What began as a student food drive in Wisconsin has developed into a network that gives young volunteers a practical way to respond to hunger.
When Wyatt Ehrhardt and fellow student Noah Duckett co-founded Meals Matter in 2024, the idea was local: organise students to collect food and support people in their own community. Two years later, both were recognised with the 2026 Diana Award for their work against food insecurity.
A simple idea that other students could repeat
Food drives do more than collect donations. Done well, they bring schools, neighbours, retailers and food pantries into closer contact. Meals Matter has built on that approach by helping student leaders organise recurring drives and local events.
The founders’ former school district, Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District in Wisconsin, said in its November 4 announcement that the nonprofit has grown to more than 35 school chapters and engaged over 3,500 youth volunteers in the United States and South Korea. The district also reports more than $550,000 in combined monetary and food donations; these are organisation-reported impact figures, not figures independently audited by NewsPositive.
The scale behind the recognition
The Diana Award’s Roll of Honour gives a different, apparently earlier programme snapshot: 20 chapters, approximately 200 student leaders, more than 180,000 pounds of food collected, over $70,000 raised and an estimated 125,000 meals. Because the district’s newer announcement uses different measures and dates, these numbers should not simply be added together.
What both accounts show is the same underlying model: empower young people to act locally and offer a structure that can be repeated in other communities.
Leadership starts before graduation
Meals Matter also encourages students to speak publicly about food insecurity and collaborate with community groups. The district reports that Ehrhardt and Duckett now serve as co-presidents while attending university, continuing the work that started during their high-school years.
Their initiative is an example of positive change that does not depend on a breakthrough invention or an enormous initial budget. It relies on people showing up, collecting useful donations, making trusted local partnerships and inviting the next group of volunteers to lead.
Sources: The Diana Award 2026 Roll of Honour; Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District announcement, November 4, 2026; Meals Matter; Diana Award ceremony announcement.
Featured photograph: illustrative image of donated food; not Wyatt Ehrhardt or a Meals Matter food drive. Photograph by Jacob McGowin / Unsplash.
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