lift up dignity and resilience. They show parents, grandparents, caregivers, and people living with chronic illness making impossible choices so their loved ones can eat. The data behind those stories helps identify patterns and root causes. The stories make sure we remember that we are always talking about people, not just charts and graphs.
Where food, health, and privacy meet
Many of the households who reach out to U.S. Hunger report that they have health insurance or serious medical needs. That has led the organization to work more closely with health-focused partners who see food as a key part of whole-person care.
To do that well, they are investing in strong data privacy and security and working to meet healthcare-level standards. That way, sensitive information can be treated with the same care and respect as a medical record.
This kind of bridge between food assistance and health care helps reframe hunger as a social and health issue, not a personal failure. It also opens doors. Doctors, health plans, employers, schools, and community groups can all play a more active role in preventing hunger instead of only responding in emergencies.
Why this matters to us
For organizations like 3B Brae’s Brown Bags, this approach is a powerful reminder. Every snack bag, backpack, or grocery box is part of a larger story. A child who is not distracted by hunger at school. A parent who can breathe a little easier tonight. A person who feels seen and not forgotten.
When we combine compassion, good data, and the honest voices of the people we serve, we can do more than fill stomachs for a day. We can help build a future where no one has to choose between paying bills and eating, and where communities come together so everyone is fed with dignity.
