Partner Spotlight: Children's Hunger Alliance

Q. Tell us a little about your organization. Where are you located? Who do you serve and what do you focus on?

A. Children's Hunger Alliance (CHA) is leading the charge to end childhood hunger in Ohio by providing nutritious meals and food education to children right where they are, every day of the year. In 2025, we provided 10.1 million meals to 125,000 kids. With nearly 1,600 partner sites across 74 counties, we provide direct service, capacity-building, and education — all aimed at nourishing children’s futures. Our headquarters are in Columbus, and we have offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo.

Q. When was your organization founded, and what inspired your mission?

A. CHA was founded in 1970 by Marion Wearly, who saw a need to feed hungry children in her neighborhood in Central Ohio. Our organization has grown over the years to serve more than 10 million meals each year to thousands of children across the state.

Q. What’s a recent project, program, or win that you're especially proud of?

A. Two recent initiatives demonstrate the power of CHA’s partnerships in improving the lives of kids and families.

Last fall, CHA sprang into action to provide meals to families affected when the government shutdown impacted SNAP benefits. Collaborating with Local Matters, CAS, Kroger, and the City of Columbus, the initiative provided 1,875 families in Central Ohio with enough food staples to serve up a festive Thanksgiving meal.

During National Nutrition Month in March, CHA’s Nutrition Education team partnered with Columbus Metropolitan Library on a kid-friendly book list and library displays filled with fun, engaging reads to build children’s knowledge, confidence, and healthy eating habits.

Q. What’s one issue you're keeping a close eye on right now?

A. We know kids do better when they have consistent access to nutritious food — and we also know that healthy eating habits take time to form. To build children’s practical food knowledge, we are boosting our Nutrition Education efforts throughout Ohio with statehouse advocacy and resources for children, families, and childcare providers.

Q. How do you partner with families and communities in your work?

A. CHA works in concert with schools, libraries, recreation centers, foodbanks, and other statewide and local organizations to increase food security and food education in our communities. We know that hungry children don’t learn as quickly, get lower test scores, and have more behavioral issues. Our programs and partnerships target childhood hunger directly to help kids reach their full potential.

Q. How did you first hear about or get involved with Groundwork Ohio?

A. CHA has a long partnership with Groundwork Ohio to help us advocate for children and families living with food insecurity.

Q. What do you wish more people understood about the families you serve or the work you do?

A. In Ohio, nearly 1 in 5 children are living with food insecurity, meaning they don’t have access to enough food to thrive. Childhood hunger is a problem that affects both urban and rural areas throughout the state. This crisis is solvable with community, business, and government support.

Q. How do you work with other organizations or community partners to create change?

A. Ending childhood hunger in Ohio requires commitment and deep collaboration within a diverse array of communities across the state. CHA works hand-in-hand with both statewide and local organizations to ensure children receive nutritious meals and food education right where they are, every day of the year.

Q. What keeps your team inspired or grounded in this work?

A. CHA team members are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children in Ohio, and it is easy to stay grounded when dealing with kids. We are out in communities throughout the state where we can witness see the impact of our work firsthand. It is inspiring and heartwarming to see the joy on kids’ faces when they are provided with consistent, nutritious, and delicious meals. 

Q. Why is advocacy important to your work?

A. CHA’s programs represent the ultimate public-private partnership, a necessity for solving big problems — and CHA has the infrastructure and public goodwill to do this work efficiently. If we’re able to increase our services by 5 percent per year over the next 10 to 15 years, we could see an Ohio where every child has a nutritious meal every day.

Q. What do you think is important to help make Ohio the best place to be a young child?

A. We know that hungry children don’t learn as quickly, get lower test scores, and have more behavioral issues. But childhood hunger is a solvable problem. Together, we can provide children with healthy meals and nutrition education right where they are, every day of the year so that Ohio’s kids can reach their full potential and thrive.