Tony Robbins' Lifelong Mission to Feed Neighbors Reaches Milestone as Feeding America® Partnership Provides Historic 1 Billion Meals

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Nov 29, 2023, 11:32 ET

Ten-Year Moonshot Hunger Relief Campaign in U.S. Surpasses Goal Nearly Two Years Ahead of Schedule

CHICAGO, Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tony Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the world's #1 life and business strategist, together with Feeding America^®, America's leading hunger relief organization, today proudly announce achieving their monumental 1 Billion Meals Challenge goal. This milestone, part of a unique 10-year challenge match campaign to fight hunger and food insecurity in the U.S., was reached significantly ahead of the 2025 target.

Mr. Robbins, reflecting on his personal experiences with hunger, said, "At 11, I experienced first-hand the life-changing power of receiving food when a stranger knocked on our door on Thanksgiving, sharing two giant bags of groceries and a frozen turkey with our struggling family. This act of kindness profoundly influenced my mission to help people facing hunger."

Thirty years ago, Mr. Robbins founded the International Basket Brigade. The program has since grown into a volunteer movement as part of The Tony Robbins Foundation, delivering millions of meals annually through baskets of foods and household items.

In 2012, Mr. Robbins became an ambassador for Feeding America, a. nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs. In 2013, after he watched the U.S. Congress make $8.6 billion in cuts to the federal SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) budget, Mr. Robbins knew families that relied on the hunger relief program would be forced to forgo a week's worth of food every month unless he and other giving strangers stepped up to help with a moonshot solution.

That moonshot became the Challenge launched in 2014. Within two years, the Challenge helped provide 100 million meals through Feeding America's network of partner food banks and matching donations from Mr. Robbins and Feeding America supporters. Mr. Robbins and Feeding America decided this success meant even more good could be done. The 100 Million Meals Challenge grew to become a first-of-its-kind, 10-year 1 Billion Meals Challenge campaign.

"At the start, did I think one day I, with the help of many giving people, would feed millions of people? No. Over time, we went from supporting two families, four families, a million families, 4 million families, to tens of millions of families," Mr. Robbins said.

Mr. Robbins swiftly amplified his personal and business giving to the 1 Billion Meals Challenge. He regularly matched donations by other generous donors and donated proceeds from his best-selling books. As the number of people experiencing food insecurity grew exponentially during the recent pandemic, Robbins donated an additional $10 million to the joint Feeding America campaign.

"We are deeply grateful to Tony and all who joined in the Challenge to reach this level of contribution to our shared mission," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. "Mr. Robbins helps make possibilities come to life. Thanks to his incredible passion, commitment, and generosity, we have accomplished the extraordinary goal – of helping to provide 1 billion meals – nearly two years early. Mr. Robbins is a transformative partner, not only giving and asking others to give, but also raising his voice to build awareness around the issue of hunger for families across the country and worldwide. We are fortunate that he is part of the movement to end hunger, and we share his conviction that we can end food insecurity when we work together."

With the 1 Billion meals milestone achieved, Mr. Robbins sets his sights even higher – aiming to end global food insecurity. Mr. Robbins recently announced he the launch of The 100 Billion Meals Challenge & The Future of Food Initiative.

The 100 Billion Meals initiative provides resources to create sustainable solutions to end world hunger and food insecurity entirely. This new initiative seeks to tap into the power of the private sector as well as national government budgets to increase available resources and enlist the help of all those eager to do something about this global issue that affects so many. According to the United Nations' World Food Programme, a record 345 million human beings are facing high levels of food insecurity across the world. In the United States alone, more than 44 million people, including 13 million children experience food insecurity as access to regular, nutritious meals remains increasingly difficult with inflation-driven food prices.

"There is more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone on the planet," Mr. Robbins said. "Everyone needs to understand this fact. Together, we must step up as a society – individuals, businesses, governments, and NGOs – to invest in and develop real and sustainable solutions to alleviating hunger wherever it may be impacting the development and well-being of human beings "We can fill the hunger gap while we are developing a long-term solution. No one person can do it – it takes a team. It takes an army of people to make something happen. To start, all we have to do is find 99 people like me. I'm not a multi-billionaire, and I've been able to meet a 1 Billion Meal Challenge," Mr. Robbins continued.

Mr. Robbins likens this mission to the moon landing – a seemingly impossible goal made possible through shared belief and concerted effort.

Robbins continued, "John F. Kennedy didn't know how to get to the Moon. He did, however, convince other people to believe it was truly possible and to take the necessary steps to make it happen. We can do the same to end food insecurity worldwide if we focus our collective energy on it. Being able to assemble the resources and support to provide 1 Billion nutritious meals in eight years proves that if we band together as a society, we can solve food insecurity for all through transformative philanthropic partnerships and food production and delivery efforts at scale."

About Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins is an entrepreneur, #1 New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist and the nation's #1 Life and Business Strategist. A recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations and organizational turnaround, he has served as an advisor to leaders around the world for more than 40 years. Author of six internationally bestselling books, including the New York Times #1 best-sellers, LIFE FORCE: HOW NEW BREAKTHROUGHS IN PRECISION MEDICINE CAN TRANSFORM THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE & THOSE YOU LOVE; MONEY: MASTER THE GAME and UNSHAKEABLE: YOUR FINANCIAL FREEDOM PLAYBOOK, Mr. Robbins has empowered more than 50 million people from more than 100 countries through his live, virtual, audio, video and life training programs and seminars. For more, visit www.tonyrobbins.com.

About Feeding America

Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment.

We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.

Contact for Tony Robbins:

Jennifer Connelly, (646) 922-7755

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SOURCE Tony Robbins