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Food for Hope: How John van Hengel Invented Food Banks for the Hungry
Hunger continues to be an international problem. This true story of how one ordinary person did something extraordinary shows how everyone can do something to make a difference.
Readers will feel encouraged to find their own way to make a difference. Real life experience plus social justice interests combine into a powerful solution, filling empty bellies with nourishing food, all without costing a lot of money. Recycling meets hunger in John van Hengel’s ingenious, yet obvious solution to both food waste and widespread hunger.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published May 2, 2023
About the author
Jeff Gottesfeld
88 books45 followersHONOR FLIGHT (Candlewick, March 3, 2026). So far, four starred reviews from PW, SLJ, Booklist, and Kirkus.
Too many of America's veterans have never had the means or opportunity to visit their monuments in Washington, DC. Nor did many of them, particularly from the Vietnam era, get the homecoming they deserved.
The Honor Flight program, begun by volunteers in 2005 on the most modest of scales, changed all of that. Today, the Honor Flight Network is massive, and has flown more than 300,000 vets on free trips to DC, each of them accompanied by a volunteer (and paying) Guardian.
I was a Guardian on such a flight in April, 2023. This book is about this remarkable effort, told first person in the voice of an unnamed veteran. That I could reunite for it with Matt Tavares, the illustrator of our TWENTY-ONE STEPS: GUARDING THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Candlewick, 2021). Well, as the last line of the book says, "It was an honor."
Too many of America's veterans have never had the means or opportunity to visit their monuments in Washington, DC. Nor did many of them, particularly from the Vietnam era, get the homecoming they deserved.
The Honor Flight program, begun by volunteers in 2005 on the most modest of scales, changed all of that. Today, the Honor Flight Network is massive, and has flown more than 300,000 vets on free trips to DC, each of them accompanied by a volunteer (and paying) Guardian.
I was a Guardian on such a flight in April, 2023. This book is about this remarkable effort, told first person in the voice of an unnamed veteran. That I could reunite for it with Matt Tavares, the illustrator of our TWENTY-ONE STEPS: GUARDING THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Candlewick, 2021). Well, as the last line of the book says, "It was an honor."
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 21, 2023
ONE MILLION CHOCOLATE BUNNIES
In Jeff Gottesfeld's latest inspiring book, FOOD FOR HOPE, we're profoundly impacted by the true story of John van Hengel, who began the world's first food bank in 1967. He asked, "The poor we shall always have with us, but why the hungry?”
He asked for himself as a once wealthy man who'd lost all, and for the line of people waiting with him daily for a free meal at a Catholic church in Arizona.
"Their stories opened his heart. He found work at the kitchen, shelter in a cheap room above a garage, and faith in prayer with Father Ronald at St. Mary’s Church."
John later convinced fruit growers to let volunteers harvest citrus that would go bad. A young mother also showed him a supermarket dumpster, claiming she fed her family well from food the grocery store discarded.
He conceived the idea of a free food bank -- "a place to share food being thrown out" -- and within a year, was able to get supermarket warehouses and others to donate 125 tons of food that he and his volunteers distributed. And after a government agency offered to help him spread food banks in America, food donations poured in, with even a million chocolate Easter bunnies arriving one day.
John expanded his work internationally, and toiled tirelessly until his death from Parkinson's Disease in 2005. Yet the problem of food insecurity persists, we learn, with 1 in 8 Americans suffering today, including 13 million children, and the world's numbers even more dire.
In its moving simplicity, FOOD FOR HOPE asks, "What will YOU do about the hungry?" As the question washed over me, I wept and was moved to act. That's the power of a Jeff Gottesfeld book.
~~
Heartfelt gratitude to Jeff Gottesfeld, talented illustrator Michelle La, and Creston Books for the review copy. Opinions are decidedly mine. For ages 7-11 and adults of all ages. Out now.
In Jeff Gottesfeld's latest inspiring book, FOOD FOR HOPE, we're profoundly impacted by the true story of John van Hengel, who began the world's first food bank in 1967. He asked, "The poor we shall always have with us, but why the hungry?”
He asked for himself as a once wealthy man who'd lost all, and for the line of people waiting with him daily for a free meal at a Catholic church in Arizona.
"Their stories opened his heart. He found work at the kitchen, shelter in a cheap room above a garage, and faith in prayer with Father Ronald at St. Mary’s Church."
John later convinced fruit growers to let volunteers harvest citrus that would go bad. A young mother also showed him a supermarket dumpster, claiming she fed her family well from food the grocery store discarded.
He conceived the idea of a free food bank -- "a place to share food being thrown out" -- and within a year, was able to get supermarket warehouses and others to donate 125 tons of food that he and his volunteers distributed. And after a government agency offered to help him spread food banks in America, food donations poured in, with even a million chocolate Easter bunnies arriving one day.
John expanded his work internationally, and toiled tirelessly until his death from Parkinson's Disease in 2005. Yet the problem of food insecurity persists, we learn, with 1 in 8 Americans suffering today, including 13 million children, and the world's numbers even more dire.
In its moving simplicity, FOOD FOR HOPE asks, "What will YOU do about the hungry?" As the question washed over me, I wept and was moved to act. That's the power of a Jeff Gottesfeld book.
~~
Heartfelt gratitude to Jeff Gottesfeld, talented illustrator Michelle La, and Creston Books for the review copy. Opinions are decidedly mine. For ages 7-11 and adults of all ages. Out now.
September 1, 2026
This nonfiction picture book starts when John van Hengel is in a soup line in Phoenix, having lost everything (wife, children, job, and home). Then "he found work at the [soup] kitchen, shelter in a cheap room above a garage, and faith in prayer with Father Ronald at St. Mary's Church." After a fateful conversation with someone who was dumpster diving for food and "was sorry she couldn't put the extra in a bank," van Hengel was inspired to create a "food bank" that would collect food from companies and stores about to throw it out and would distribute it to the hungry. That was in 1967. Several years later, van Hengel received a government grant and opened a network of food banks called America's Second Harvest. (Later renamed Feeding America, it's now the largest U.S. charity by revenue, with over 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people.) Pretty impressive!
At the back of the book, a timeline and author's note fill in more details about John van Hengel. For example, in 1983 he founded the Global FoodBanking Network, which now works with partners in over 50 countries (including Leket Israel) to recover and provide food to 40 million people. He never retired until he died (in 2005), and he was so self-effacing that he took a vow of poverty (!).
Unlike many other picture books about a real person, where the author can distill the information from grownup books about the person, Food for Hope is the only book ever written to date about John van Hengel. He is truly an unsung hero. Jeff Gottesfeld researched him through reading newspaper articles, going through archives, and interviewing people who knew him personally.
I found Food for Hope on a list of children's books that won
the Christopher Award. It's presented by The Christophers (a Christian inspirational group) to books, films, and TV shows that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit." The Christopher Awards began in 1949, and the Books for Young People category has been around since 1970. Thanks for the recommendation, Christophers!
At the back of the book, a timeline and author's note fill in more details about John van Hengel. For example, in 1983 he founded the Global FoodBanking Network, which now works with partners in over 50 countries (including Leket Israel) to recover and provide food to 40 million people. He never retired until he died (in 2005), and he was so self-effacing that he took a vow of poverty (!).
Unlike many other picture books about a real person, where the author can distill the information from grownup books about the person, Food for Hope is the only book ever written to date about John van Hengel. He is truly an unsung hero. Jeff Gottesfeld researched him through reading newspaper articles, going through archives, and interviewing people who knew him personally.
I found Food for Hope on a list of children's books that won
the Christopher Award. It's presented by The Christophers (a Christian inspirational group) to books, films, and TV shows that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit." The Christopher Awards began in 1949, and the Books for Young People category has been around since 1970. Thanks for the recommendation, Christophers!
April 1, 2023
This important book that should be in most libraries, as there is a serious hunger problem in our country today...I add this to my "necessary" books for kids.
Picture book riches-to-rags biography of John van Hengel and his effort to feed other hungry people throughout the world through the establishment of food banks. Opening with Hengel in a soup kitchen line, the text quickly mentions how he came to this place in life. Open to the possibilities of helping others, his ideas grew into an organization of food banks not only in the U.S., but also around the world.
Gottesfeld tells a compelling story about this "Average Joe" who had a great idea of how to feed others - not only with food, but also with hope. He gives just enough information that readers may very well seek out more detail in other sources. It ends on a hopeful note.
Backmatter inludes an Author's Note with more info about van Hengel, some terms used in the book, notes about his research and inclusion of dialogue, and a timeline for van Hengl's life, how Second Harvest tecame Feeding Amrica an how Global Food Banking Network has grown around the world.
Digital (?) illustrations by Mihelle Laurentia Agatha are bright and colorful, a bit primitive in style, and filled will diverse characters. They work well with the text.
My local food bank, The Dayton Foodbank, is affiliated with Feed America. It ranks 42nd of 108 MSAs, with 1 of every 6 households struggling with food hardship. The problem is real.
Picture book riches-to-rags biography of John van Hengel and his effort to feed other hungry people throughout the world through the establishment of food banks. Opening with Hengel in a soup kitchen line, the text quickly mentions how he came to this place in life. Open to the possibilities of helping others, his ideas grew into an organization of food banks not only in the U.S., but also around the world.
Gottesfeld tells a compelling story about this "Average Joe" who had a great idea of how to feed others - not only with food, but also with hope. He gives just enough information that readers may very well seek out more detail in other sources. It ends on a hopeful note.
Backmatter inludes an Author's Note with more info about van Hengel, some terms used in the book, notes about his research and inclusion of dialogue, and a timeline for van Hengl's life, how Second Harvest tecame Feeding Amrica an how Global Food Banking Network has grown around the world.
Digital (?) illustrations by Mihelle Laurentia Agatha are bright and colorful, a bit primitive in style, and filled will diverse characters. They work well with the text.
My local food bank, The Dayton Foodbank, is affiliated with Feed America. It ranks 42nd of 108 MSAs, with 1 of every 6 households struggling with food hardship. The problem is real.
August 11, 2023
Much like its subject, Food For Hope is a straightforward, simple story about a man who quietly answered the call when it came time to take action without any adulation or fanfare. This is the “riches to rags” story of John van Hengel, a person who seemingly had everything, and one day found himself with nothing - hungry and standing in a free food line at a church in the hot Arizona sun. Soon after he found his calling by organizing methods to go and to gather unused food from local farms, fruit groves, and local supermarkets. Soon after he started a food bank that eventually became the Second Harvest organization. His life became quietly purposeful again by helping others in need. This story can find its place in schools, churches, synagogues, mosques, or a home and serve as a lesson as to the significance of helping others. It shows how one person can step up and respond to a need for community service and a call to action. It also highlights the need to respond to those who suffer from food insecurity - a need, as stated in the book’s back matter that affects 1 out of every 8 people in America. Jeff Gottesfield tells a meaningful story that can be read to all ages. It also reminds us about acknowledging others instead of looking the other way - sometimes a simple idea can solve a big problem. The bright illustrations by Michelle Laurentina Agatha compliment the text perfectly. And letś not overlook the powerful quote that sets the story in motion: The poor we will always have with us, but why the hungry?
March 25, 2024
Meet John van Hengel.
Privileged, wealthy, well-off.
Not so much.
After a shake-up, van Hengel finds himself on the other side of the Soup Kitchen line.
When fate steps in, in the form of a dilapidated bakery, John decides to help others by creating the first official Food Bank.
Times can change (as we all have seen recently). It is also hard to imagine that van Hengel established the first official Food Bank in 1967 (that's not so long ago).
Initially, I was skeptical of John as being a philanthropist when he originally came from money (rich white cis man turned humanitarian), but it didn't feel like that. I guess I can benefit from not passing judgement too quickly, having forgotten that I myself was homeless for a time and 'dumpster diving'.
The book's short text makes quick work of John's history, the colorful illustrations, and the food-statistics are quite impressive.
So remember, there is always hope out there. You just have to get creative with where you find it sometimes.
Privileged, wealthy, well-off.
Not so much.
After a shake-up, van Hengel finds himself on the other side of the Soup Kitchen line.
When fate steps in, in the form of a dilapidated bakery, John decides to help others by creating the first official Food Bank.
Times can change (as we all have seen recently). It is also hard to imagine that van Hengel established the first official Food Bank in 1967 (that's not so long ago).
Initially, I was skeptical of John as being a philanthropist when he originally came from money (rich white cis man turned humanitarian), but it didn't feel like that. I guess I can benefit from not passing judgement too quickly, having forgotten that I myself was homeless for a time and 'dumpster diving'.
The book's short text makes quick work of John's history, the colorful illustrations, and the food-statistics are quite impressive.
So remember, there is always hope out there. You just have to get creative with where you find it sometimes.
October 13, 2024
In this picture book tribute, we meet the man (John van Hangel) who created the concept of food banks.
At the beginning of this book, we meet John as he waits in a long line at a soup kitchen & how boring the food was, but he needed to eat. Then, we encounter the history of John as someone who had lots of money, but it all changed one day when John had to worry about where food came from. He ends up working in a shelter & meets a woman who digs through a supermarket’s dumpster to get food that is being thrown away. He has the idea that he could create a bank where they could organize food that would be thrown away. He works with St. Mary’s church to try to organize & the rest shall we say is “History”.
Wonderful illustrations accompany the text.
This book is highly recommended for grades K-4.
S.T.
School Librarian
At the beginning of this book, we meet John as he waits in a long line at a soup kitchen & how boring the food was, but he needed to eat. Then, we encounter the history of John as someone who had lots of money, but it all changed one day when John had to worry about where food came from. He ends up working in a shelter & meets a woman who digs through a supermarket’s dumpster to get food that is being thrown away. He has the idea that he could create a bank where they could organize food that would be thrown away. He works with St. Mary’s church to try to organize & the rest shall we say is “History”.
Wonderful illustrations accompany the text.
This book is highly recommended for grades K-4.
S.T.
School Librarian
August 30, 2023
About 70 years ago, a man who had gone from riches to rags and stood in a food line at a Phoenix church. His name was John van Hengel and he would later open the first food bank ever in 1967 and call it St. Mary's Food Bank. That grew to be Second Harvest in 1975 and then later was renamed Feeding America in 2008. Today there are 200+ Feeding America food banks in the US supporting 60,000+ food pantries and programs. This inspiring book reminds all of us to continue to share our overflow with those who are experiencing a time of want. Love the concise story based on newspaper accounts and interviews as well as the engaging, colorful illustrations. A top notch picture book to share with the kids you know.
June 21, 2023
Really great biography of how the first food banks were created. John van Hengel not only came up with the concept, he started America's Second Harvest which has since become Feeding America. This is a great book to read before taking children to volunteer at food banks. Pair with Maddi's Fridge to talk about food insecurity. Highly recommended for grades 2 & up.
December 28, 2023
From Second Harvest to Global Food Banking, this story covers a lot, but mostly explains how one person can make a gigantic difference in the lives of others. This story about John van Hengel is quite lovely and the illustrations by Michelle Laurentia Agatha are full of life, color, and love.
Back matter allows for more learning. I am grateful to Jeff Gottesfeld and to his step daughter for this book! (My only sorrow is how fragile the binding feels of the book I read. I will seek this story in library binding, for sure.)
Back matter allows for more learning. I am grateful to Jeff Gottesfeld and to his step daughter for this book! (My only sorrow is how fragile the binding feels of the book I read. I will seek this story in library binding, for sure.)
April 14, 2026
The author writes in the back of the book that John van Hengel's story is a "riches to rags" story of a man who fell from wealth to being starving and homeless. What John lost financially he gained spiritually and became truly rich in treasure that moth nor rust can consume. I did not know that one man (with the help of friends) started the food bank movement, and I found this story very inspiring. I think this is a good opportunity to help explain to children about when you help other people you are helping yourself and how rewarding it is to do good.
April 8, 2026
I bought this book to read to our 3rd grade (9 year olds) Girl Scout troop. They were learning about food scarcity. These young girls loved this story so much. I shed some tears reading it to them. It gave them a perspective they’ve yet to learn, or experience on their own. It was age appropriate, and the kids connected emotionally. Have read multiple times. Highly recommend.
October 28, 2023
The amazing true story of a man who literally goes from riches to rags and what is born out of this very difficult life. I never stopped and thought about where the concept of food pantries came from but am inspired by John van Hengel and the miraculous good he has done.
November 23, 2023
Really enjoyed this story of how food banks came to be. The art is excellent and the text font is different but welcome! Well done. Great addition to text about making a difference and being the change. Will purchase for my middle school library.
November 23, 2023
Excellent story of the man who started the first food bank. It is a great inspiration, and the art is just gorgeous. I do wish the story had touched on the effect the food banks had on others, though.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews