Work in Progress with Sophia BushWork in Progress: Karen Pittman & Claire Babineaux-Fontenot
The Holidays are here, a time of joyous celebrations, delicious foods, and gift-giving. However, for millions of Americans, it's a time of stress and worry about where their next meal will come from. Food insecurity is not just a holiday issue but a year-round crisis, and Feeding America is tirelessly working to end hunger one meal at a time.
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, and award-winning actress and advocate Karen Pittman join Sophia for an emotional and revealing chat about the country's hunger crisis and how Feeding America is working to combat it. Karen also opens up about her own experiences with food insecurity over a decade ago as a single mom, the shame and fear she felt, how the experience shaped her perspective and activism, and the joy and healing energy from volunteering and making a difference.
Ready to make a difference? You can donate, volunteer, or learn more about Feeding America's mission at feedingamerica.org.
Hi, everyone, It's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Happy holidays, Whips Marties. As we get toward the end of this year, I've really been thinking about this community that we all share, in the stories we get to share, and I really cherish you all, and I think I wanted to end the year with a conversation that felt worry I guess of a year ending and inspiring. And that's why I'm so thrilled today to be joined by two women I admire so so much, the incredible Karen Pittman and Claire Babineau Fontanelle. You probably know Karen Pittman because she is a wildly accomplished actress in television, film, and theater. She stars as Mia Jordan on Apple's award winning The Morning Show. She also plays doctor Niah Wallace on Max's And just like that, Pittman's resume is so long. I'm not going to read the whole thing to you, but my god, I just look up to her so much as an actor, as a producer, she is truly incredible, And today she brings a friend and another woman that I look up to, Claire Babino Fontino. She is the chief executive officer of Feeding America, America's largest organization combating food insecurity. They run a network of local food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries, meal programs, and they happen to be the largest charity in the United States. Since twenty twenty two, under her incredible guidance, the organization has reached new milestones in addressing domestic food insecurity. And as you'll hear from Claire today, there is not a community in this country, suburban or rural, that does not have folks facing food and security. It is a truly nonpartisan issue. It affects each and every one of us, and if it hasn't affected you yet, it definitely affects someone that you know. And the work that she does to serve communities is so exemplary and so impressive to me, and also exemplary and impressive to Karen, because Karen has been an ambassador for Feeding America for quite some time and also has a personal connection to Feeding America as an organization that I think will move you in the way it moved me. So let's dive in and be inspired about what it means to build community and show up for each other with Karen and Claire. Karen, Claire, thank you so much for coming on Work in Progress today. I just need to I'm going to put I'm going to take off my interviewer hat and like allow my fangirl freak flag to fly for a beat, and then she'll go away and I'll put my interviewer hat back on. But Karen Pittman, I am obsessed with you. I'm assessed with everything you do. You are just so unbelievable. I am the Morning Show's biggest fan. And then I could run obviously the laundry list of your entire resume, but I will save that for the intro to this episode. Uh and Claire, my god, the work that you do at Feeding America, you your whole organization, the way that you better the country, the way that you help people think about bettering the world around them. You are a rock star to me. So to be here with a literal rock star of activism and an actor who I just am like weaken the knees to chat with. I'm the fact that you too are here also to talk about doing good. I'm like, of course, you are, of course you perfect people. So okay, I've told you that I adore you both, and now I will button it up and we can talk.
Let's not keep it buttoned up for God's sake, Okay? Agree? And oh, by the way, we might have to compete over who, in fact is the biggest fan for Karen. I'd like to just focus on the things we can agree on.
How about the world needs more of that?
Yeah, I think so?
So Yes, great, I think so. We are the co chairs of the Karen Pittman Fan Club. Welcome to our weekly meeting.
I like how you did that? Thank you God you guys.
We're talking about the American incredible work they're doing, so I can't wait to jump in and talk about that and Claire and all of her work.
Likewise, so normally, what I love to do with folks, and in me, if you will on doing this together, is generally when I sit down with people, it's because they are doing such incredible things in the world at present, as both of you women are. And I'm always really curious how these incredible humans became the incredible humans they are today. And I wonder if you each were able to meet your nine or ten year old self, if you would see the woman you are today in her What was that little girl into Karen? Was she a storyteller? Claire? Were you passionate about issues in the neighborhood? Like do you see the women you are today in the little girls you used to be?
Absolutely, if I had to tell you the kind of work I would wind up doing what I was nine, I would think I'd be doing this kind of stuff. And in fact, even the fact that I became a lawyer was something that I remember asking telling my dad when I grew up. I was around that age. I was a little bit older when I went to my dad and said, when I grew up, I'm going to be a lawyer, And he said, of course you will, little girl. You argue all the time. That way, I will pay you to do it. So, so imagine me as a blonde, frizzy haired ball of fire. That's what I was. I was. I was an activist. In fact, I think I sometimes created issues so that I can help resolve them because I was so bent on being a part of these positive solutions. And then the final thing I'd say is in my family, which is unique and huge, there were all kinds of talents in my family that I did not have, so I. However, I was the best namer in our whole family. So I would name stuff for us. So as an example, if I Big Crew played basketball, I would come up with the name for the basketball game. We're playing baseball, come up with the name for the baseball game. In retrospect, the names weren't great, but to me, I thought they were absolutely extraordinary. So the Babano Kids World Championship to end all championships southside versus north side baseball tournament. Bam, there you go. That was my that was my strength.
You were like, somebody get this kid, a screenprinting kid. She needs to make merch. She wants a bumper sticker, she wants a fridge magnet.
Yeah, but the name was so long nobody could ever remember the whole name, right, And so you know, I don't know how effective I was, but I was very passionate. I was very I was so committed. I was committed.
I agree amazing, And Karen, what about for you?
You know, I think my nine or ten year old self black Claire, I was raised in the South.
Uh, she's Louisiana native. I'm Mississippi native. Am I right about that?
Claire?
You got that right?
We are greats. Girls raised in the South, you got that girls and girls raised this.
And uh, you know, my youngest self was like Claire in that there was this there's a great bit of activism right in my in my raising and my growing up, the sense of you know, integrity, moral integrity, and what's right and what's wrong. But my real way into it was through this really strong thread of empathy, you know, and really seeing myself and other people's struggles. So for me it translated into being an actor, do you know, Because it's actors.
We must have this great.
Uh well of empathy and sympathy for humanity and in human.
Plight to put ourselves in there.
But it also makes a lot of sense that I would be involved with organizations like Feeding America, who you know, they walk the talk, they actually put action behind this empathic this desire not just to embody empathy, but also to do something positive in the world. I think my nine or ten year old self would be more impressed that I was sitting here with you and Claire and amplifying on my platform any supporting families and their their needs, and she would be that we had gotten some accolades or acknowledgments because really, in my family, and I think this is true for Claire's family, to helping people was really the way that you needed to be in in the world. You need to be of service. So I think she'd be pretty freaking impressed.
Actually love that.
And may I quickly say something about what Karen was saying about Karen? Right, so she's talking about platforms. I am, I'm impressed by this. I appreciate that you would use sure platform, you'd share a platform with me right now, Karen, But we have volunteered together. You know how to pack some food. Girls, I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of hard work, willing to roll up the sleeves. And I've been around let's call it talent that maybe that's not their finest attribute, right, but the way you just jump in and and ask, so where can I help, and then just do it. I'm so, so so inspired and impressed by that.
Well, we started out the conversation, Sophia talking about common ground and where we can come together. And a part of my whole nition as an actor is to demonstrate authentically where we are all the same. This area of reaching out and supporting each other is important. I'm not one of those actors that wants to just write a check. Although, listen, write a check to check.
Please write a check.
But I also think what's more important is for you to show up as possible. That we all can make a difference by just really showing up and volunteering our time, which, by the way, simply as valuable as writing a check, maybe even more so.
Depending upon the level of visibility you have in the world.
So I try to use both of those things as service to the organizations that I think are are worthy and valuable, and that certainly Feeding America and what Claire is doing there.
I love that. And you know, I have to say, I love what you pointed out that that your younger self would probably be the most excited about this. It's not necessarily the you know, the award show that gets televised. The awards are lovely, but you know, when that happens to you, that's that's for you. That's for your artistry. Yes, you carry your whole crew on stage and your writers on stage and all these folks. But I think what I've begun to learn in my communities of storytellers like us is there are folks who love to be artists because it is their greatest personal passion. And I think there's a yes there, and there's also a yes and because for me, what I like the best about it is the community. It is the gathering, It is the people on the set. It is going to live in a new place I've never been. You know, y'all said you were Grits girls, and I was like, listen, I got lucky enough to work in North Carolina for ten years, so I may not have been born there, but same. It is still the food I miss the most when I'm on the West Coast. But the community aspect, I think when you're empathy to represent people's stories is partnered with the love of the community around you. It's only natural that so many storytellers become activists advocates. I actually think we've probably always been both. And as you were saying earlier, Claire, the idea that someone would spend their time both volunteering and using their platform. I think in whatever way anybody like me or Karen has a platform, it's a privilege and you get to spend it. And so what I want to dive into with you both is your partnership Karen, the way you use your platform for this incredible organization that Claire runs. It's the holidays, as you said, you know, yes, everybody, I'll echo the sentiment. Please write a check to Feeding America and both and volunteering your time assisting with meal packing, assisting with delivery. That can change success rates for organizations. So please know that at whatever tax bracket you fall under, your time truly is the most valuable. But I would love for you guys to talk to us, tell us the story you know with all the listeners at home, about how you connected Karen, why Feeding America stood out to you and clear how the organization does what it does, and if you can give us any of the stats. Y'all know I love a little bit of data, So well, we'll let people know how big you're, how big and magnificent really your reaches.
Let me give some context then, for how big the reaches Feeding America is. Where hunger is there is not one county or my last name is bab A, no font no, so I will have to say Parish as well because of the great state of Louisiana, but no county in the whole United States, and what did it go, whether or not people experiencing hunger, so we are where they are. That means we have that kind of breath, including Alaska. So to give you a sense of scale, last year our network provided right at six billion meals to nearly around fifty million people, and that's not the most we've ever done. At the peak of the pandemic. In twenty twenty fiscal we provided six point seven billion meals to nearly sixty million. Sixty million human beings in the United States Food and Security Rates which the USDA measures food insecurity, and for a lot of people, they're like, what its food insecurity? It really is about whether or not you have confidence all throughout the year that you will be able to access the nutrition that you need for yourself in your family. And if you don't consistently have that confidence, then you are food insecure. And there are lots of people who are experiencing food insecurity who don't even realize that they are a part of that number. Of course, food insecurity is a spectrum, so there are some people who experience food insecurity only incidentally are right after a major issue happens, a significant medical challenge that causes a family to real and then they can't make ends meet. Are a lot of the people that turn to us are part of a generational pattern of food and security. So the Feeding American network includes hundreds of food banks all across the country, over sixty thousand agencies and meal programs, pantries from huge, highly sophisticated pantries to little, small church basement pantries, from the biggest urban sectors to the farthest reaches of America. As I said, we try to be where hunger is and we wish that it we're not as ubiquitous as it is, but that means we have to be too.
We'll be back in just a minute. But here's a word from our sponsors. When you talk about, you know, how folks who don't have experience with food and security can wrap their heads around it, there's that stat which you know may have changed over the years, but when we were first pushing to get the ACA passed so that folks would have access to healthcare, I will never forget it burned into my brain that there is a huge percentage of Americans that are just one four hundred dollars unexpected medical bill away from bankruptcy. Absolutely and to realize that a surprise four hundred dollars could I mean, it could torpedo your whole life. I think you also realize how close to being food and secure so many folks are, because I mean, hats off to you, my god, six billion meals. Six billion is a hard number to comprehend, but everybody knows what four hundred dollars means. And so I think when when we can start to consider that we could be walking through our day, walking through our office, walking through our neighborhood and have no idea how many people we pass on the street not hello to see, you know, walking into or out of a coffee shop, or standing on the corner waiting across the street. We have no idea how many of those people are scared that they don't know where dinner is going to come from. And it's why I'm so immensely grateful for the work that you do. And you know, even to know that there's two hundred food banks and the Feeding America Network.
Actually over two hundred food banks in locating America Network and over sixty thousand agency partner and meal programs all across the country. But the point that you made before and Karen brought it up before as well. She's talking about empathy and when when I had conversations having when I first joined Feeding America, there was somebody on the Feeding American National Office team who made a statement and they were just saying it very casually, but it burned in me, you know, which was well, you understand, empathy is the acting emotion. And I'm like, what you know, sympathy people people go awe. But when people can see themselves in a situation, they're far more likely to try to do something about it. So I'm glad that you spoke to that particular thing, and I'll share as an example. During COVID we saw the the largest public support we've ever seen in our history during COVID Wow. And we believe that was true for two reasons. One people, because we were trapped at home for a lot of that time, we saw those long lines of cards and went, oh, wait, really, because we didn't even conceive that that was happening in the United States. But the other thing is there's a shame that comes along with the status of being food and security insure are being living in poverty in this country, and those who do not live in poverty often look at those who do and say, well, you know it's because you did something wrong. Now, if you were like me, you would have put your money away, you would have etcetera, etcetera, etc. During COVID, I think people saw and start belief. They're like, wait, what would we do if I worked at a hotel, I met my partner at the same hotel, and then the hotel shut down. Yes, and that's where we got to income from. That happens every day in the lives of people sitting. They suddenly lose access to income. Sometimes a two income family gets reduced to one. Sometimes a two income family gets reduced to zero. So making sure that we're contemplating, as you already said, that statistic hasn't gotten any better. I think it's the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that publishes that we are one financial crisis as a country away from being in one of those lines. And so many people who have volunteered in the lines. During COVID, especially, I'd be out, I was traveling across the country, and I would meet people and they were so sad, as they would say, you know, I used to volunteer here. I never imagine I be the person who needed food. But I can tell you this, I'm going to get back on my community, and when I do, I'm going to return to the other side of this line. I'm going to make sure I'm about positive change. And my hope and my belief is that all of those people who experienced it in that way and when they rejoin that other line, and hopefully they all have, they do so with more empathy than they did when they were serving that line.
Mmm, that's beautiful, Karen. What was it? What was it about the mission of Feeding America that activated that that action sends in you, that empathy in you. How did you pick this cause?
Well, that was one of those trucks about Claire. So important that you brought this setups going to bring this up talking about the stigma that goes along with being in a family who is food and secure. The majority of African American homes are single parent homes in this country. That is, if it's a single parent home, it's run by someone who looks like me in one and right. And so I was one of those women in two thousand and twelve, twenty thirteen that was dealing with food and security. I wasn't not all the time, but intermittently enough where I was concerned about being able to feed myself and my children. And I came upon one of Feeding America's partners in Brooklyn, New York, where I lived in Fort Grade, and the shame that I had as a graduate of Northwestern University and NYU Graduate program, I shouldn't be in a position where I was food and secure, and yet I was because I had come upon one of those situations that Claire talks about where I had stepped into financially into a precarious position right, and I needed some support, and the organization was there for me through a church that I would go to in Fort Green. I walked past it and one day and I thought, what is that like? I don't you know, I was thinking about it, and I saw that there was fresh fruit and vegetables as opposed to canned or you know, powdered or whatever. And I thought, you know, I actually need to get over myself and get in that line. And it was it was truly difficult, staggering not to feel like I maybe I should call my mom, or maybe I should call my friends or my sister borrow some money but the truth of the matter was that I had to figure it out for myself, and I had such shame around it, much shame around this experience. So obviously, fast forward to ten twelve years later, and I have the opportunity through one of the outreach programs to volunteer and to talk with uh not just the folks of being in America, but also at City Harvest in New York and be a part of the program. I felt like it was important not just to use my platform or just to you know, be a part of the organization, the volunteer organization, but to tell my story because I think people might look at me and the characters that I portray, these strong women and you know, who are out in the world and self actualizing and realizing and ambitious and et cetera, et cetera, But in fact, I've gone through really, really tough times and my own personal story is one of having gone through adversity in this way, I also think it's a universal story. I don't care what you know, political party you're a part of, or what side of the aisle that you you live on, the idea of supporting a children and families who don't have enough food to eat.
Is it's so.
Important it goes beyond any idea of political party, or religion or any of that. Right, So instead of just sitting back and holding back on what my personal story was because of my own sense of guilt or shame or whenever, I decided, let me not just step into this role but also share my own personal experience of it.
And I think that's where we.
Make the biggest impact, is to put not just to you know, talk to other people about what they're doing, but to literally put our story alongside theirs and say this is why it's important, you know. So that's part of how I got involved with it, and the other part of it was through my publicity team, who just brings me important things to align myself with if I if I so choose. So that was really how I became a part of it. I can travel a lot as an actor, as you well known. So I found that I could support Feeding America, not just in New York, where I was living at the time, but also I can go to Los Angeles and support I can if I'm filming in Martha's Vineyard, I can find some place in Massachusetts to go, you know, there's lots of different places to ground myself and what I know is the most important part of being an actor, which is the activism part actor and go out into the communities and volunteer very quietly, like no one has to know.
Nobody.
I love that you getting the word out for us right here by the way. But for me, it's important just to do it, you know, for myself, or that my children often will go with me when I I volunteer. But to reach back to.
Sorry, sorry, sorry to reach back for.
Sorry, Okay, we're all crying now.
Sorry, Sorry to reach back for that Karen. I'm talking about reaching back for that nine ten year old telf. To reach back for that Karen who brought her grocery cart to that church instead of what a courageous, what an important, courageous thing she was doing for her family, And to reach back for her and to hold her close to me is what I do every time I go to a facility and stand in line and pack food. It's really selfish in a lot of ways because it reminds me and reinforces in me that the courage that I displayed in those moments was not just for.
Me, but for my children for everyone, but they needed me in that moment.
And this is a these are these are the moments where you know, the rubber meets the road.
I think for and it's why I think that a storyteller that is as brilliant as you are on screen, that does walk through the world today as this woman with accolades, can particularly be such an incredible advocate because you bring your full empathy to the conversation. And I when you just told that story, like I see my mother and you, I see a girl who ate butter sandwiches for a lot of her childhood because there was nothing else to eat in her house. I know how I felt the first time a woman in our industry shared her story with me, and it led all of us to share our stories in me too. I know whatever we have carried shame or fear about the truth is that shame doesn't grow in the light. And you bringing to light your personal story alongside you know, it's your iteration of each of us knowing what four hundred dollars means in our house. It's the personalization of six billion meals.
Right, it's very much, it's exactly, but it makes it the most individual.
Yes, and the number of women I imagine who've heard your story and then say, I don't need to feel shame here. I can actually take this feeling of fear and go to an organization like this, one like Claire's and feel health. Howard, No, it's going to be okay. We know that there's people looking out for me. It's it's an enormous national organization and it's also the most one to one personal thing that people can do for each other. So I just anyway, now I'm going to cry. I so cherish what you ladies are doing.
I think I'm the only one who's in between tears at this moment. But I've got to tell you how profound this conversation has been for me. And I want to stand up and give a standing ovation to all three Karens and to the Karen that you're going to be, that you're becoming, because you're not even done right, and then as well to talk about your mom and the way you did it. Remember, I had an opportunity.
In my role.
We were talking about doing some kind of OpEd and talking to some people on the Feeding America team about what that could look like and feel like. But I remember having this moment, and it was with a different remarkable supporter and star who works with Feeding America, Scarlett Johansson, and Scarlett has our own story, and I remember having an epiphany that I think I know what I want this to be. And I was so grateful that that Scarlett could see it and that we could both embrace it. And it was this idea of a love letter. So we did this open letter in the USA today and it was a love letter to parents who live with food and skills, and it was to celebrate who they are and their resiliency and their courage and their bravery the way that they, as hard as me, make it in our society to be in the status of being while on the one hand, we love to think of ourselves as the rags to richest culture, you know kind of place, but we actually don't want to talk about the rags.
We just like the richest part, which.
Don't give me the richest, honey, don't tell there came the riches, right, But but there's always a process for getting there, and we do get the chance, many of us uh to get there, and all of us who are participating right now got that chance.
So I just want to say that as you were talking, I'm thinking a salute to the Karen taking the salute to your mom. What's your mom's name. I don't know your mom's name. Oh, my mom's Willie, Willie Ray, she's passed. And what about your mom making butter sandwiches, Maureen Mareene, Well, salute to marine. Listen. I've had a butter sandwich. That's that's not a bad sandwich.
Let me tell you it's not.
But it's not. But but you don't want to have it every day?
Not every day.
But I will tell you on that subject that we were talking about processed foods earlier and and and we have had a movement to uh, there's a there's a stereotype related to the kinds of foods that people get in the Feeding American network. And some of those foods are in fact shelf stable and sometimes are in cans, for instance. And sometimes that's true because many of our partners don't have access to refrigeration. So what we do as a national organization is we find ways to get funding, and then we pass that funding down into local communities and make certain that that little teeny weeny uh church basement pantry gets refrigeration so they can then share nutrition, lead and foods. But over time, now over seventy percent of the foods that we provide us a network our Foods to Encourage. So I'm proud of that. We're getting better, better, We're getting better and better at it.
We'll be back in just a minute after a few words from our favorite sponsors, Claire, Can I ask you, can you can you explain for folks at home that are like, wait, what does that mean? Foods to encourage? How how does an organization that, yes, is doing the incredible community based service work of food, how do you also look at the science of food, the data of food, because that's that's got to be a big important part of your mission.
It's a huge important part of our mission. We care what we what we provide, and people experiencing hunger care what they get. Yeah, and they ought to have some agency in what they get, by the way, so we do focus in on how can we make certain that there is significant nutritional density and the food that we provide. So someone else came up with the definition of foods encouraged, like somebody else came up with the definition of food and security. But essentially it would be foods that have nutritional density that would be important to a thriving body, right, And seventy percent of our foods, over seventy percent meet that measure. So I'm proud of that fact. And there's more work to be done there. Although I will say, it's so interesting how I had found in my own life it's inside of struggle that I usually have had. Some of my best bonding has happened in struggle. And then there's this common language that you get and common experiences that you have inside of struggle. And you were talking about sandwiches to this day, and I know that it is not nutritionally done. So for anyone who's gonna watch or listen, understand that.
I know.
If you're like, please don't come for me in the comments.
This is not this is not a food to encourage. This is not a food to encourage. But government cheese. Oh my goodness. I had yet to meet a person who whose family access the federal commodities who does not have stories about government cheese. And it's a binding story, you know, it's oh, how did you do it? Like where I'm from in Appolusa's Louisiana, South central Louisiana. We had a lot of fig trees, so and my mom had to be skilled in canning foods, so she can figs. Right. So we had like a fig preserve, which by the way, is very expensive in regular stores, was not expensive at all to can, right, So we had can can figs and we would take our We take two slices of bread, we put some government cheese, thick slice of government cheese on top, put it inside of the oven, let it start bubbling, and then put some big pursers on top of it and eat it as a sandwich. I did not feel I was settling when I was eating delicious.
Oh my god. Yeah, I would like a well open face right now.
Yeah. I've been in New York and in l a and I've been at restaurants and they come out with brushett or whatever, and I'm like, this is looking like my government cheese sandwich because that was breaking in. They'll sprinkle in a few walnuts, right yeah, and then and some apples and now you're.
Set and and poof, then it's a Christine cross exactly.
There you go, it's a Christini exactly. So but I want to I want to mention that because it's true. But the other thing is why it would be that I would I would want to participate in celebrating people experiencing the most innovative, creative, make a way out of no way, resilient human beings I've ever been in my life, hard working, dedicated, full human beings I've ever met in my life are people living in poverty, people experiencing food and security. And that is so emblematic in my mind of how you take something that by itself probably doesn't feel like the best thing, but then you put everything you got into making it something that tastes great. I mean, it's amazing, right, And you don't have to pay nearly as much to get those government cheese sandwiches with preserves as you would in some of these fancy restaurants. But it's so emblematic, as I said, and I'm proud of the work that we do. Something else that your conversation caused me to think about that I thought maybe I jump in with as well, is how well. Two other things that came up. One of them is I think it was Karen who talked about this transcends politics, no matter who you are, no matter where you are are, on the spectrum, whether you self describe as a conservative or self described as a progressive, or somewhere in the middle. Over the course of the last several years, that will have been moments that will have caused you to question the goodness of this country. And I'm so grateful and I feel so privileged that that's something I don't question because I have Karen out there on both coasts. But I've been to all fifty states and Puerto Rico, and no matter what state I went to, even in the middle of a global health pandemic, when you do remember there was a time when you turn on the television and it was actually a scroll that would identify how many people died of coping. Even in the midst of that, there were people who left their homes volunteered to make sure that neighbors have the food that they need. Yeah, and it happened everywhere, every single state across the whole United States. I have no doubt that we have good inside of us. I have no doubt that we do good. And this is one of those kinds of causes. Well, no matter what it is that you care about, you should probably also care about hunger because people probably can't get whatever that thing is without it. So you care about education, people can't without nutrition, you know, et cetera, et cetera.
Yeah, and ladies as partners for good. Yes, Well, first I should respond to say, of course this is a transcendent issue, and I would be remiss to not acknowledge that I am very scared for food and secure folks. With the incoming administration that you know, ended the child tax credits, you know in the House that took fifty percent of American children living in poverty out, and then they decided they didn't want one side to have that win, so they ended it. And now we've got you know, billionaires talking about cutting chips and cutting food security programs and you know, cutting the sorts of resources that are supposed to be our social safety net that do create those bonding conversations for adults who get to say, oh, how did you do it when that was your family with you know, that package that came. How how do you, as you know, both the head of our largest food organization and Karen, how do you as a spokesperson who I would imagine is on an awful lot of these you know, big board and organizing calls. How are you preparing folks who need assistance for I won't say the guarantee, but the you know, the threat that the programs will be further cut. How do you begin to prepare to respond and tell people out there who are probably terrified, Hey, we got you, Hey we have a plan. How do how do how does an organization of this size prepare to be nimble in the face of political change? Because it should be and is an a political issue, but we know it won't be treated as such necessarily. I'm curious how you make sense of that.
It's actually remarkable that this is one of the very few issues that we have consistently gotten bipartisan support for. Okay, right, So, in the in the last Trump administration, when the trade mitigation foods were out there with the tariffs, remember that that had a significant impact on American farmers, burst producers, the beneficiaries of all of that extra food or people experiencing hunger. I mean they ended up distributing. We as a network, in fact, were the principal ones who got that food out to people, some beautifully nutritionally dense food, protein, dairy, fresh vegetables. Those things happened and now there. And then the other thing we talked about the child tax credit. I heard the President elects say that he plans to restore the child tax credit. I heard the Vice president say that she planned to restore the child tax credit. When you have a tool that reduces child poverty by nearly you have over forty percent really going to use that tool. So we're not giving up? Is so answered the question first, we are so far from dn it. We are going to go wow, advocate through the things that people experiencing hunger say that they need to thrive. We're going to make arguments that we consider compelling around law everybody, why everybody should want this, no matter what their politics. So as an example, we were talking about what effectively talking about what hunger looks like in America. It looks like you, and it looks like me. Bi plurality. The largest number of people who experience hunger in this country are white. Inordinately black and brown people experiences experience hunger, But there is no group of people. It's not it's just an urban issue. It is not just an urbane and it is an urban issue, and it's a suburban issue, and it's a rural issue. As well. So we're hopeful and planful. Hope is not a plan. Hope is not a plan, but you need hope to be planful, I think. So we're hopeful and planful around how it is that we're going to address these things. And then when I get a chance like this one, and I'm in the company people like the two of you, my desire is for people to come to us so they can go to Feeding America dot org and and if they there's a food bank locator on that website, and all I have to do is type in there, there's zip code, and what will pop up is the local organization that is there, committed and dedicated to serving their needs. And we will go up with them and for them. We always have since our inception, and we always will. Yeah, there's a little thing I say, if you don't mind, I talk about the difference between how we stand. So some organizations are bipartisan, we are not bipartisan. A bipartisan organization, I think, often finds self reduced to the lowest common denominator on things. We are non partisan. We touch tens of millions of people every year. We have an opportunity to ask them, who are you what would be helpful? Why are you in the line? In that line, and then we respond to that with our policies, the policies that we remove, and the way I often say it is, I I don't care what you call yourself. If you are inclined to be helpful to people experiencing hunger, as they have expressed what help looks like, then come and join us, because we don't plan to move. We're going to stand right next to them, right and I don't again say you're a Republican. Wonderful Come on, if you are willing to want to be a part of this thing that they say that they need in order to thrive, or if you're progressive or anything in between. We don't plan to move away from from people experiencing hunger in any administration, and with that as our true north, we will find it to make certain that they get what they need always.
I also think that there's this this idea. I think every time we experience something like as much political and social unrest as we have, that is the idea that it's the first time we've ever experienced it. But the truth of the matter is that Feeding America has been around for decades like this is not the first.
Time in America that we have thought, how are we going to make it through this?
Because it feels like our political that we are so disparate politically as a group of citizens. How do we make this thing work? And for me, I, you know, I harken back to this thing my former mother in law would say about has said, which is the cabalistic or Jewish idea of benevolence, of leaning.
Into each other and leaning into the.
Glue between us as as human beings that keeps us together.
Right.
And so for me, I Leen, as a human being and as an actor and as an activist, I lean into the I lean into the areas again that common ground, but also the glue that hold together, which the Jewish religion refers to as has said, and we don't do enough of that. I think that's where benevolence is, That's where generosity is. That's where that thing that Claire talks about hope is.
We're optimism. It's leaning into.
Those spaces with our our our fellow citizens.
And also into organizations like Feeding America. I mean again, it not doesn't matter the administration that is in office.
Feeding America is there has been there doesn't It really doesn't matter.
It has been needed. And so what I hope is that that.
You know, by leaning into these organizations that are here for us as Americans feeding America, that will we'll find ways we can come together right in what we really need to do.
And now for our sponsors, I so appreciate both of your perspectives on that, because you know, we take a lot of questions here. You know, at the podcast, we've got a great production team that's in touch with our listeners a lot, and there is a lot of fear. You know, we've been going through everybody's are inboxes and it's why I was really excited to ask you to that question in particular because I think you know, people will see on the news, well, this party torpedoed something that was great for kids because they didn't want the opposing party to have a win. That's a hard pill for the American public to swallow. It's certainly a hard pill for me to swallow. And I know for both of you, and I think what you've both just shared is so important because you've reminded people that no matter what fighting people might be having, you know, for their political points so they can go on the news and say sassy things across the aisle. Y'all are doing the work. No matter what the work happens. The work happens in community. We have each other, no matter who has a seat in Washington. And it's really really important, I think, as you said, to remind people of the hope and that that hope can be reinforced because you have a plan and that plan doesn't change, and that I feel myself taking a deep breath, and I can guarantee y'all that there are people listening to us right now going oh, thank God, like I really needed that. I needed to know that, so thank you.
Well. When my son was little, I remember he came to me, it's very little. I have a daughter, his son, and my son was explaining how much he admired someone and he said, because that person was brave, and there may be someone who listens who says, Claire, that was the wrong thing to say to your son, but he said, And I said, oh my, and I thought that was a sophisticated word for him so little. And he said, I said, so what's bravery and he said, it's when you're not scared. And I thought, really, well, then the person you're describing is foolish. And he looks at me with his eyes wide open. He says, huh, And I go, well, there are things to be afraid of. Bravery is to know they're a risk and to do the thing that needs to be done anyway. So if your listeners feel angst concerned, there's reason to feel mean. But then what are you going to do with that? But you're just going to sit and some people, well can't get over it, and they can't they there's nothing they can do, or they feel like there's nothing they can do. I've talked to the people on our team at Feeding American Ascent well rarefied air we breathe here that in the midst of all of this, you don't have to question whether you can be helpful. Your job positions you to be helpful. Yeah, we get to pull our sleeves up and do the things right, and that's that's It's just such. It feels like a privilege. It feels like a privilege. Yeah, there's that.
There's that extraordinary phrase that you mentioned that Claiar, we must be honey cousins, because because I've heard this phrase throughout my life. That make up that seven workers make away, no Way, make away, no way to know, which is this sort of it's a mission statement, of course, it's a mantra, it's an affirmation that's that we're talking about kurage and bravery and what that looks like. But as i've which word, I've realized that that that it's of course, it's something you a touchtone for us to connect to. Certainly as African Americans, we hear about all the time in our own.
Way out of no way.
Maybe she made a way out of no way to you know, But the truth of the matter is that that's not that's not really true.
There there there is a.
That no way way is.
Actually Feeding America.
Right. The other organization that you can connect to actually helps that.
Idea, I think is now I feel like it's almost entirely false. It's this way of you.
Know, trying to create this superhero energy, this black girl, this you know, this idea that we are invincible, we can.
Do it on our own. The truth of the matter is that we need each other.
That yeah, and that no way is actually you know, organizations like Feeding America or another organization I support City Harvest or another. All the organizations that are here have been here for decades of time that fill in the gaps for it. It does want my heart that when you are on your list, you mentioned Feeding America and then you mission City Harvest, which is a Feeding America food bank. I'm just saying, but there also are other powerful organizations start doing extraordinary things. And in my own story around my own food and security, it was a Salvation arn't me?
Yeah, And I with my tail between my legs, my head down first to graduate. You know, we didn't graduate. My parents didn't graduate high school. My grandparents didn't even go to school, formal school. And there I was, and I'm like, wait a minute, they're counting on me. I'm supposed to be the rock star, right, don't. I don't get to not be able to put two pennies together to eat what I've got to do. And it's the counter to a success story that my I think my parents were counting on me being one of the ones who would be able to make it on my own, and there I was unable, and I my again, head down, tail between my legs, went to the Salvation Army on Airline Highway and back rouge Louisiana. I was in college law school at the time. This lady walks up to me, and I sheep sheepishly walk with her over to her cube, her desk, and she's she Then she just, baby, you need help. I can still hear her. I can hear her today. You need help. I remember still heads down saying, head down, saying yes, ma'am. She said, well, baby, I'm going to help you. And then she proceeded to help me. Yeah. And she gave me food stamps and and I went and used those food stamps. And I'm grateful that I didn't have to go back. But I had no food, I had no money, I had no guess I didn't make a way out of no way. Karen, thank you so much that I made a way and we made a way together.
Because I think, I think also that that thing of that sigma, that shame. Oh, I've got an education and I'm the first I can do this. I did to really understand that, you know, we.
Need each other.
Yes, it doesn't matter how much education you have, or how much money you have or I up in the.
Whatever. We need each other.
Yes, And that is that is uh inherent to the human again, no matter your religion or a political party or wherever, we're going to meet each other.
And that's I think.
The real the real power of places organizations like Feeding America where we where we can see reflected very clearly.
And now a word from our sponsors that I really enjoy and I think you will too. And when you talk about that, both of you, you know, no way is actually the organizations that can pick you up. That the imagery I keep having is of you know that adage a rising tide lifts all ships. It's in community that we become the tide. Right, Everybody at some point needs to be picked up, no matter how big their boat is, and and organizations like this one are the tide. So thank you, I mean truly thank you both so much for what you do. Thank you for sharing such incredibly personal stories. I hope that everyone at home is as moved as I feel. I hope that, as Claire said, folks visit Feeding America dot org figure out how to volunteer. How how I'm curious about this because I have a lot of friends with young kids, a lot of sweet little babies in my life. How old can kids be to come in and volunteer with their families. Is there an age limit or how does that work for you?
All? It ends upon what the activation is great, and what the food bank is or the pantry. But there are kinds of activations that little tea, we little ones can great. Then and then sometimes you're in a big warehouse and they're forklifts moving around, so it would be it would feel unsafe. But one of my favorite places that I've seen kids volunteers in Orange County, they have quite quite a group of child volunteers and they work on a farm and they don't do this intense labor on the farm, but they participate in the process of ensuring that something grows and that the thing that grows provides nourishment and it is so beautiful to witness. So it really depends. But what I can tell, you've got a teenager, We've got we've got some work for that teenager in all of these spaces.
Yeah, I know you said you take your kids, and I just think, I think to let kids grow up in service and grow up understanding the value of community is so important. So I'm thrilled to hear that. You know, depending on the activity, kids of all ages are welcome.
Yeah, my kids all volunteered, gave out Halloween candy.
My kids were at in activation, My daughter and I were passing out foods at a project in Queens.
My son was in Brooklyn the City Harvest and we were.
You know, passing out food. There is to put it in your family, to make public service a part of not just civic duty, but a part of how we live our lives. I think so so powerful. It really puts into perspective that the priority priority in our lives is really being in service to each other, from from cradle to grave, from cradle to grave. And and that's something that we have to teach our children about. We have to raise them to understand that they're not just living for themselves.
Right, and the giver will receive right, So they're going to get stuff out of it. And often it's one of their biggest issues with their parents is that they have no agency. Right. They're like, you tell me everything to do and how to do it and all those things. And there's something so beautiful and powerful about being around you when they're volunteering. And and you know, I also recommend to people who are going to have their children be in service that you not use it as a penalty. Well, you don't seem to understand how good you've got it. So I'm about to take you with me so you can see, and then you're gonna have to it's it's a it's a privilege to serve. Yes, So we know how to amp things up for kids. We know how to say, guess what we get to do today. Oh my goodness, we're going to get a chance to get our hands dirty because we're going to work in the community on the community farm. You're going to get to taste carrots and I won't even make you wash them as they're organic. You know, you do it. You know people how to do hype games, so you don't do it. And then there are things that I when my kids were getting at a point, and now they're both adults, but when they're getting at a point, we're in the back of my mind, I was thinking, huh, you're feeling a little seeming a little smug to me. Rather than tell it to them, I'd say, hey, you know, we'd get a chance to go by X place to volunteer. I love it. I think you do such a great job there. I love it. If you came with me, I know you'll make a big impact. And then they come and then at least for a little while, at least for the ride home, and then not complaining about foolishness in my car, right whereas on the way going they were complaining about foolishness. So it is a powerful, powerful thing to instill in the young people that.
You're surrounded, or in my case with my children who have been deeply emotionally and psychologically affected by the pandemic, a way to pull them out of sadness or or lack of engagement or apathy about what they're dealing with personally is to bring to a volunteer space.
So the energy almost instantly.
Changes you, right, Claire, You walk into any facility where people are about the business of packing, or you know, in the back they're having pour in their cup of coffee and about getting ready to do the thing that we're all there to do, which is to empower and support people. Instantly, the cellular makeup changes and you're not so into your.
Own Immediately you come out of that and my children deal with, you know, the changes that happen with them emotionally, just as teenagers.
Is to take them to see that there's more to this world than just what they're feeling. What they're going through. It's a temporary situation. Uh, let's do something to pull ourselves out of it. And uh it does the same thing you know for me in my life.
So yeah, the way to help lift them up is to be like, yeah, lift them up to Karen, we usually have some good music.
Yeah, plays up tempo to talk to me about what is the vibe here?
What are we going to be doing a little classic rock or motown? And there's there are a couple of food banks that inside of the warehouse they have disco balls, particular in California, disco ball when when you meet a particular milestone at that food bank, like you're you're going to try to pack three thousand pounds of onions, you know, whatever it might be. When you meet a milestone, they turn the lights off, they turn on the disco ball, Yes, and they play the music for Why MCA and everybody stops and start dancing to Why. Oh it's it's a blast. So it's fun too. It's usually high energy, a lot of fun.
I think that's the thing. It's always exciting to tell people where you give your time, where you donate your time, where you show up for others, it will be the best time you've had. As you said, the giver receives. And what I also love about you know, talking about young people and teenagers volunteering is what it says to me is they will learn that it is such a gift to help others and that they are also allowed to ask for help. These these are the sort of symbiotic experiences and relationships that I think are healing for people on both ends. Are are teachable times, moments, experiences for people on both ends. And that's part of why I think that community is so important for us as people. I mean, you said it, Karen. It gets you out of your your own stuff and reminds you of the best parts of being a human. And so from the enormous organizational undertaking of you know, six point seven billion meals to the disco party when the onions are packed, where like you know, you're high five in your neighbors from top to bottom, it's such a beautiful organization to learn more about. And so I really appreciate both of you sharing your stories. It doesn't have to necessarily be about the work. It can be. But my favorite question, my favorite final question to ask everyone who comes on the show is this, which is as you look out at the year ahead, maybe even more special because we're about to enter an actual new year, what feels like your work in progress? And that can be you know, for you is women, it can be for feeding America, it can be for both.
I'm from small agricultural town in south central Louisiana, which used to be famed as the sweet Potato capital of the world. I envision spending a lot more time with farmers and on farms. One of the myths out there about the work that we do is that somehow farmers are on one side and answer how your organizations are on another site. We have to work together and it's a beautiful thing. So I'm planning to get my hands dirty and soil over the course of the next year to learn more about also learn more about dairy farming. I want to be a much better partner for farmers, growers and producers coming into the next year. I think that starts with seeing them. So I'm planning to have my eyes open a bit wider in that space in the year to come. Beautiful, Yeah, I think that it's such a good question.
I think finding uh the most meaningful stories to align myself with, and uh being the author of some of those stories, not necessarily.
Having the public.
Be an audience to it, but my children being do a meaningful story amount. Not everything can be monetized, Not everything needs to have a dollar sign next to it.
As far as the work that we do as a person as.
Artists, some of those things need to remain in the in the co in the bubble, or in the space that is just our family, and those are those are some of the most meaningful stories to share.
But also to find incredible women like Claire and my I mean this incredible unique position.
Being around all these women who are doing so much important work not just for the world, but also as women. What true power looks like now in this inclusive world that we live in, what real diversity, what real equity looks like, and examining the systems that we've put in place, how we are empowering.
Each other as women.
It's great, it's a great joy to be acting alongside Jen and Reeese and and to be the Morning Show. But there's also a great gift in watching people like Claire and jin and reading and you know, me, Me and all these women do it because we are We are a good distance from the hashtag me to movement, and we are a good distance from the incredible political unrest of twenty twenty and the death of George Floyd and how it affected our organizations and our corporations. And you know what, way, when the dust is settled, what are we what are we actually doing now? And how are we in response and not into reaction to all this incredible information that we now know about the world that we live in. And so my goal is to tell the most meaningful stories in that way, and to author some of those stories and and.
And find partners to.
Do it with, and to continue my work with Feeding America.
And that's my work. Those are my works in progress.
Beautiful.
What about you? Yeah? Can we turn that fable here? We all need to to turn the table, do we? Yes? Yeah? You know.
For me, I think similarly to both of you, it's lean into community always. It's be the tide to make sure that, no matter how filled with strife the world seems to be, that we are doing this together. I really do believe in the power of the ripple effect. You know, if everybody drops a positive stone in the water, look what happens to the water. And I'm really I'm into the water today for some reason, these are all my metaphors. And then I think, much much like you're saying, Karen, you know, this is my first year in my career that I have not been attached to a show, and it's so surreal in the best way, you know, I've been able to sign on to films and go out and see and in a way, even though I've been doing this for twenty years, I kind of feel like a brand new actor. And I'm so excited to find the next right thing for myself in an environment that I hope is much like the one you're referring to with Mimi and Jen and Reese and yourself. And I want the next things to be in cohort with amazing, brilliant women that are so fun to be around at work and who I learn from and learn with and who want to make the world a better place. Like it's groups of women like this that I mostly exclusively would like to be in. So that is my request to the universe for twenty twenty five.
You're going to get it. You're gonna get it.
There is a great joy in exploring what a power dynamic looks like outside of our internalized experience of the patriarchy.
Yes, there's a great joy in just.
Exploring it and experimenting with it and saying that I don't have to do it that way. And I think the only place I've really been able to take advantage of it is in spaces where women run the show.
Whatever that looks like. I wish that for you too.
Thank you. May it be so it shall be all of it for us, ladies.
Here we go, Here we go, Come on twenty twenty five, and let's do this.
Come on, let's do it.
Thank you both so much for joining me today. Thank you for the beauty that you put out in the world with your work. I really appreciate each of you.
Great way to end twenty twenty four. Thank you Claire for being here.
Thank you.
Oh my goodness, I'm always excited. I got it. I caught it. Yes,
