The Thanksgiving Food Waste Problem We Can Fix
Every Thanksgiving, kitchens across America transform into command centers of gratitude. But while we’re piling our plates with turkey and mashed potatoes, something else is piling up too: food waste....
The Thanksgiving Food Waste Problem We Can Fix
Every Thanksgiving, kitchens across America transform into command centers of gratitude. But while we’re piling our plates with turkey and mashed potatoes, something else is piling up too: food waste. And this year, the numbers are big enough to make even Hunger Halter drop his fork. According to a new analysis from ReFED, Americans are expected to waste 320 million pounds of food this Thanksgiving. That’s $550 million worth of perfectly good food, gone in just one day. It’s also the equivalent of 267 million meals that could have supported families facing hunger. If you’re thinking, Whoa… that’s a supervillain-level problem, you’re right. But just like any good story, there’s a twist: we have the power to change it. Why So Much Waste? ReFED and NielsenIQ found that 90% of Thanksgiving hosts intentionally make more food than needed, and 100%(!) say they end up with leftovers. Leftovers are part of the tradition, we get it! Turkey sandwiches, stuffing waffles, soups, casseroles… yum. The issue? 12% of hosts don’t plan for their leftovers at all, and nearly half aren’t concerned about food waste. That means millions of pounds of food are headed straight to the trash instead of fueling families or protecting our planet. The Impact: On Our Wallets, Our Communities, and Our Planet A few hard truths: Frozen turkey prices are up 40% this year, which means wasting turkey = wasting money. 40% of all Thanksgiving waste is turkey alone. Tossed Thanksgiving food creates 811,726 metric tons of COâ‚‚ equivalent, as much as 190,000 gas-powered cars driving for a year. Landfilled food releases 4,800 metric tons of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Producing the food we waste will use 39 billion gallons of water, enough to fill 59,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Food waste is one of the biggest drivers of climate change and one of the biggest opportunities for everyday heroes to take action. So… What Would a Hunger Action Hero Do? Glad you asked. Here are four simple, powerful ways to turn your Thanksgiving into a mission for good: 1. Leftovers = Power-Ups Make a plan before the big meal: Set out take-home containers Prep ingredients for leftover recipes Clear room in the freezer for the “final boss level” of leftovers 2. Adopt Money-Saving, Waste-Stopping Habits Survey data shows people are fighting rising food prices by: Using leftovers more often Eating fresh foods before they spoil Buying frozen foods to portion better These habits aren’t just smart, they’re heroic. 3. Support Your Local Hunger Relief & Food Rescue Organizations Food banks can’t take cooked leftovers, but they can take: Shelf-stable ingredients Unopened packaged foods Financial gifts to help families facing hunger this holiday season 4. Keep Food Out of the Landfill If waste happens (and it will!), try: Community compost sites Municipal green bins Backyard composting Every pound diverted is a victory for people and the planet. The Big Lesson Thanksgiving should be full of gratitude, not waste. When we plan our meals, protect our leftovers, and support families in need, we prove what Hunger Action Heroes already know: Small actions can defeat big problems, especially when we act together. Want to help students become everyday food rescue heroes? Shop our comic book and curriculum collection to empower kids to fight hunger and save the planet all year long. Â
Kids Create Comic Book to Inspire Hunger Action Across the Country
7/29/25 - The LOCAList SD: Feeding San Diego is bringing the power of pop culture to the fight against hunger and food waste with Hunger Action Heroes Unite!
Turning Kids into Hunger Action Heroes
11/5/25 - Food Bank News: A visit to San Diego’s Comic-Con Museum has given rise to a social enterprise business at Feeding San Diego that uses superhero tales to inspire school kids to get involved in fighting hunger.
San Diego Teens Raise $25K to Open School Pantry for Families in Need
10/9/25 - CBS8: Through the passion and persistence of two high school students, a new school pantry officially opened its doors with a celebratory ribbon-cutting at Clairemont Canyons Academy
World Teacher’s Day Spotlight: A Teacher’s Mission to Provide Food to Students
Teachers are everyday heroes. They don’t just teach lessons; they change lives. This World Teacher’s Day, we’re celebrating one of those heroes: Ms. Elizabeth Lonnecker, a ninth- and eleventh-grade English teacher at Hoover High School in San Diego.
Hunger Action Heroes Unite! Named San Diego Business Journal’s “Most Innovative Awareness Campaign” of 2025
9/19/2025 - Hunger Action Heroes Unite! was named the Most Innovative Campaign of 2025 at the San Diego Business Journal’s Non-Profit & Corporate Citizenship Awards.
Comic Book Empowers Kids to Fight Hunger and Food Waste
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Poway elementary students help pilot comic book that teaches kids about hunger
6/17/25 - SDUT: After learning about hunger and food insecurity issues, Creekside Elementary School fourth-grader Ellie Hong rallied her classmates to do something about it.
Creekside Elementary: Piloting Change, One Act of Kindness at a Time
5/30/25 - After reading Hunger Action Heroes Unite!, Creekside Elementary students sprang into action, organizing a food drive, volunteering at Feeding San Diego, and fundraising to support families impacted by hunger.
Feeding San Diego releases comic book to support hunger relief
7/26/24 - CBS8: Hunger Action Heroes Unite! is now available. Proceeds from the book will support Feeding San Diego's critical hunger relief efforts...
Comic book superheroes fight back against hunger
7/25/24 - Spectrum News: A new comic book that is educating young readers on the importance of food rescue and hunger relief is launching during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Feeding San Diego Debuts New Comic Book Featuring Hunger Action Heroes Created by Two Local Students
7/15/24 - Feeding San Diego, the county’s leading hunger relief and food rescue organization, announces the release of its new comic book “Hunger Action Heroes Unite!” The book, now available on the non-profit’s website, features Hunger Halter and Demeter, two characters originally developed by local students who won an art contest held by the organization in collaboration with the Comic-Con Museum. It serves as an integral tool to educate youth about the problem of food insecurity and ultimately inspire them to act. “Hunger Action Heroes Unite!” is an inspirational story written by Dr. Janina Scarlet, clinical psychologist and creator of “Superhero Therapy,” with art by Thom Zahler (“Love & Capes” & “My Little Pony”). Aimed at young readers in elementary and middle school, the book tells the story of journalist Julie Wilson, who channels her feelings of distress into action when she is given the opportunity to transform into Demeter and help fight hunger and food waste across the country. Together with Hunger Halter, the two heroes rescue food and get it to people in need. To support learning in the classroom and at home, the nonprofit created a curriculum guide educators and parents can use alongside the comic book. “We created the hunger action heroes to leverage the power of popular culture to address a pressing social justice issue and inspire social good. We knew that by inviting the community to get involved and collaborating with the Comic-Con Museum we could uncover heroes who could support our organization and the community at large,” said Dana Williams, director or marketing & communications at Feeding San Diego. “With inflation, the problem of food insecurity is heightened. There is no better time than now to educate the public, especially our youth, about the urgent need to support hunger relief organizations like Feeding San Diego and inspire them to become a part of the solution.” The hunger action heroes were created as part of the Hunger Action Hero Art Contest held in 2022. The contest was a collaboration between Feeding San Diego and Comic-Con Museum to rally local students around Feeding San Diego’s mission to end hunger through food rescue while reducing the stigma associated with attending food distributions—because even heroes need help sometimes. With nearly 300 submissions from K-12 students across San Diego County, more than 4,000 community members voted on the top ten entries. In the end, the first and second place winners were Aiden Prior and Sirenna Ascencio, who created Hunger Halter and Demeter, respectively. The winning submissions were brought to life by costume designer Allan Lavigne, head of The Bronze Armory Studios, who has worked on legendary comic book films from the “Iron Man” and “Captain America” franchises. The heroes first debuted at Comic-Con 2022 with the characters played by actors Jason Zlatkus and Summer Moore. The book is now available to purchase for $6.99 on Feeding San Diego’s merch store. Proceeds from sales of the book will support Feeding San Diego’s critical hunger-relief and food rescue programs. The supplemental curriculum guide can be downloaded on the website. Synopsis: Journalist Julie Wilson feels distressed and powerless as she continues to report on the expanding food insecurity and environmental crises in the United States. When Julie’s cat shows her a portal to another universe, she meets a team of superheroes dedicated to solving pressing global issues. She agrees to join them to end hunger. Along with her new partner, Hunger Halter, Julie (now Demeter) travels all over the country helping people rescue surplus food and redistribute it to people facing hunger. This inspiring comic teaches readers how they, too, can become hunger action heroes like Hunger Halter and Demeter in real life by learning about food rescue and helping people experiencing food insecurity.
Feeding San Diego’s Hunger Action Heroes Are Back to Meet the Public at Multiple Events During Comic-Con
7/12/23 - Hunger Halter and Demeter, the hunger action heroes that were introduced by Feeding San Diego and Comic-Con Museum last year as part of the Hunger Action Hero Art Contest, are returning to San Diego for this year’s Comic-Con. The public will be able to interact with the heroes on four different occasions starting Friday, July 21: A Hunger Action Hero Welcome (Friday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) at the San Diego International Airport: The heroes will be welcoming visitors to San Diego who are arriving and ready for Comic-Con. The heroes will be in Terminal 2 arrivals passing out flyers with information about the upcoming events they’re participating in. Museum Meet & Greet (Friday, July 21 from 2 to 4 p.m.) at Comic-Con Museum: The Hunger Action Heroes will be at the museum for a meet and greet and photo ops. Food donations are encouraged, and attendees will have an opportunity to get a caricature of themselves as a hunger action hero. Attendees must purchase tickets to the museum to attend. Volunteer with the Heroes (Saturday, July 22 from 1 to 3 p.m.) at Feeding San Diego: Join in the fun at a Comic-Con-themed volunteer shift alongside the Hunger Action Heroes to help sort and glean food before it goes out into the community. Costumes are encouraged as are food donations. Attendees will have the opportunity to get a caricature of themselves as a hunger action hero. Attendees must register in advance to attend the volunteer shift: https://feedingsandiego.org/hungeractionheroes/ Panel at Comic-Con (Sunday, July 23 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.) at the San Diego Convention Center Room 24ABC: Those with Comic-Con badges can attend our panel “Leveraging the Power of Popular Culture to Inspire Change at Scale” featuring the Hunger Action Heroes, plus speakers from Feeding San Diego, Comic-Con Museum, and more. The Hunger Action Hero Art Contest was a collaboration between Feeding San Diego and Comic-Con Museum to rally local students around Feeding San Diego’s mission to end hunger through food rescue and infuse popular culture into Feeding San Diego’s work to bring awareness to the problem of hunger in San Diego County. The winning submissions were brought to life by costume designer Allan Lavigne and made their debut at Comic-Con Museum in July of 2022. The costumes have been on display at the Museum since December 2022, and the actors who originally played the heroes last year are returning to San Diego to reprise their roles. Actors Jason Zlatkus and Tatiana Moore will again don the costumes of Hunger Halter and Demeter to create awareness about Feeding San Diego’s hunger-relief services and the power of popular culture to create change at scale. “The success of last year’s collaboration with Comic-Con Museum was incredibly successful. The art challenge garnered nearly 300 submissions and the winners, high school students Aiden Prior and Sirenna Ascencio, had the chance of a lifetime to see their heroes brought to life and walk through the halls of Comic-Con,” said Dana Williams, Feeding San Diego’s director of marketing and communications and the creator of the challenge. “This year, we want the heroes to interact with the public so more people can get to know them and their incredible stories. This will help further Feeding San Diego’s mission by introducing the concept of food rescue and hunger-relief to new audiences.” The panel on Sunday at Comic-Con will dive deeper into the Hunger Action Hero Art Contest and the potential for collaborations like this to create long-lasting impact. Courtney Gant, senior director of advancement at Comic-Con Museum, will be on the panel along with Dana Williams, Feeding San Diego’s director of marketing & communications. The two will share the story of the inception of the art challenge and bring in costume designer Allan Lavigne of Bronze Armory Studios to discuss how he brought the two winning entries to life. Rounding out the panel will be Dr. Emily Schindler, director of education at Comic-Con Museum, Dr. Janina Scarlet from Pop Culture Hero Coalition, and pop culture scholar Dr. Michael Dando from St. Cloud State University, who will delve into the transformative potential of popular culture to inspire change at scale.
Meet Feeding San Diego’s new hunger-fighting superheroes
9/1/22 - SDUT: The winning designs from Feeding San Diego's 'Hunger Action Hero Art Contest' are now on display at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park
Kids Create Heroes to Fight Hunger
8/23/22 - Scholastic Kid Press: Is there a hero who can help feed people? That’s what two California teens are hoping. Their award-winning hunger-fighting creations came to life in July...
Two Local Students Chosen as Winners of Feeding San Diego and the Comic-Con Museum’s Hunger Action Hero Art Contest
7/13/22 - Out of almost 300 submissions from San Diego County students, two Hunger Action Hero Art Contest winners have been selected: Hunger Halter by Aiden Prior (14 years old) of Encinitas and Demeter by Sirenna Ascencio (17 years old) of Chula Vista. While the contest was initially set to have only one winner, cosplayer and costume designer Allan Lavigne offered to create two costumes, allowing both the grand prize winner (Hunger Halter) and runner-up (Demeter) to be brought to life. In addition to having their heroes’ costumes created, the winners will also receive badges to attend the convention and will be included on the Comic-Con Museum panel on July 21. “We set out to inspire the next generation of hunger relief and food rescue champions while also rallying the community around those who need help with food assistance,” said Dana Williams, Director of Marketing & Communications at Feeding San Diego. “Reviewing the hundreds of submissions confirmed that we did just that. It was incredible to see the creativity of these students. At Feeding San Diego, we believe that asking for help is not a weakness. It’s a strength. Everyone needs help sometimes, even superheroes!” The contest, which was underwritten by the David C. Copley Foundation, is a collaboration between Feeding San Diego, the county’s leading hunger-relief and food rescue non-profit and a member of the Feeding America network, and the Comic-Con Museum, which brings the magic of Comic-Con to San Diego 365 days a year. Both heroes will be brought to life by Allan Lavigne, studio head of The Bronze Armory Studios, who has worked on legendary comic book films from the “Iron Man” and “Captain America” franchises. The costumes will be unveiled next week at the Museum during San Diego Comic-Con. As part of the submission process, each entrant had to include the origin story of their hero. Here are the summarized origin stories of the winners: Hunger Halter experienced hunger as a young boy and set out to prevent anyone else from experiencing the same thing. Born with his powers, Hunger Halter would lose them if he didn’t have a full stomach. One day, he walked by a community center handing out food and was able to strengthen his powers with the nourishing food he needed. One day, he woke up with two new superpowers, super speed and senses, and started traveling the world to gather items for those in need. He gathers and distributes all types of food and drinks, fresh, canned, and any unwanted food, before it goes to waste. Demeter is Julie Anders, whose day job is working as a news reporter. The character is based on Greek mythology–Demeter is the goddess of harvest and agriculture. Demeter can accelerate the growth of crops and rejuvenate them if they are diseased. In her day job, Julie reported on increasing famine and hunger, and she wanted to help. Demeter was appointed by the 7 Provisions, a council of heroes related to the wellbeing of humankind. The council appointed her and provided her with a motorcycle that travels at the speed of light, allowing her to travel around the globe to help those facing hunger. Thousands of votes came in during the community voting period, when the entrants could encourage their networks to vote for their designs. With the support of their family and friends, Aiden and Sirenna garnered the highest number of votes. “We were so impressed by the talent and creativity of these students and the community that rallied around them,” said Rita Vandergaw, Executive Director of the Comic-Con Museum. “At the Comic-Con Museum, we want to harness the power of the popular arts and use it to help make an impact in our community and this collaboration with Feeding San Diego does just that.” The costumes will be on display during San Diego Comic-Con, starting at the “Night at the Comic-Con Museum,” honoring Marvel’s Spider-Man on July 20. Tickets are available via the event website. Afterwards, they will be on view at the Museum from August through December 2022. The heroes will also be used by Feeding San Diego to educate youth on the importance of hunger relief and food rescue in San Diego County.
Feeding San Diego Collaborates with the Comic-Con Museum to Launch Hunger Action Hero Art Contest for K-12 Students
3/14/22 - Today, Feeding San Diego, the county’s leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization, is announcing a Hunger Action Hero Art Challenge in collaboration with the Comic-Con Museum to rally local students around its mission to end hunger through food rescue. Students are tasked with designing their own hero character who helps end hunger through food rescue, the act of recovering surplus or imperfect food from food donors and getting it to people in need. The winning submission, which will be voted on by the community, will see their hero brought to life and put on display at the Comic-Con Museum during Comic-Con 2022 this July. The contest is open to K-12 students across San Diego County. “We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with the Comic-Con Museum to raise awareness about our mission and give local students a chance to express themselves creatively,” said Dan Shea, CEO of Feeding San Diego. “Comic-Con is an iconic San Diego event and inspires so much creativity throughout the city every year. Our hope is to inspire a new generation of advocates for hunger relief and food rescue to help both people and the planet.” Feeding San Diego’s work is heavily rooted in food rescue (or recovery), with 70 percent of the food it distributes to people in need of food assistance coming from food donors like local grocery stores, food distributors and manufacturers, and farms. This food is used to feed the hundreds of thousands of people facing hunger throughout San Diego County. Together with the Comic-Con Museum, Feeding San Diego seeks to involve local students in learning more about hunger relief while expressing their creativity. The idea behind the contest is to show the community students’ perspectives on what traits make a hunger action hero, and why the world needs more of them. The contest will allow the community to vote on the top ten entries as chosen by a panel of judges, which includes members of Feeding San Diego’s team, the Comic-Con Museum team, San Diego Magazine publisher and chief content officer Troy Johnson, comic artist Rodney Anderson Jr., San Diego Comic-Con International & WonderCon masquerade coordinator Martin Jaquish, and cosplay creator Allan Lavigne. The deadline to submit is Friday, April 22. The top ten submissions will receive art supplies and tickets to the Comic-Con Museum, while the top three submissions will also receive a trip to the Comic-Con Museum’s Makers Lab for their class. The winning submission will have their character brought to life by Allan Lavigne, studio head of The Bronze Armory Studios and a longtime costume and prop designer who has worked on legendary comic book films from the “Iron Man” and “Captain America” franchises, and showcased at the Comic-Con Museum during Comic-Con in July. The winner and three guests will also receive badges to attend San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022 and be included on a Comic-Con Museum panel. The top ten entries will be announced on National Superhero Day (Thursday, April 28), which is when community voting will start. The winner will be announced on Friday, May 13. “The Comic-Con Museum is delighted to work with Feeding San Diego in support of their mission to end hunger through food rescue and to inspire young artists to use the power of the popular arts to make a positive impact in our community,” said David Glanzer, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer of San Diego Comic Convention. In addition to their artwork, students are also asked to submit a brief paragraph that explains their hero’s origin story about how they gained their powers and decided to fight injustice. To learn more, see full eligibility requirements, and to enter, visit feedingsandiego.org/hunger-action-hero-art-contest
Turning Kids into Hunger Action Heroes
11/5/25 - Food Bank News: A visit to San Diego’s Comic-Con Museum has given rise to a social enterprise business at Feeding San Diego that uses superhero tales to inspire school...
Comic Book Empowers Kids to Fight Hunger and Food Waste
7/21/25 - KUSI News: The creator of "Hunger Action Heroes Unite!," discusses how the comic book educates young readers about hunger and food waste...
Kids Create Comic Book to Inspire Hunger Action Across the Country
7/29/25 - The LOCAList SD: Feeding San Diego is bringing the power of pop culture to the fight against hunger and food waste with Hunger Action Heroes Unite!
San Diego Teens Raise $25K to Open School Pantry for Families in Need
10/9/25 - CBS8: Through the passion and persistence of two high school students, a new school pantry officially opened its doors with a celebratory ribbon-cutting at Clairemont ...
Hunger Action Heroes Unite! Named San Diego Business Journal’s “Most Innovative Awareness Campaign” of 2025
9/19/2025 - Hunger Action Heroes Unite! was named the Most Innovative Campaign of 2025 at the San Diego Business Journal’s Non-Profit & Corporate Citizenship Awards.
Poway elementary students help pilot comic book that teaches kids about hunger
6/17/25 - SDUT: After learning about hunger and food insecurity issues, Creekside Elementary School fourth-grader Ellie Hong rallied her classmates to do something about it.
Feeding San Diego releases comic book to support hunger relief
7/26/24 - CBS8: Hunger Action Heroes Unite! is now available. Proceeds from the book will support Feeding San Diego's critical hunger relief efforts...
Comic book superheroes fight back against hunger
7/25/24 - Spectrum News: A new comic book that is educating young readers on the importance of food rescue and hunger relief is launching during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Meet Feeding San Diego’s new hunger-fighting superheroes
9/1/22 - SDUT: The winning designs from Feeding San Diego's 'Hunger Action Hero Art Contest' are now on display at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park
Kids Create Heroes to Fight Hunger
8/23/22 - Scholastic Kid Press: Is there a hero who can help feed people? That’s what two California teens are hoping. Their award-winning hunger-fighting creations came to life...
Feeding San Diego Debuts New Comic Book Featuring Hunger Action Heroes Created by Two Local Students
7/15/24 - Feeding San Diego, the county’s leading hunger relief and food rescue organization, announces the release of its new comic book “Hunger Action Heroes Unite!” The book,...
Feeding San Diego’s Hunger Action Heroes Are Back to Meet the Public at Multiple Events During Comic-Con
7/12/23 - Hunger Halter and Demeter, the hunger action heroes that were introduced by Feeding San Diego and Comic-Con Museum last year as part of the Hunger Action Hero Art Cont...
Two Local Students Chosen as Winners of Feeding San Diego and the Comic-Con Museum’s Hunger Action Hero Art Contest
7/13/22 - Out of almost 300 submissions from San Diego County students, two Hunger Action Hero Art Contest winners have been selected: Hunger Halter by Aiden Prior (14 years old...
Feeding San Diego Collaborates with the Comic-Con Museum to Launch Hunger Action Hero Art Contest for K-12 Students
3/14/22 - Today, Feeding San Diego, the county’s leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization, is announcing a Hunger Action Hero Art Challenge in collaboration with the C...
The Thanksgiving Food Waste Problem We Can Fix
Every Thanksgiving, kitchens across America transform into command centers of gratitude. But while we’re piling our plates with turkey and mashed potatoes, something else is pil...
World Teacher’s Day Spotlight: A Teacher’s Mission to Provide Food to Students
Teachers are everyday heroes. They don’t just teach lessons; they change lives. This World Teacher’s Day, we’re celebrating one of those heroes: Ms. Elizabeth Lonnecker, a ninth...
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