Drama Queens - Work in Progress: Karen Pittman & Claire Babineaux-Fontenot

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hi, everyone. It's Sophia. Welcome to work in progress. Happy holidays, whipsmarties. 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 worthy, 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 Fontenelle. 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 Dr. Nia 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 Babineau, Fontenow, 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 2022. 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, urban, suburban, or rural that does not have folks facing food insecurity. 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 fan girl 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 obsessed 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. And Claire, my God, the work that you do at Feeding America, 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 weak in the

knees to chat with. The fact that you two are here also to talk about doing good, I'm like, of course you are. Of course you live together. 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. Gosh, let's not keep it buttoned up for God's sake. Oh, okay, great. Agree. And oh, by the way, we might have to compete over who

in fact is the biggest fan for Karen. I like this to just focus on the things we can agree on. How about that? The world needs more of that. Yeah, I think so. So yes. Great.

So we are the co-chairs of the Karen Pittman fan club. Welcome to our weekly meeting. I like how you did that. Bravo. Thank you. Good job. You guys, we're talking about

America and the 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 indulge 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 10-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, 100%. If I had to tell you the kind of work I would wind up doing. when 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

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 we'll pay you to do it. So imagine me as a blonde, frizzy-haired ball of fire. That's what 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. 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 our big crew played basketball, I'd 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 Babino kids world championship to end all championships south side versus north side baseball tournament

bam there you go that was my that was my straight you were like somebody get this kid a screen printing kit she needs to make merch she wants a bumper sticker she wants a fridge magnet yeah but the names were so long nobody could ever remember the whole name right and And so, you know, I don't know how effective I was, but I was very passionate. You were committed. I was very passionate about. I was so committed. I agree. For sure. Amazing. And Karen, what about for you?

You know, I think my 9 or 10-year-old self, my Claire, I was raised in the South. She's Louisiana native. I'm Mississippi Native. Am I right about that, Claire? You got that right. We are grits. Girls raised in the South. You got it. girl, the girl's raised in the self. And, uh, you know, my youngest self was, uh, like Claire and that there was a, there's a great bit of activism, right? In my, in my raising and my growing up,

uh, this sense of, you know, integrity, moral integrity of what's right and what's wrong. But my real way into it was through this, um, really strong. thread of empathy, you know, and really seeing myself in other people's struggles. So for me, it translated into being an actor, do you know? Because as actors, we must have this great well of empathy and sympathy for humanity and the 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 needs, then 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 the world. You need to be of service. So I think she'd be pretty freaking impressed, actually. I love that. And may I quickly say something about what Karen was saying about Karen, right? So she's talking about platforms. I am impressed by this.

I appreciate that you would use your platform. You'd share a platform with me right now, Karen. But we have volunteered together. You know how to pack some food, girl. I mean, 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 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 part of my whole mission 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 people. We'll take the check too. You know what I mean? Please write a check. But I also think what's more important is for you to show up. It's 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 depending upon the level of

visibility you had in the world. So I try to give both of those things as service to the organizations that I think are worthy and valuable and that's certainly feeding America and what Claire is doing there. I love that. And I have to say,

I love what you pointed out that your younger self would probably be the most excited about this. It's not necessarily the award show that gets televised. The awards are lovely. But when that happens to you, 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 10 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 your empathy to represent people's stories, is partnered with a 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, you know, 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 Claire how the organization does what it does. And if you can give us any of the stats, you all know I love a little bit of data. So we'll let people know how big you're, how big and magnificent really your reach is. Well, let me give some context. than for how big the reach is. Feeding America is where hunger is.

There is not one county, or my last name is Babineau font. 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 where there are 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 6 billion meals to nearly around 50 million people. And that's not the most we've ever done. At the peak of the pandemic in 2020 fiscal, we provided 6.7 billion meals to nearly 6.7 billion meals to nearly.

60 million, 60 million human beings in the United States, food insecurity rates, which the USDA measures food insecurity. And for a lot of people, they're like, what is 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 and 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 reel and then they can't make ends meet. Or a lot of the people that turn to us. are part of a generational pattern of food insecurity. So the Feeding American Network includes hundreds of food banks all across the country. Over 60,000 agencies and meal programs, pantries from huge, highly sophisticated pantries

to little small church basement pantries from the biggest urban centers to the farthest reaches of rural America. As I said, we try to be where hunger is, and we wish that 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 how folks who don't have experience with food insecurity can wrap their heads around it, there's that stat which may have changed over the years, but when we were first pushing to get the ACA passed so that folks would have access to health care,

I will never forget it burned into my brain that there is a huge percentage of Americans that are just one $400 unexpected medical bill away from bankruptcy. Absolutely. And to realize that a surprise $400 could, I mean, it could torpedo your whole life I think you also realize how close to being food insecure 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 $400 means. And so I think 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, nod hello to see, you know, walking into or out of a coffee shop or standing on the corner waiting to cross the street. We have no idea how many of those people are scared that they don't know where dinner's 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 200 food banks in the Feeding America network. Actually, over 200 food banks. in the Feeding America Network and over 60,000 agency partners 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 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 go, aw. 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 you spoke to that particular thing. And I'll share, as an example, during COVID, we saw 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 state. status of being food insecurity or 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 et cetera et cetera et cetera during COVID I think people saw in stark 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 income from. That happens every day in the lives of people.

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 are said that statistic hasn't gotten any better for 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 would be the person who needed food, but I can tell you this. I'm going to get back on my food. And when I do, I'm going to return to the other side of this line. And I'm going to make sure I'm about positive change. And my hope and my belief is that 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. That's beautiful. Karen, what was it about the mission of feeding America that activated that that action sense in you, that empathy in you? How did you pick this cause? Well, I was one of those. She talks about Claire so important that she brought this out. I was going to bring this up talking about the stuff. stigma that goes along with being in a family who is food insecure.

The majority of African-American homes are single-parent homes in this country. If it's a single-parent home, it's run by someone who looks like me, a woman, right? And so I was one of those women in 2012, 2013, that was dealing with food insecurity. It 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 Green. And the shame that I had as a graduate of Northwest University and NYU graduate program, I shouldn't be in a position where I was food insecure. 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 truly difficult, staggering, not to feel like I, I, maybe I should call my mom or maybe I should call my friends or my sister or 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. That shame around this experience. So obviously, fast forward to 10, 12 years later and I have the opportunity through one of the outreach programs to volunteer and to talk with

not just supposed to be 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 live on. The idea of supporting children and families who don't have enough, food to eat is 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 whatever 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 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 great 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 someplace in Massachusetts to go. You know, there's lots of different places. is to ground myself, and what I know is the most important part of being an actor, which is the activism part, the actor, and go out into the communities and volunteer very

quietly. Like, no one has to know. Nobody knows. I love that you're 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, for that. my children often will go with me when I volunteer but to reach back to sorry sorry to reach back for sorry sorry sorry oh look at we're all crying now sorry sorry to reach back for that Karen

talking about reaching back for that nine, 10-year-old's health, to reach back for that Karen, who brought her grocery cart to that church and stood in. What a courageous. What an important and courageous thing she was doing for her family at the time. 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 these are these are the moments where, you know, the rubber meets the road, I think, for some of us. 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 in 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. 100%. 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. Right. Alongside, you know, it's your iteration of each of us knowing what $400 means in our house. It's the personalization of six billion meals. Right. It's very much, it's exactly what it makes it the most individual. Yes. And the number of women I imagine who have 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 held, feel empowered, know that it's going to be okay, know that there's people looking out for me. 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, I'm 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 Karen's.

And to the Karen that you're going to be that you're becoming because you're not even done. And then for you as well to talk about your mom and what you did it. Remember, I had an opportunity in my role. We were talking about doing some kind of op-ed. And I was 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, and I remember having an epiphany that I think I know what I want this, this op-ed to be.

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 skin. And it was to celebrate who they are and their resiliency and their courage

and their bravery, the way that they, as hard as we 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. Right. Yeah. We just like the riches part, which is... Just give me the riches, honey. Don't, don't. There came the riches, right? But there's always a process for getting there and we do get the chance. Many

of us to get there and all of us who are participating right now got that chance. I just want to say that as you were talking, I'm thinking a salute to the Karen's and thinking a 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 up. Willie. Yeah, Willie Ray. Oh. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And what about your mom? Maureen. Making butter sandwiches. Yeah. Maureen. Well, salute to Maureen. Listen, I've had a butter sandwich. That's not a bad sandwich.

Let me tell you that. It's not. It's not. 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 we have had a movement to, 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 looks. little teeny-weeney church basement pantry gets refrigeration so they can then share nutritionally dense foods. But over time, now, over 70% of the foods that we provide as a network, our foods should encourage. So I'm proud of that. And we're getting better and better. We're getting better and better at that. We'll be back in just a minute after a few words from our favorite sponsors. ask you, can you explain for folks at home that are like, wait, what does that mean?

Foods to encourage. 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 provide. And people experiencing hunger care what they get by that. 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 in the food that we provide. So someone else came up with the definition of foods encouraged, just like somebody

else came up with the definition of food insecurity, but essentially it would be foods that have nutritional density that would be important to a thriving body, right? and 70% of our foods, over 70% 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 have found in my own life that 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 dense. So for anyone who's going to watch or listen, understand that I know this would not follow. You're like, please don't come for me in the comments. 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 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 Apalusus, Louisiana, south central Louisiana. We had a lot of fig trees. So, and my mom had to be skilled in canning foods. So she canned figs, right?

So we had like a fig preserve, which, by the way, is very expensive in regular stores. It was not expensive at all to can, right? So we had canned figs. And we would take our, we'd take our, we'd take. take two slices of bread, we put some government cheese, a thick slice of government cheese on top, put it inside of the oven, let it start bubbling, and then put some big preserves on top of it and eat it as a sandwich. I did not feel I was settling when I was eating. Honey, that's delicious. I know. Oh, my God. Yeah. I would like a little 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 bruchette or whatever. And I'm like, hmm, this is looking like my government cheese sandwich. Because no, they'll sprinkle in a few walnuts, right? Oh, yeah. And then some apples. And now you're set. And poof, then it's a christini. Exactly. There you go. It's a christini. Exactly. So, but I want to say, 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 hunger. The most innovative, creative, make a way out of no way,

resilient human beings I've ever met in my life. Hard working, dedicated, purposeful human beings I've ever met in my life. Are people living in poverty, people experiencing food insecurity. 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've 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 fig 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'd 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 on the spectrum, whether you self-describe as a conservative or self-describe as a progressive or somewhere in the middle. Over the course of the last several years, there 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, but that's something I don't question because I have Karen out there on both coast. but I've been to all 50 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 COVID. Even in the midst of that, there were people who left their homes to volunteer to make sure their neighbors have the food that they need. 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, or 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 learn. 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 insecure folks with the incoming administration that, you know, ended the child tax credits, you know, in the house that took 50% 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 um 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 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 these 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 you, how does an organization of this size prepare to be nimble in the face of political change because it should be and is

an apolitical issue, but we know it won't be treated as such necessarily? I'm curious how 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 last Trump administration, when the trade mitigation foods were out there with the terrorists, remember that had a significant impact on American farmers,

births, and producers, the beneficiaries of all of that extra food, were 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 then the other thing, we talked about the Child Tax Credit, I heard the president-elect 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 half, over 40 percent, I'm really going to use that tool. So we're not giving up. So answer to question first, we are so far from doctors. We are going to go out and advocate for things that people experiencing hunger say that they need to thrive. We're going to make arguments that we consider compelling around why everybody should want this, no matter what their politics. So as an example, we were talking about what I effectively talking about what hunger looks like in America.

It looks like you. And it looks like me. By plurality, the largest number of people who experience hunger in this country are white. Inordinately, black and brown people experience hunger. But there is no group of people. It's not, it's just an urban issue. It is not just an urban issue. 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. 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 of people like the two of you, my desire is for people to come to us.

So they can go to feedingamerica.org. And if they, there's a food bank locator on that website. and all I have to do is tag in their zip code and what will pop up is the local organization that is there committed and dedicated to serving their needs and we will show 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 itself reduced to the lowest common denominator on things. We are nonpartisan. 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 that line? In that line? And then we respond to that with our policies, the policies that we promote and the way I often say it is if you, 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 you say you're a Republican wonderful come on if you are willing 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 people experiencing hunger in any administration and with that as our true north we will fight 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 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. say my former mother-in-law would say about chesed, which is the Kabbalistic or Jewish idea of benevolence, of leaning into each other and leaning into the glue between us as human beings that keeps us together, right? And so for me, I lean as a human being and as an actor and

as an activist. I lean into the areas, again, that common ground, but also the glue that holds us together, which the Jewish religion refers to as chesed. 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 optimistic. Leaning into those spaces with our fellow citizens and also into organizations like Feeding America. I mean, again, doesn't matter the administration that is in office. Feeding America is there. It's been there. It really doesn't matter. It has been needed. And so what I hope is that, you know, by leaning into these organizations that are here for us as Americans feeding America, that we'll find ways we can

come together, right, which is 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, our inboxes. And it's why I was really excited to ask you to that question in particular, because I think, you know, 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're, 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. that, I can, I, 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 was very little. I have a daughter and his son and my son was explaining how much he admired someone. 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 go, really?

Well, then the person you're describing is foolish. And he looks at me with his eyes wide open. And I go, well, there are things to be afraid of. Bravery is to know there are risk. and to do the thing that needs to be done anyway. So if your listeners feel angst concern, there's reason to feel angst and concern. But then what are you going to do with that?

Are you just going to sit in it? And some people can't get over it. And 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 America. I've said, what 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. We get to roll our sleeves up and do the things, right? And that's, that, it's just such, it feels like a privilege. It feels like a privilege. Yeah, there's that, there's that, there's that extraordinary phrase that she

mentioned that as clear we must be honey cousins because because I've heard this phrase throughout my life that make up that seven word phrase make a way out of no way make a way make a way no way to know which is this sort of a mission statement of course it's a mantra it's an affirmation that sense that we're talking about courage and bravery and what that looks like, but as I've matured, I've realized that that, that, it's, of course, it's something a touchstone for us to connect to, certainly as African-Americans, we hear about all the time. And I'm going to be way out of no way. Maybe she made a way out of no way, too, you know.

But the truth of the matter is that that's not, that's not really true. There, there is a, that no way way is actually feeding America, right? Any other organization that you can connect to that actually helps you. 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, yes. That no way is actually, you know, organizations like Feeding America or another organization I support city harvests or another organization. All the organizations that are here have been here for decades of time that fill in the gaps for us. It does warm my heart that when you are on your list, you mentioned Feeding America and then you mention City Harvest, which is a Feeding America Food Bank. I'm just saying. But there also are other powerful organizations that are helping. doing extraordinary things.

And in my own story around my own food insecurity, it was a salvation army. Yeah. And I put 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 go to school, a 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? I don't get to not be able to put two pennies together to eat what I'm going to do. And it's the counter to a success story that 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 might again, head down, tail between my legs, went to the Salvation Army on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I was in college, law school at the time. This lady walks up to me, and I sheepishly walk with her over to her cube, her desk,

and then she just says, 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. And she gave me food stamps.

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 gas. I didn't make a way out of no way, Karen. and thank you so much for that I made a way in,

we made a way together. Yeah, because I think also that, that thing of that stigma, that shame, oh, I've got an education. I'm the first.

I can do this. I guess the idea is 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 high 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 we're going to need 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. 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 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 feedingamerica.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? It depends upon what the activation is, right? And what the food bank is or the pantry. But there are kinds of activations that we little ones can participate in. And then sometimes you're in a big, warehouse and their 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 um 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 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 I can tell you've got a teenager. We've got, we've got some work for that teenager to do 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 here that, you know, depending on the activity, kids of all ages are welcome. Yeah, my kids, I volunteered, gave out Halloween candy.

My kids were at an 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 in our lives is really being in service to each other, from cradle to grave, from cradle to grave. 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 or 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 youth when they're volunteering. 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 going to have to, 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

because they're organic. You know, you do it. You know, people got to do hype games. So you know, do it. And then there are things that I, when my kids were getting at a point, now they're both adults, but when they're getting at a point, or 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 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'd make a big impact. And then they come and then at least for a little while, at least for the ride home, and they're 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 by. 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 depression 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 pouring 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 sadness. Immediately you come out of that.

And my children deal with. 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. And let's do something to pull ourselves out of it. And it does the same thing for me and my life. So a way to help lift them up is to actually be like, yeah. Well, speaking of lift them up to Karen, we usually have some good.

music. Yeah. It's all the way's up tempo. Right. Every time I go to Food Bank, I go, talk to me about what is the vibe here. What are we going to be doing? Oh, about classic rock or Motown. And there's a couple of food banks that inside of the warehouse, they have disco balls.

Yes. And one particular in California that I went to with disco ball, when when you meet a particular milestone at that food bank, like you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, going to try to pack 3,000 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 YMCA. And everybody stops. I love it. And start dancing to YMCA. Oh, it's a blast. So it's fun, too. It's usually high energy and 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 yeah yeah 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 are the sort of symbiotic experiences and relationships that I think are healing for people on both ends 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 own stuff and reminds you of of the best parts of being a human and so from the enormous organizational undertaking of, you know, 6.7 billion meals to the disco party when the onions

are packed where like, you know, your high five and 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 as women, it can be for feeding America. It can be for both. I'm from a 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 anti-hunger organizations are on another side. We have to work together and it's a beautiful thing.

So I'm planning to get my hands dirty in soil over the course of the next year to learn more about, I'll 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 the most meaningful stories to align myself with.

And being the author of some of those stories, not necessarily having the public be an audience to it. But my children be in a meaningful story. story amount. Not everything can be monetized. Not everything needs to have a dollar sign next to it as far as a work that we do as artists. Some of those things need to remain in the bubble or in the space that is just our family and our community. Those are some of the most meaningful stories to share, but also to find incredible women like Claire and I'm in this incredible unique position of 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 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 Reese and to be a morning show. But there's also a great gift in watching people like Claire. and Jen and Reeves and, you know, me, me, and all these women do it. Because we are a good distance from the hashtag Me Too movement. And we are a good distance from the incredible political unrest of 2020 and the death of George Floyd

and how it affected our organizations and our corporations. And, you know, when the dust is settled, what are we actually doing now? 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 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 table, Karen? We don't need to ask permission 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. It's 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 at 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 i've been able to sign on to some films and go out and see and in a way even though i've been doing this for 20 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 20. You're going to get it. You're going to 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,

I don't have to do it that way. 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 let's come come on 2025 let's do this come on let's do this 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 2024 thank you Claire for being here thank you oh my goodness I'm always excited. I got it. I caught it. Yes. This is an I-Heart podcast.