Here’s What We’re Doing for Hunger Action Month This September 

At Thrive Market, it’s our mission to make sure healthy and sustainable living is easy and affordable for everyone—and most important to that mission is doing our part to combat food insecurity. 

September is Hunger Action Month, and our team has been thoughtfully considering the most impactful ways to take part. Hunger Action Month is a nationwide campaign, launched by Feeding America, to raise awareness and take meaningful action against food insecurity. It started in 2007, and since then, the organization has united millions of Americans to help end hunger in their own communities. 

Because we’re a remote-first company, we have employees both in our hometown of Los Angeles and in cities all over the country; this means that we’re able to organize volunteer events and distributions in areas that are near and dear to our hearts. Here are just a few of the ways we’re organizing to take part in Hunger Action Month this year. 

1. We’re organizing employee volunteer days in cities across the country.

Ahead of Hunger Action Month, our Mission team is helping small groups of Thrive Market employees to organize local volunteer events in their areas. During these half-day volunteer events, employees will spend time volunteering at local food banks and helping get food to families who need it most. These events will take place in cities where the majority of our employees live, including Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, Portland, Austin, and Seattle, and they will benefit organizations like FoodCycle LA, Food Bank for NYC, and the Central Texas Food Bank. 

2. We’re educating our members about food access.

Throughout the month of September (and beyond), we’ll be using our platforms to educate our followers and members about the realities of food insecurity in America. We’ll be putting out calls to action for donations to our Food Equality Now campaign (more on that below) and encouraging followers to get involved in their own communities. 

Here are just a few of the most important things to know about food insecurity: 

• More than 50 million people turned to a food bank for food access in the past year. 
• Food insecurity affects 100% of communities in the US. 
• Families with children are 1.5 times more likely to face food insecurity than those without. 
• Rural communities are more vulnerable to food insecurity because of issues like lack of transportation and low wages.
• In some rural areas across the country, child hunger rates can reach up to 50%. 

(Source: Feeding America)

3. We’re partnering with Save the Children. 

Starting in September, we’re partnering with Save the Children to support their ongoing work and their Learn Without Limits campaign. Learn Without Limits is Save the Children’s multi-year platform dedicated to addressing the rural education crisis through food security, early childhood education, grade-school literacy, and long-term workforce opportunity. The campaign kicks off on September 8, 2026, as a National Day of Action & Giving, anchored by book vending machine drops at school communities across the country, from the Quinault Indian Reservation in Washington State to Uvalde County in Texas to rural Kentucky and Mississippi. Thrive Market is proud to provide snacks for these in-person events, because we know that kids can’t learn when they’re hungry.

4. We’re continuing to work toward our Food Equality Now campaign goals.

Food Equality Now is Thrive Market’s campaign to expand access to healthy groceries for people who need them most. “It’s a long-term commitment to helping people access healthy food, regardless of income or ZIP code,” says Kristin De Simone, Director of Mission. Through our Food Equality Now initiative, any Thrive Market member can gift their savings (or any dollar amount) at checkout to help provide grocery discounts and stipends to Thrive Gives members and support our nonprofit partners.

We’re also proud to be the first online-only retailer to accept SNAP EBT, helping expand access to online grocery shopping and making it easier for eligible households to access healthy food with dignity and choice.

Here’s How You Can Get Involved 

If you’re looking for ways to make an impact in the fight against food insecurity, the best place to start is in your own community. Here are some ways to get involved. 

1. Volunteer at a local food bank. One of the best ways to get involved is by going straight to the source: your local food bank. These community-run centers always need volunteers to help distribute food or organize donations. 
2. Make a donation to a food pantry or community fridge. If your schedule is packed and you’re struggling to find the time to volunteer IRL, you can make a difference by donating to a local food pantry or dropping off non-perishable food to a community fridge. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a community fridge, it’s a resource (usually a refrigerator or outdoor pantry) that is open to the public and allows those in need to pick up the food and supplies they need at their own convenience. 
3. Pay off school lunch debts at local schools. When a child’s family can’t afford to send a packed lunch or pay for school lunch in public schools, they accumulate debt owed to the school. You can make a huge difference in both the child’s and the family’s life by paying off these debts through third-party nonprofits like All For Lunch.  
4. Make a donation to Feeding America. Every dollar you give can provide at least 20 meals to families facing hunger through the Feeding America network of food banks. Your donation will help Feeding America continue to fund innovative programs that provide food and resources to people living in rural communities. To make a donation, click here. 
5. Shop at Thrive Market and donate your savings at checkout. When you make a purchase at Thrive Market, you always get the opportunity to donate at checkout. 100% of these contributions help to fund grocery stipends and free memberships for families in need, as well as disaster relief during catastrophic disasters like wildfires or hurricanes.