Our Story

Hi! I’m Amelia, the founder of Act Bar—a brand born from the belief that small actions can create big change in the fight against the U.S. hunger crisis.

The journey started in 2020, during the first COVID lockdown. I was living with my sister, Ashley, a teacher at a school where many children rely on free or reduced lunch programs. She shared that for many of her students, the district-funded lunch was often their only reliable meal of the day. Watching her worry more about whether her kids were eating than about her lessons opened my eyes to a heartbreaking reality. Shockingly, over 30 million children in the U.S. depend on these school meals every year.

Seeing this struggle up close made me realize the magnitude of the hunger crisis in our country. I started researching to understand how, in a country of so much abundance, millions of people could still go hungry. What I found was staggering: while 34 million Americans face food insecurity each year, nearly a third of all food in the U.S. goes to waste.

According to Project Drawdown, reducing food waste could bridge 60% of the gap between the food available today and what’s needed to eliminate hunger by 2050. It became clear that the solution wasn’t just about producing more food—it was about wasting less.

This realization inspired Act Bar. I wanted to create a product that made a difference, one bar at a time. That’s why Act Bars are made using upcycled grains to reduce waste and are partnered with Brighter Bites to donate 1/2 pound of fresh produce for every one bar sold.

Whether it’s choosing imperfect produce, donating food, or enjoying an upcycled protein bar, I hope Act Bar inspires you to join us in closing the hunger gap—one small act at a time.

Every action, no matter how small, is a step toward big change.

Data Source: nrdc.org, drawdown.org, waterfootprint.org.