Episode 210: Fighting Food Insecurity: The Impact of Nutritious Meals on Communities
About the Podcast
Today, Clancy speaks with Martha Allen, Executive Director of Extra Table FEEDS, a statewide nonprofit food bank providing monthly food to 63 food pantries and soup kitchens. In this episode, they talked about the wrong definition of what hunger is, the dimensions of food insecurity and hunger for different people, and the impacts of having good, quality food in breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger. Listen and enjoy the show!
About Martha Allen
Martha Allen is the Executive Director of Extra Table, a Mississippi nonprofit food bank that delivers quality, healthy, shelf-stable food to individuals, and their neighbors, to help fight hunger and improve access to nourishing food. In addition, Martha enjoys the outdoors, traveling, baking, and spending time with friends, family, and her beloved doodle, Tallulah.
Discussion Takeaways
- Extra Table is a unique and different way to feed the hungry and to close the hunger gap. They have been in the food fight for 14 years and a half.
- Food offers dignity, respect, and hope for people for a better tomorrow by giving quality, healthy, shelf-stable food.
- Food insecurity is not just about charity but a national security and health crisis.
- Because most people had such an extreme definition of what hunger is, it hasn't been inclusive and left out a bunch of people.
- A study shows that families that eat a meal together two to three times a week have 40% more likely children to make A's and B's in school. These children getting an education helps us break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
#1 tip to improve access to healthy food
Fighting hunger isn’t just about providing food—it’s about dignity, respect, and hope for a better tomorrow.
Each week on the Food Dignity® Podcast, the Food Dignity® Movement's Clancy Harrison hosts a wide variety of hunger experts and other people making changes on the frontlines. Join us as we dive deep into conversations that will change the way you think about food insecurity.
Listen to our trailer!
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