As many sit down for a Thanksgiving feast, millions worry about where their next meal will come from. Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot talks to NPR’s Rob Schmitz about hunger in the U.S.
ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
As many Americans sit down for a Thanksgiving feast today, millions are worried about where their next meal will come from.
CLAIRE BABINEAUX-FONTENOT: There is no county in the United States where there’s not a group of people who are living with hunger.
SCHMITZ: That’s Claire Babineaux-Fontenot. She’s the CEO of the national food bank network Feeding America. She says donations are down because there’s a lack of awareness about hunger in the U.S.
BABINEAUX- FONTENOT: During the pandemic, we as a nation really understood what was happening with hunger. We could see those long lines blocking traffic on streets or filling parking lots. And as a whole nation, we really pulled together our resources and our intentionality and we did things to be helpful. Congress did that, too, bipartisan legislation that increased the amount of food that people had access to during the pandemic.
And since the pandemic, those resources have been cut back. And foundational to the work that we do is that it must be nonpartisan, not bipartisan, but nonpartisan. And we’re hopeful always that when we share what’s really happening in communities across the country, that any and every administration is going to want to roll their sleeves up and be helpful to.
SCHMITZ: It’s a known fact that the work that food banks do is essential. But when it comes to nutrition, how hard is it to provide nutrient-rich foods?
BABINEAUX- FONTENOT: It’s rather difficult for at least a few reasons. One, it’s more expensive. And, two, fresh produce – as an example, protein, dairy – requires refrigeration and requires some sophistication around the handling of it. I mentioned how vast our network is. Many of our partners don’t have access to refrigeration. So part of what we do as a national organization is we actually invest in those smaller organizations and make certain that they have the refrigeration that they need.
They’re working hard to purchase more and more nutritionally dense food. And they’re doing that with some serious headwinds around cost and around the fact that they simply don’t have the resources that they need in order to make that happen in the way they wish they could.
SCHMITZ: Claire, it’s Thanksgiving, a day when families come together to share a meal. I’m wondering, is there an uptick in the number of people who come to your food banks this time of year?
BABINEAUX- FONTENOT: Yes, and there’s also typically an uptick in the number of people who give during seasons like this. Of course, for most of the people experiencing hunger in this country, it doesn’t just happen during the holidays. But the holidays can be particularly challenging. My sense is it feels even worse because it separates people from these rich, wonderful traditions that they see unlocking on television and all around them and that way too often they’re not able to participate in.
SCHMITZ: Claire, there will be many people that listen to our interview and may want to give, but there will also be people who may need the services of an organization like yours. How can they find out more about that?
BABINEAUX- FONTENOT: So both categories of people can go to the exact same place. Go to feedingamerica.org. If you’re in a position to give, it’s there that you can learn how to donate and how to advocate. And if you are among the 47,400,000 people in this country who are struggling to make ends meet, please go to feedingamerica.org, and there you’ll find a food bank locator. Just put your zip code in there, and what will pop up is an organization that’s there to help you. I hope you reach out. And I know the people in this network will want to be a great neighbor to you.
SCHMITZ: That’s Claire Babineaux-Fontenot. She is the CEO of Feeding America. Claire, thank you.
BABINEAUX- FONTENOT: Thank you so much for having me.
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