When I was growing up, my meals weren’t guaranteed. One in six kids face hunger in the United States, and I was one of them.

Because this problem was such a big part of my childhood, I made it my personal goal when I began my career at Arby’s to get involved in finding ways to curb childhood hunger. So you can imagine how happy I am that since 2011, the Arby’s system has given more than $23 million to No Kid Hungry, and this year we will give an additional $2.5 million to support their work.

For years, No Kid Hungry has partnered with local organizations to provide school breakfasts, summer meals, and after-school meals to kids in need – all of which could be their only food source. In addition, No Kid Hungry teaches food-related skills to parents, including interactive grocery store tours and cooking classes that demonstrate shopping for and cooking with fresh, affordable ingredients. To date, more than 464,000 families have learned how to shop and cook healthy meals through these offerings, making a serious impact in fighting food insecurity at home.

I’m proud to say that Arby’s Foundation has helped make that possible. Reliable access to wholesome food is ground zero for a child’s success. Through our fundraising work, we make that possible and ensure that children today don’t share my experience with childhood hunger.

Whether we are raising awareness, fundraising or donating, we all have a role to play in supporting No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America. If you’re interested in learning more about the life-changing work they are doing for children around the country, check out nokidhungry.org, and join us in our commitment to ending childhood hunger.