The first three months of 2026 are already behind us.
Three months of moves, food drives, partnerships, and deliveries. Three months of people choosing not to let good food go to waste. And before we look ahead to everything still to come this year, we want to give this quarter the moment it deserves.
Because this was not a quiet start.
In Q1 alone, Move For Hunger delivered 6 million pounds of food to food banks and pantries, the equivalent of 5 million meals. Even more encouraging: that is three times the amount of food delivered in Q1 of last year.
That kind of growth does not happen on its own.
It happens because a family setting aside unopened food during a move decides it matters. It happens because a property team hosts a food drive. It happens because a logistics partner says yes to one more load. It happens because a donor, a runner, a volunteer, a mover, or a corporate partner chooses to act.
And this quarter, so many of you did.
At the beginning of the year, we shared our 2025 Year in Review and reflected on the biggest year in our organization's history, with more than 17 million pounds moved in 2025 and a clear intention to build on that momentum in 2026. Q1 made it clear that this network was ready to do exactly that.
Momentum took many forms
In February, communities across the country joined our Spread the Love campaign, collecting peanut butter and jelly to help fight childhood hunger. It's a simple idea, but one rooted in something powerful: food drives still matter, especially when they are easy to join and local communities take ownership of the impact.
In February, we also showed up at Manifest 2026 in Las Vegas as an official partner, connecting with leaders from across the supply chain and logistics industry around a shared belief: the systems that move goods can also move communities forward. While there, we hosted a meal kit packing event sponsored by McClay's Logistics and a Jump For Hunger activation, giving industry professionals a hands-on way to turn conversation into impact. It was a meaningful reminder that when supply chain leaders bring purpose to their work, innovation can reach far beyond efficiency alone.
In March, we had the chance to celebrate two partners whose work reflects the heart of this mission every day. We recognized Beltmann Relocation Group as our 2025 Mover of the Year, honoring a team that has embraced hunger relief across its branches and helped make food recovery a visible, ongoing part of its culture. We also recognized Bell Ken-Caryl Apartments, a Bell Partners community in Colorado, as our 2025 Community of the Year for the way its residents, staff, and leadership came together to fight hunger close to home. Around the same time, members of Team Move For Hunger were also showing up in races like the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon on March 15, turning miles into meals and proving once again that advocacy can take many forms.
We also saw the kind of direct, practical impact that defines this work best.
Where the Mission Meets the Road
On March 16, our longtime partner NorthStar Moving helped rescue 1,311 pounds of surplus food and water from the Los Angeles Marathon finish line and deliver it to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. It is exactly the kind of moment that sits at the heart of our mission: identifying food that still has value, mobilizing transportation quickly, and making sure it reaches people instead of a landfill.
And in late February, Move For Hunger announced a $100,000 grant from Impact 100 Jersey Coast to support expanded food recovery and delivery efforts across Monmouth and Ocean Counties in New Jersey. That kind of investment strengthens our ability to respond, grow local partnerships, and move more food where it is needed most.
Hunger is Not Slowing Down
Publicly, we also spent part of this quarter naming something we know all too well: hunger is not slowing down. We recognize that food costs remain high, safety nets are strained, and the need continues to rise. That reality makes every move, every food drive, every donated load, and every dollar raised feel even more urgent.
Still, if Q1 reminded us of anything, it is this:
The need is real, but so is the response.
Because of you, food that might have been left behind during a move made it to a family's table instead. Because of you, a food bank received a delivery it may not have been counting on. Because of you, everyday logistics became something more hopeful: a lifeline.
We are not done. Not even close.
But we are grateful for what this quarter made possible, and we are carrying that momentum with us into everything ahead. Thank you for spreading the love with us, for showing up, and for continuing to prove that moving food can help move communities forward.
Keep This Impact Growing
Help us keep this impact growing. Share this post, support our work, or make a donation today. Every action helps us rescue more food, support more food banks, and ensure more families have access to the meals they need.
