Hand2Hand

What Hand2Hand does

Hand2Hand is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Jenison, Michigan, that delivers nutritious weekend food backpacks to students facing food insecurity in West Michigan. Founded in 2008 by Cheri Honderd after she identified weekend hunger at a single local school, the organization has grown to serve up to 15,000 students across 285 schools and 146 partner churches spanning eight counties (Allegan, Barry, Kent, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa, and Van Buren). The core product is the Weekend Food Backpack Program, which provides roughly 68 hours of food coverage from Friday school lunch to Monday school breakfast, supplemented by a Summer Food Program for extended breaks and a Hope on the Move mobile food collection trailer.

The organization operates a hub-and-spoke distribution model centered on a central warehouse in Jenison: food is sourced through donations, purchased with sponsor funds, packed by volunteers at the warehouse and at church partner sites, and delivered to schools for student distribution. Hand2Hand has no proprietary technology platform; its digital stack consists of DonorSnap for donation processing, Constant Contact for newsletters, and an Amazon Wishlist for in-kind collection. Programmatic products include Community Packing Events, the Backpack of Hope Club (monthly giving), the School Partnership Program, the Church Partnership Program, and the Business Partnership Program, with two flagship fundraising events (the annual Hope for Kids Dinner and the annual Golf Outing) and a branded merchandise shop.

The business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. Revenue streams include individual donations, tiered corporate sponsorships (Champion of Hope, Provider of Hope, Community Champion) anchored by regional companies such as Meijer, First Companies, Sun Title, FOAMit, Excel Electric, MillerKnoll, Amway, Leprino Foods, and Comerica, in-kind church labor, and fundraising event proceeds. The organization is ECFA-accredited (member since 2019) and holds the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, supporting donor trust. Leadership includes Executive Director Jodi Joseph, a four-person director group covering operations, development, partnerships, and marketing, and a volunteer board that includes former executives from Spartan Stores and Meijer.

Name

Hand2Hand

Legal name

Hand2Hand

Website

https://h2hkids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hand2Hand is a West Michigan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers weekend food backpacks to up to 15,000 food-insecure students across 285 schools and 146 partner churches, funded by individual donations, tiered corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Child hunger relief
• Weekend food program
• Nonprofit food distribution
• Community hunger charity
• School food assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Michigan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and organizational donations fund the organization's operations and food purchasing. Donations are accepted through the website and during community events.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual sponsorships at various levels (Champion of Hope, Provider of Hope) provide recurring financial support. Golf outings and fundraising dinners are also conducted.
3. Church and Community Partnerships: 146 partnering churches and community organizations contribute through volunteering, packing food, and delivering to local schools.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hand2Hand delivers weekend food backpacks containing breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner items, and recipe cards to food-insecure students through 285 partner schools and 146 partner churches across West Michigan. The organization complements this core backpack program with a Summer Food Program for children ages 3-18, monthly giving through the Backpack of Hope Club, and community packing events that mobilize volunteers to assemble food bags.

Product overview

Hand2Hand is a nonprofit organization operating a unified social service program focused on eliminating child weekend hunger in West Michigan. The core offering is the Weekend Food Backpack Program, which delivers backpacks filled with nutritious food to students facing food insecurity during weekends and school breaks. This is supported by the Summer Food Program for extended breaks, Community Packing Events for volunteer engagement, and the Backpack of Hope Club for monthly giving. The organization also operates partnership programs with churches, schools, and businesses to mobilize communities, along with annual fundraising events (Hope for Kids Dinner and Golf Outing) and an merchandise shop. All programs are integrated through the organization's central warehouse operations in Jenison, Michigan, serving 285 schools across West Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekend Food Backpack Program Primary program providing backpacks filled with nutritious food (breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner items, and recipe cards) to students facing weekend hunger during the 68-hour gap from Friday school lunch to Monday school breakfast. Distributed through 285 partner schools across eight West Michigan counties.
• Summer Food Program Seasonal food distribution program providing meals to children ages 3-18 during summer break at designated pick-up locations. No sign-up required; families visit during scheduled times at community locations.
• Backpack of Hope Club Monthly giving program allowing donors to provide ongoing weekend food support for a student, providing consistent recurring funding for the organization's food distribution operations.
• H2H Merch Shop Online merchandise store selling branded Hand2Hand merchandise with proceeds supporting the organization's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves up to 15,000 students with weekend food across West Michigan
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First CompaniescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChampion of Hope annual sponsor. COO Matt Sink stated: 'When First Companies was introduced to Hand2Hand and was made aware of the thousands of students who go without food when they are away from school, we were compelled to act!'
• MeijercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvider of Hope sponsor. Retail partner providing financial support and visibility through store marketing.
• Sun TitlecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChampion of Hope sponsor. Stated: 'As food scarcity continues to affect more families within our communities, the Hand2Hand mission is essential. We are proud to partner with them as they scale their operations and distribution of food to children.'
• FOAMitcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvider of Hope sponsor. 'Our mission has always been to make it better. Partnering with Hand2Hand, providing nourishing food for our children, certainly helps make it better.'
• Excel ElectricminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvider of Hope sponsor. Electrical contractor partnering to provide hope for West Michigan kids.
• MillerKnollminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Champion sponsor providing financial support.
• AmwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Champion sponsor. Mentioned in relation to Amway River Bank Run participation for fundraising.
• Leprino FoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Champion sponsor (Leprino Foods).
• Feeding America West MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as data source for child hunger statistics (12.5% average child hunger rate in West Michigan). Affiliated food bank network supporting the mission.
• Wyoming Harbor ChurchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChurch partner quoted: 'We wanted to be good news to the community!' Representative of 146 partnering churches that pack and deliver food to schools.
• Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSummer Pack Partner sponsor for the 2026 Summer Food Program.
• Give 'Em a Brake SafetyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Champion sponsor.
• FleetwoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Champion sponsor.
• SoundOff SignalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Champion sponsor.
• GH (Gregory & Hocevar)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Champion sponsor.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blessings in a Backpack: National nonprofit running nearly identical weekend backpack feeding programs for food-insecure elementary school children. Operates as a direct functional peer with school-based distribution model and corporate sponsorship tiers; differs primarily in national geographic scope vs Hand2Hand's West Michigan focus.
• Kids Food Basket: Grand Rapids, Michigan-based nonprofit providing weekend food to West Michigan children facing hunger. Operates in overlapping service area with Hand2Hand, also focused on closing the weekend meal gap, with sack supper program model - direct competitor for both donor dollars and school partnerships.
• Backpack Buddies: Canadian nonprofit providing weekend food bags to school children experiencing food insecurity. Operates near-identical school-based backpack distribution model with volunteer engagement; direct functional peer despite different national geography.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America West Michigan: Regional Feeding America affiliate providing food bank services across West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Listed as Hand2Hand's data partner (12.5% child hunger statistic source) and serves as broader food distribution infrastructure; operates food pantries, mobile pantries, and Backpack Program - overlapping but more general-purpose mission.
• Food Bank of West Michigan: Regional food bank serving West Michigan with food distribution, mobile pantries, and child nutrition programs including summer food service. Functions as upstream food source/supplier to many smaller anti-hunger nonprofits; broader portfolio but overlapping geographic and mission alignment.
• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National campaign from Share Our Strength focused on ending childhood hunger through federal programs, grants, and state-level advocacy. Larger portfolio and broader national scope; competes for corporate sponsor attention in CSR anti-hunger budgets but operates different mechanism (advocacy/grants vs. direct distribution).

Regional players

• Gleaners Community Food Bank: Southeast Michigan food bank serving Detroit area with food distribution, nutrition education, and childhood hunger initiatives. Operates similar mission to West Michigan food banks but in different geographic territory; provides comparable program models Hand2Hand could replicate.
• Hunger Free Vermont: Vermont-based nonprofit focused on ending childhood hunger through school meal programs, advocacy, and direct service. Operates in different region but comparable mission, school-based model, and reliance on state/federal nutrition program partnerships.

Emerging players

• Rise Against Hunger: International hunger relief organization focused on meal packaging events and global food security. Partial overlap through volunteer-driven meal packaging model; differs in meal format (packaged dry goods vs Hand2Hand's backpack assembly) and international scope.

Others

• Food Research & Action Center (FRAC): National anti-hunger advocacy and research organization working to improve federal nutrition programs. Not a direct operational peer but addresses the same child hunger problem through policy/advocacy; potential ecosystem partner for systemic change.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/h2hfeedkids
• Xx.com/h2hfeedkids

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hand2Hand