Wisconsin students receive Diana Award for co-founding Meals Matter food initiative
Noah Duckett and Wyatt Ehrhardt expanded their local food drive into a national network with over 35 chapters and 3,500 volunteers.
Noah Duckett and Wyatt Ehrhardt have received The Diana Award for co-founding Meals Matter, a student-led non-profit fighting food insecurity. According to the Times of India, the initiative began in 2024 in Middleton, Wisconsin, when the pair finished high school.
The organisation has grown to include more than 35 high school chapters and over 3,500 young volunteers across the United States and South Korea. To date, the group has collected more than $550,000 in cash and food donations.
The founders initially started the project, then called Middleton Meals Matter, to collect food from neighbours for families in need. They partnered with WayForward Resources, a local food pantry, and organised themed events such as Halloween for Hunger and Summer Stock-Up.
The students also met with state lawmakers to discuss policy options regarding food insecurity. The group later became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation.
Wyatt Ehrhardt said winning the award shows other students they do not have to wait until they are older to lead. Noah Duckett added that the award belongs to the volunteers and shows what one idea can become when people commit to it.
In addition to The Diana Award, the two college sophomores won the 2026 William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy.