This Emotional World Food Day PSA Reminds Us That Hunger Has No Face

According to the USDA, more than 41 million Americans—including 13 million children—go hungry each day. In honor of World Food Day, Feeding America released an extended PSA that's sure to tug on a few heartstrings while reminding viewers that hunger is not limited to any one group. Chances are it has at some point affected your neighbor, co-worker or friend. "Most people are not aware that hunger is prevalent everywhere in the U.S. A lot of people blame the hungry [for not having the means to buy food]. Over 50 percent of the people Feeding America serves have a job," said Feeding America chief marketing and communications officer Catherine Davis, who formerly held leadership positions at Leo Burnett and Vizeum. The video, produced pro bono by Chicago-based ONE at Optimus, depicts a single working-class mother silently struggling to make ends meet to feed her school-aged son. While 41 million Americans don't get enough to eat, 72 billion pounds of safe food ends up in America's landfills every year, according to Feeding America. "There's an enormous amount of excess. During the harvest season, there's all this produce that gets just left in the field. We give people access to fruits and vegetables," Davis noted. The video has a happy ending despite some heartbreaking moments including an image of the boy's fallen face when he comes home from school to an empty house and an even emptier fridge. "We were very fortunate with this project that so many talented people got involved just because they were passionate about this cause," video director Amanda Speva said in a statement. The video, available in 30-second and 60-second versions, will be distributed on Feeding America's digital channels and shared with the nonprofit's network of 200 food banks. "We hope it educates more people on the reality of hidden hunger and inspires them to help out," the project's creative director, Anna Kate Roche, wrote in a statement. Davis said the video, while running in tandem with World Food Day, is also timed perfectly for the pre-holiday season, when lower-income families struggle financially and others are more prone to donate. [kickout id="1"] CREDITS Director: Amanda Speva Creative Director: Anna Kate Roche Writers: Anna Kate Roche and Amanda Speva Production Company: One at Optimus Executive Producer: Lisa Masseur Head of Production: Dave Buehrle Line Producer: Stacey Nuzbach Cinematographer: Jason Chiu 1st AC: Ian McAvoy Production Manager: Mia Reggi Art Director: Chris Carini Art Assistant: Calvin Small Gaffer: Steven Wester Wardrobe: Bethany Kaufman PA: Gus Murray PA: Sara Osborne PA: Jaci Klein PA: Emmet Kilmer PA: Jon Benson Casting: PR Casting Camera: Keslow Camera Julie: Alyssa Thordarson Son: Brady Perkins Cleaning Lady: Judy Tatar Original Music: Comma Music Executive Producer: Bonny Dolan Composer: Amanda August Post: Optimus Editor: Dana Huiras Assistant Editor: Lindsay Rynne Color Grading: Nice Shoes Colorist: Ron Sudul Assistant Colorist: Alex Frankland Audio Engineer: Marina Bacci Assistant Audio Engineer: Zach Scheitlin Executive Producer: Brian Hrastar Producer: Jenny McDonald Assistant Producer: Rachel Burke