Education

Wisconsin Teens’ Food Drive Grows into National Network, Wins Diana Award

By TOI World Desk

Noah Duckett and Wyatt Ehrhardt launched a food drive in 2024 while finishing high school in Middleton, Wisconsin. The students, who called the initial effort Middleton Meals Matter, collected food from neighbors and delivered it to local pantry WayForward Resources. They organized themed events such as Halloween for Hunger and Summer Stock‑Up, which attracted students from other schools. Duckett and Ehrhardt created a structure that enabled new schools to start their own drives, expanding the program into a national network.

Under their leadership, Meals Matter has raised more than $550,000 in cash and food donations and grown to over 35 high‑school chapters with more than 3,500 young volunteers across the United States and South Korea. The group has met with state lawmakers, presented to community groups, and later incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

In 2026, the founders received the William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy and The Diana Award, which recognizes young people who tackle pressing problems in their communities. “Winning the Diana Award means a lot to me,” Ehrhardt said. “Meals Matter began as a local effort to help our neighbours in Middleton, and today it’s a national organization helping feed families in communities across the country and overseas.” Duckett added, “When we held that first food drive in Middleton, I never imagined it would turn into a national network of more than 35 chapters, all led by students who saw hunger in their communities and refused to look away.”