‘We Are the World’ and 40 years of fighting hunger and homelessness

Every year, to kick off the holiday season, PIRG student leaders run food and necessity drives, host events to connect people and resources, draw attention to the issue with film screenings and other visibility efforts, enlist student volunteers to help reach more people in need, and educate policymakers on hunger and shelter issues, especially on campuses.

PIRG’s first National Student Campaign Against Hunger was made possible by a generous grant from USA For Africa, led by PIRG alum Marty Rogol and the late Ken Kragen, after the success of “We Are the World,” a song featuring Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and other musical luminaries that was celebrated anew during the Quincy Jones tribute at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

Back in 1985, Joel Ario, general counsel for The Fund for Public Interest (among other roles), had been driving our student hunger campaign on a shoestring budget.

He pitched Marty and Ken on a bigger vision, compelling them to donate some of their proceeds to fight hunger at home in the U.S. while alleviating famine in Africa. According to Joel, Marty and Ken saw in PIRG the right combination of deep political commitment, a practical bent and the will to persevere with a cause long after Hollywood would inevitably turn its attention to other pressing concerns.

We still aspire to prove them right on all counts.

Forty years later, our hunger work remains a powerful entryway into greater political involvement for students who aren’t drawn to policy advocacy but are passionate about hands-on, direct service work helping their fellow students and community members in need.

The National Student Campaign Against Hunger grew thanks to the efforts of Joel; Leslie Samuelrich, current leader of Green Century, the family of green investment funds owned by groups in The Public Interest Network; and PIRG alums Beth DeGrasse, Dr. Hope Ricciotti, Jen Coken, Diane Topp, Bill Hoogterp, Julie Miles and Claudia Horwitz, among many others. They helped students learn to organize effectively by developing trainings and guides for them, visiting campuses across the country to provide in-person mentorship, and hosting annual national conferences where youth leaders could learn from each other — as well as from experienced advocates and other leaders about policy solutions to persistent hunger issues.

“In the 1980s, most schools didn’t have a community service office,” said Leslie, who directed the campaign for five years in the 1980s. “The campaign tapped into something that people really cared about but didn’t have many ways to affect.”

Our approach still works. For decades, our flagship annual event has been Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which the Student PIRGs cosponsor with our partners at the National Coalition for the Homeless. This year:

• Thousands of people took action at hundreds of events around the country;
• The events raised millions of dollars and collected thousands of pounds of items—from food to clothing to basic necessities; and
• The #HHWeek hashtag was shared thousands of times and reached millions online, helping to break the stigma around hunger and homelessness.

Thank you to Marty for helping The National Student Campaign Against Hunger get its start. Thank you to countless other PIRG students, staff, alumni and others who’ve contributed to this vital work.