When seven-year-old Mace Massingill turned up at the Central Texas Food Bank in 2014, they informed him that he had raised 157 meals. Massingill was ecstatic about his first hunger-fighting endeavor. Little did he know, he would go on to raise 253,000 meals and $65,000 as a junior in 2024.

“It was in that moment of elation that a scary thought passed through my mind, and I turned to ask the [food bank] worker a daunting question,” Massingill said. “‘What would have happened if we hadn’t come in?’ His response has stuck with me ever since: ‘then 157 people would be hungry.’”

Mace Massingill is the founder of NoHunger, a hunger-fighting nonprofit established in 2021. His first food collection eleven years ago prior to starting the organization was inspired when his mother suggested collecting canned goods from the family’s holiday dinner guests. Massingill ran with the idea, and since that fall in 2014, he’s run an annual NoHunger food drive that collects thousands of meals and aims to get young people involved in his cause.

“We raise funds and food for people in need across the globe,” Massingill said. “While doing so, we involve and educate the next generation of hunger fighters so tomorrow’s world can be a better place.”

On top of providing three million meals over the past ten years, Massingill has spoken to youth organizations, including boy scout troops and Kindergarten classes, about his work. His impact also extends beyond the local community. 

“Early on in my hunger fighting journey, I learned that Texans aren’t the only ones suffering from food insecurity,” Massingill said.

NoHunger has contributed to the Los Angeles Food Bank following wildfires in California, the MANNA Food Bank in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene and the World Central Kitchen during the war in Ukraine. Massingill credits donors with helping his organization have such a far national and global reach. 

Another focus of NoHunger is supporting smaller organizations, Massinghill said. During Hurricane Helene, for example, a food bank in the affected area was unable to move its food around because of the adverse weather conditions. Massingill’s organization responded by funding the purchase of a forklift so that the food bank could quickly remedy the situation.

“Groups like the Red Cross do massive drives for big causes, which is incredibly important,” Massingill said. “But there’s an underserved niche—people [and organizations] who want to help but don’t necessarily have the means to do so. NoHunger fills that gap.”

Filling that gap as a donor or volunteer isn’t too difficult, Massingill said. He encourages donations of all amounts, even five or ten dollars. Young people may also offer their time by becoming a ‘No Hunger Captain,’ a program that teaches Captains how to organize a food drive

“A lot of people hesitate to become a No Hunger Captain because they think it’s a huge time commitment,” Massingill said. “But being part of a whole is what matters. It doesn’t matter how big your donation is—it just matters that you contributed.”

In hopes of making becoming a No Hunger Captain easier, NoHunger will be launching their website within the next two months. The website will also help the organization to continue to expand their reach to small organizations.

“We want to make sure that anyone who wants to do good has the means to do so,” Massingill said.

Massingill plans to stay involved in NoHunger after graduating high school, but he’s also begun delegating some work to current No Hunger Captains who are willing to take on more responsibilities.

“It’s a big responsibility, but I don’t see finding the right person as a challenge,” Massingill said. “Anyone who’s willing to do good and be part of our organization is right for the job. The real challenge is finding someone with enough free time to fully commit to these issues and give them the attention they deserve.”

NoHunger’s journey is far from ending. At three million total meals raised, several communities impacted, and Massingill being in his junior year, more is to come. For now, Massingill continues to encourage children and teenagers to get involved in his cause.

“The most important thing a young person can do to make a difference in the world is finding something you’re passionate about,” Massingill said. “My thing was hunger, but that doesn’t have to be yours. Look for something in your community that you want to see improvement in and start there.”