NEW YORK (AP) – WhyHunger, a grassroots support organization founded by singer-songwriter Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres in 1975, is commemorating its 50th anniversary this year. Established with the ambition to eliminate hunger at its roots by utilizing connections within the music industry to fund community groups focused on economic and food security, the organization now faces the ongoing challenge of food insecurity in the United States and globally.
Jen Chapin, the daughter of Harry Chapin and a current board member of WhyHunger, expressed a mix of pride and embarrassment regarding the organization's continued relevance in a world where hunger could be addressed effectively. During a gala event Wednesday night, she reflected, "This organization is still relevant when hunger is a completely solvable problem – it’s embarrassing." The backdrop of this milestone is marked by increasing food insecurity and a rollback of federal assistance programs, particularly amid changes enacted during the Trump administration, which significantly cut funding streams for crucial nonprofit organizations across the country that cater to food-insecure populations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that more than 47 million Americans, including nearly 14 million children, lived in food-insecure households in 2023. WhyHunger attributes this ongoing crisis to deeper systemic issues such as rising inflation, cuts to pandemic relief, and low wages. Grammy award-winning rockers Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, who were honored with the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the gala, also voiced their concerns over these troubling statistics. The couple, longtime supporters of WhyHunger, has been involved with the organization for 30 years, motivated by their history with Harry Chapin and their advocacy for children's causes.
The gala, hosted at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, successfully raised over $125,000 in a single evening to support WhyHunger's initiatives both in the U.S. and in 24 other countries. WhyHunger aims to not only provide meals to those in need but also to create systemic change by training local farmers, connecting individuals to government benefits, promoting indigenous food sovereignty, and defending the rights of food workers. Jen Chapin emphasized the importance of pushing for structural change, stating, "It’s not enough to feed people for a day... You have to also create the social movement so that there is a food system that enables that farmer, that fisherperson, to get a fair price for their work."
Support for WhyHunger has come from numerous benefactors, including Cindy Secunda, chair of the WhyHunger Board of Directors, and billionaire Tom Secunda. The Secunda family foundation has contributed over $8 million to WhyHunger since 2020. Cindy first encountered WhyHunger during Harry Chapin concerts in college, originally donating small amounts but later increasing her donations after experiencing the organization’s impact firsthand. She remarked on the effectiveness of the nonprofit, noting, "They get so much more done with such a small staff. I’ve never seen anything like it."
Throughout its history, WhyHunger has maintained a relatively small staff to stay flexible and focused on supporting other organizations. As noted by Debbie DePoala, WhyHunger's senior director of communications, the philanthropic sector's approach to food insecurity has significantly evolved since the organization's inception. The recognition that hunger relates to issues of racism and climate change has become more mainstream. Jan Poppendieck, a former board member and a professor at CUNY, emphasized that the nonprofit excels in providing support to innovative and progressive local organizations financially and through knowledge sharing, enabling them to learn and grow.
