Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens Archives

E186: Deep dive into challenges people face accessing food pantries

November 7, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted the US food chain and has heightened attention on nonprofit food pantries and soup kitchens. Today’s guest argues that sometimes the people most in need of food face the most challenges in getting it because of food pantry operating procedures. Our guest, Alana Stein has conducted research on these issues at the University of California at Davis.

E176: Insights from a nationwide survey of hunger relief organizations during COVID

July 20, 2022

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, much of the US was in lockdown. Many people had lost jobs or could not work from home during that time and struggled to pay their bills. Shortages of food and other basic necessities were common. Many people needed help during this time. Charitably-funded volunteer staff organizations like soup kitchens and food pantries suddenly found themselves on the front line of a massive ongoing food relief emergency. Many of them did heroic work. We’re speaking today with the co-authors of a new report titled, “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on US Hunger Relief Organizations, from August and November of 2020.” Gizem Templeton is a researcher at Duke University’s World Food Policy Center. Alison Cohen, formerly of WhyHunger, is a research consultant on the project. And Suzanne Babb is the director of US programs at WhyHunger.

E112: Food Banks, Food Pantries, and the Promise of More

February 9, 2021

Food banks and food pantries provide life-saving help for families all around the country. Like other institutions addressing food issues, there is growing focus on providing not just food, but healthy food. There are complex issues in this picture, however, issues we can address with today’s guest, Dr. Marlene Schwartz. Schwartz is director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut.

E98: The COVID-19 Pandemic Response of No Kid Hungry

November 9, 2020

This podcast is part of a series focused on the far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food system. Today we’re looking at how responses to the pandemic have affected food availability and nutrition for one of America’s most vulnerable populations – young children. Joining me is Eleni Towns, the Associate Director of the No Kid Hungry Campaign at Share Our Strength.

E80: Janet Poppendieck – COVID Highlights the Problems with Charity Food

July 30, 2020

This podcast is part of a series focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re exploring today, the role of charitable efforts to address food access. Places such as food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries. Janet Poppendieck has studied the emergency food system in the U.S. for decades. She is professor emerita of sociology at Hunter College, City University of New York and the author of the book, “Sweet Charity, Emergency Food and the End of Entitlement.”

E79: Andy Fisher on Exploring the Connection Between Industry and Food Banks

July 20, 2020

This podcast is part of a series focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is exposing a deep flaw in the country’s food system, namely stunning levels of food insecurity, but also the transformation of emergency food assistance into what some have characterized as an industry as food charity become big business. Andy Fisher, our guest today is a leader in the Food Security and Food Justice Movement. He founded and led The National Community Food Security Coalition and led Federal Legislation campaigns to gain more than $200 million for community-based food security and farm to school projects.

E57: How FoodCorps and Walmart are Driving Food Security in the US

November 7, 2019

Imagine you would like to address food, and food insecurity in particular, and could start with a blank slate. What kind of programs and practices would make sense given the incredible array of possibilities? Our guests today, Curt Ellis and Karrie Denniston have addressed this issue in their own work. Welcome to The Leading Voices in Food.

E25: Christopher Carter on Looking at Food Theologically

February 19, 2019

How should society balance people’s needs and wants for meat and eggs against the needs and wants of farmers and farm animals? What do theologians and ethicists have to say about factory farming, animals and marginalized communities. It’s a complicated subject that triggers strong feelings about moral economics, racial equity, nutrition, and environmental sustainability will explore these issues today on The Leading Voices in Food podcast with our guest, Methodist pastor Christopher Carter, who’s also an assistant professor of theology and religious studies at the University of San Diego.

E4: Billy Shore on Politics, Food and our Children’s Future

January 11, 2019

If you had the opportunity to shape the country’s agenda for addressing hunger, what solutions would you suggest and how would you drive this needed change? The Leading Voices in Food interviews Billy Shore, executive chairman of No Kid Hungry and its parent organization Share Our Strength.

Podcast Topic: Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens

The Leading Voices in Food

Podcast Topic: Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens

E186: Deep dive into challenges people face accessing food pantries

E176: Insights from a nationwide survey of hunger relief organizations during COVID

E112: Food Banks, Food Pantries, and the Promise of More

E98: The COVID-19 Pandemic Response of No Kid Hungry

E80: Janet Poppendieck – COVID Highlights the Problems with Charity Food

E79: Andy Fisher on Exploring the Connection Between Industry and Food Banks

E57: How FoodCorps and Walmart are Driving Food Security in the US

E25: Christopher Carter on Looking at Food Theologically

E4: Billy Shore on Politics, Food and our Children’s Future