10 Million Meals: America's 250th Birthday Food Drive

Dozens of volunteers in Bellevue, Washington just unloaded a semi-truck packed with 40,000 pounds of food destined for families who need it most. It's one small delivery in a massive nationwide birthday gift: 10 million meals for America's 250th anniversary.

The nationwide push started in November 2025 when America250's America Gives initiative partnered with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Just Serve program. The goal was simple but ambitious: deliver 250 truckloads of food to communities in all 50 states by America's quarter-millennium birthday.

In Washington alone, the recent delivery will reach 21 local food banks stretching from Covington to Seattle and up to Woodinville. The food will support homeless shelters, college student pantries, and school break-time meal programs that often struggle to keep their doors open.

"We're month-by-month, once our financials are gone, we have to fold up," said Karene Busby with the Redmond School Break Food Box Program. "With these folks helping us with this, we're able to do another two or three spring breaks or winter breaks."

Jubilee Reach, which serves 500 to 600 families every week, received a portion of the delivery. Peter Schock, a facility specialist there, sees the impact directly on families facing hardship.

The Ripple Effect

The volunteers unloading trucks and organizing food in Bellevue represent something bigger than a one-time delivery. They're part of a movement connecting people to service opportunities in their own communities.

"We know that communities are stronger when we work together, when we support each other, and especially when we reach out to those in need," said Laura Jones, Regional Director for Just Serve. The platform she helps run connects volunteers with local opportunities year-round, turning special occasions into lasting habits.

The Bellevue delivery is just one of many planned for Washington this year. As the truckloads continue rolling into communities nationwide, millions of families will receive not just food, but a reminder that their neighbors see them and care.

What started as a birthday celebration is becoming a nationwide reminder that service strengthens the fabric of our communities.