Each September, Hunger Action Month shines a national spotlight on food insecurity and the millions of people across the country who do not always know where their next meal will come from.
Led by Feeding America, Hunger Action Month is an opportunity to raise awareness, inspire action and remind communities that addressing hunger requires a year-round commitment. The need remains significant: according to Feeding America, 48 million people, including more than 14 million children, experienced food insecurity in the United States in 2024.
At Invest in Others, Hunger Action Month also gives us an opportunity to celebrate financial advisors who have made fighting hunger an important part of their charitable work. One of those advisors is Derek Fiorenza, founder and president of Fiorenza’s Food For Friends (F4).
Connecting Food With the People Who Need It
Derek founded F4 in 2011 with an ambitious vision: to create a world without hunger by connecting sources of food with recipients in need. The organization serves as an unpaid broker, building partnerships and coordinating the logistics needed to connect excess food from restaurants, markets, caterers, schools, universities and other sources with nonprofits serving people experiencing hunger.
F4’s model is designed to put existing resources to work. Rather than purchasing, transporting or storing food itself, the organization facilitates connections between donors and recipients. It also coordinates nonperishable food drives and provides hunger-awareness education designed to engage more people in the fight against food insecurity. F4 says it keeps donated food local and charges no fees to donors or recipients.
That work has grown substantially. F4’s website reports that it has helped connect more than 11 million pounds of food with organizations feeding people in need.
Derek’s commitment to this work earned him the 2024 Invest in Others Emerging Impact Award, recognizing his efforts on behalf of F4. At the 18th Annual Invest in Others Awards Gala, F4 received a $60,000 grant as the charity associated with the Emerging Impact Award recipient.
And Derek hasn’t slowed down. As we recently shared in our Hunger Action Month spotlight, he continues to expand F4’s reach while using his platform as a financial advisor to draw attention to the ongoing challenge of food insecurity.
A Sneak Peek at What’s Coming From Invest in Others
This week, Derek welcomed Faith Bitterman, Director of Programs at Invest in Others, to the Fiorenza’s Food For Friends podcast for a conversation about charitable impact—and what financial advisors can expect from Invest in Others in the year ahead.
Faith offered listeners a sneak preview of our redesigned grant program launching in January 2027, which will create expanded opportunities for financial advisors to secure funding for the nonprofit organizations and causes they care about.
We’re incredibly grateful to Derek and the F4 team for giving us the opportunity to share a first look at what’s ahead. The conversation reflects something both organizations believe deeply: when people use their networks, expertise and resources to support causes that matter to them, their impact can grow far beyond what any one person or organization could accomplish alone.
Learn More and Watch the Conversation
Hunger Action Month may take place each September, but the work of organizations like F4 continues every day of the year.
Explore F4’s mission and learn how you can get involved:
Fiorenza’s Food For Friends
You can watch and share Faith and Derek’s conversation on social:
YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X
And for financial advisors looking for new ways to grow the impact of the causes they care about, stay tuned. More information about Invest in Others’ new grant program is coming soon.
Keep an eye on the Invest in Others website as we prepare for the program’s January 2027 debut, and a new chapter in helping financial advisors turn their passion for giving back into even greater impact.
