Work 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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, everyone, It's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Happy holidays,
Whips Marties. As we get toward the end of this year,

(00:20):
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

(00:42):
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.

(01:03):
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,

(01:25):
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,

(01:49):
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

(02:10):
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

(02:31):
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

(03:00):
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.

(03:20):
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

(03:43):
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,

(04:06):
I've told you that I adore you both, and now
I will button it up and we can talk.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
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.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
How about the world needs more of that?

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, I think so?

Speaker 1 (04:33):
So Yes, great, I think so. We are the co
chairs of the Karen Pittman Fan Club. Welcome to our
weekly meeting.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
I like how you did that? Thank you God you guys.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
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.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
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

(05:18):
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

(05:42):
girls you used to be?

Speaker 2 (05:44):
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

(06:04):
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

(06:26):
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

(06:50):
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

(07:16):
end all championships southside versus north side baseball tournament. Bam,
there you go. That was my that was my strength.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
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.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
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.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
I agree amazing, And Karen, what about for you?

Speaker 3 (07:56):
You know, I think my nine or ten year old
self black Claire, I was raised in the South.

Speaker 2 (08:03):
Uh, she's Louisiana native. I'm Mississippi native. Am I right
about that?

Speaker 3 (08:07):
Claire?

Speaker 1 (08:07):
You got that right?

Speaker 2 (08:08):
We are greats. Girls raised in the South, you got
that girls and girls raised this.

Speaker 3 (08:14):
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

(08:37):
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.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
We must have this great.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
Uh well of empathy and sympathy for humanity and in human.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
Plight to put ourselves in there.

Speaker 3 (09:06):
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

(09:27):
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

(09:49):
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.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
Actually love that.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
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

(10:27):
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

(10:49):
impressed by that.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
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

(11:12):
one of those actors that wants to just write a check. Although, listen,
write a check to check.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
Please write a check.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
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.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
Depending upon the level of visibility you have in the world.

Speaker 3 (11:44):
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.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
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

(12:15):
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

(12:38):
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

(12:58):
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

(13:19):
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,

(13:41):
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

(14:03):
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,

(14:26):
we'll let people know how big you're, how big and
magnificent really your reaches.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
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,

(14:54):
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

(15:16):
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

(15:38):
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

(15:59):
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

(16:19):
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

(16:42):
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

(17:02):
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.

Speaker 1 (17:09):
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

(17:32):
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,

(17:55):
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

(18:15):
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

(18:38):
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.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
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

(19:15):
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

(19:36):
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

(19:59):
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

(20:20):
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,

(20:43):
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

(21:04):
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

(21:28):
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

(21:49):
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

(22:12):
that other line, and hopefully they all have, they do
so with more empathy than they did when they were
serving that line.

Speaker 1 (22:21):
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?

Speaker 3 (22:36):
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

(22:58):
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

(23:19):
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,

(23:40):
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.

(24:04):
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.

(24:27):
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

(24:52):
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

(25:16):
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

(25:37):
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

(26:03):
have enough food to eat.

Speaker 2 (26:04):
Is it's so.

Speaker 3 (26:08):
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

(26:31):
this role but also share my own personal experience of it.

Speaker 2 (26:35):
And I think that's where we.

Speaker 3 (26:39):
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

(27:04):
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

(27:24):
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.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
Nobody.

Speaker 3 (27:48):
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.

Speaker 2 (28:07):
Sorry, sorry, sorry to reach back for.

Speaker 1 (28:14):
Sorry, Okay, we're all crying now.

Speaker 3 (28:19):
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,

(28:41):
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

(29:04):
I displayed in those moments was not just for.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
Me, but for my children for everyone, but they needed
me in that moment.

Speaker 3 (29:14):
And this is a these are these are the moments
where you know, the rubber meets the road.

Speaker 1 (29:20):
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

(29:40):
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

(30:03):
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

(30:26):
your iteration of each of us knowing what four hundred
dollars means in our house. It's the personalization of six
billion meals.

Speaker 3 (30:35):
Right, it's very much, it's exactly, but it makes it
the most individual.

Speaker 1 (30:40):
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.

(31:02):
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.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
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,

(31:39):
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.

Speaker 3 (31:50):
In my role.

Speaker 2 (31:52):
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,

(32:13):
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.

(32:34):
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

(32:57):
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.

Speaker 1 (33:15):
We just like the richest part, which.

Speaker 3 (33:17):
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.

Speaker 2 (33:32):
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.

(33:52):
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.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
Let me tell you it's not.

Speaker 2 (34:05):
But it's not. But but you don't want to have
it every day?

Speaker 1 (34:09):
Not every day.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
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

(34:33):
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

(34:55):
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.

Speaker 1 (35:04):
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

(35:28):
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.

Speaker 2 (35:33):
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.

(35:56):
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

(36:18):
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

(36:41):
it is not nutritionally done. So for anyone who's gonna
watch or listen, understand that.

Speaker 3 (36:47):
I know.

Speaker 1 (36:47):
If you're like, please don't come for me in the comments.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
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,

(37:09):
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

(37:31):
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

(37:53):
of it and eat it as a sandwich. I did
not feel I was settling when I was eating delicious.

Speaker 1 (38:00):
Oh my god. Yeah, I would like a well open
face right now.

Speaker 2 (38:05):
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.

Speaker 1 (38:23):
Set and and poof, then it's a Christine cross exactly.

Speaker 2 (38:28):
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

(38:51):
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

(39:12):
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

(39:33):
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

(39:59):
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

(40:23):
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

(40:45):
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

(41:08):
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,

(41:34):
et cetera.

Speaker 1 (41:35):
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

(41:58):
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

(42:20):
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

(42:41):
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

(43:04):
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

(43:25):
we know it won't be treated as such necessarily. I'm
curious how you make sense of that.

Speaker 2 (43:32):
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

(43:52):
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,

(44:17):
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

(44:38):
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.

(45:00):
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.

(45:21):
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

(45:43):
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

(46:05):
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,

(46:27):
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,

(46:48):
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

(47:11):
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

(47:31):
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

(47:53):
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.

Speaker 3 (48:05):
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.

Speaker 2 (48:26):
Time in America that we have thought, how are we
going to make it through this?

Speaker 3 (48:32):
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

(48:53):
or Jewish idea of benevolence, of leaning.

Speaker 2 (48:56):
Into each other and leaning into the.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
Glue between us as as human beings that keeps us together.

Speaker 1 (49:05):
Right.

Speaker 3 (49:06):
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

(49:27):
where generosity is. That's where that thing that Claire talks
about hope is.

Speaker 2 (49:32):
We're optimism. It's leaning into.

Speaker 3 (49:36):
Those spaces with our our our fellow citizens.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
And also into organizations like Feeding America. I mean again,
it not doesn't matter the administration that is in office.

Speaker 3 (49:51):
Feeding America is there has been there doesn't It really
doesn't matter.

Speaker 2 (49:56):
It has been needed. And so what I hope is
that that.

Speaker 3 (50:01):
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.

Speaker 1 (50:14):
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.

(50:36):
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

(50:57):
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.

(51:22):
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

(51:44):
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.

Speaker 2 (51:55):
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,

(52:17):
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

(52:39):
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,

(53:01):
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,

(53:23):
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.

Speaker 3 (53:34):
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

(53:55):
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.

Speaker 2 (54:16):
Way out of no way.

Speaker 3 (54:17):
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.

Speaker 2 (54:23):
There there there is a.

Speaker 1 (54:27):
That no way way is.

Speaker 2 (54:29):
Actually Feeding America.

Speaker 3 (54:31):
Right. The other organization that you can connect to actually
helps that.

Speaker 2 (54:38):
Idea, I think is now I feel like it's almost
entirely false. It's this way of you.

Speaker 3 (54:44):
Know, trying to create this superhero energy, this black girl,
this you know, this idea that we are invincible, we can.

Speaker 2 (54:54):
Do it on our own. The truth of the matter
is that we need each other.

Speaker 3 (54:59):
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

(55:22):
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?

Speaker 2 (55:39):
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

(56:00):
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,

(56:20):
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

(56:42):
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.

(57:03):
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

(57:25):
make a way out of no way. Karen, thank you
so much that I made a way and we made
a way together.

Speaker 3 (57:32):
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.

Speaker 2 (57:47):
Need each other.

Speaker 3 (57:48):
Yes, it doesn't matter how much education you have, or
how much money you have or I up in the.

Speaker 2 (57:57):
Whatever. We need each other.

Speaker 3 (58:01):
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.

Speaker 2 (58:12):
And that's I think.

Speaker 3 (58:13):
The real the real power of places organizations like Feeding
America where we where we can see reflected very clearly.

Speaker 1 (58:21):
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

(58:43):
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

(59:05):
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

(59:26):
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?

Speaker 2 (59:36):
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

(59:57):
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

(01:00:20):
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.

Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
Yeah, my kids all volunteered, gave out Halloween candy.

Speaker 3 (01:01:00):
My kids were at in activation, My daughter and I
were passing out foods at a project in Queens.

Speaker 2 (01:01:06):
My son was in Brooklyn the City Harvest and we were.

Speaker 3 (01:01:11):
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

(01:01:34):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:01:48):
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

(01:02:13):
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

(01:02:37):
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.

(01:02:59):
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.

(01:03:23):
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,

(01:03:44):
powerful thing to instill in the young people that.

Speaker 3 (01:03:50):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:04:10):
So the energy almost instantly.

Speaker 3 (01:04:14):
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

(01:04:35):
so into your.

Speaker 4 (01:04:36):
Own Immediately you come out of that and my children
deal with, you know, the changes that happen with them emotionally,
just as teenagers.

Speaker 3 (01:04:50):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:05:07):
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.

Speaker 3 (01:05:16):
Yeah, plays up tempo to talk to me about what
is the vibe here?

Speaker 2 (01:05:24):
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

(01:05:45):
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.

(01:06:07):
So it's fun too. It's usually high energy, a lot
of fun.

Speaker 1 (01:06:12):
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

(01:06:34):
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

(01:06:55):
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,

(01:07:17):
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,

(01:07:38):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:07:58):
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

(01:08:19):
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,

(01:08:42):
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.

Speaker 3 (01:09:02):
I think finding uh the most meaningful stories to align
myself with, and uh being the author of some of
those stories, not necessarily.

Speaker 2 (01:09:23):
Having the public.

Speaker 3 (01:09:25):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:09:37):
As far as the work that we do as a
person as.

Speaker 3 (01:09:42):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:10:00):
But also to find incredible women like Claire and my
I mean this incredible unique position.

Speaker 3 (01:10:10):
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

(01:10:32):
looks like, and examining the systems that we've put in place,
how we are empowering.

Speaker 2 (01:10:39):
Each other as women.

Speaker 3 (01:10:40):
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

(01:11:04):
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

(01:11:24):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:11:42):
And find partners to.

Speaker 3 (01:11:43):
Do it with, and to continue my work with Feeding America.

Speaker 2 (01:11:47):
And that's my work. Those are my works in progress.

Speaker 1 (01:11:52):
Beautiful.

Speaker 2 (01:11:53):
What about you? Yeah? Can we turn that fable here?
We all need to to turn the table, do we? Yes? Yeah?
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:12:05):
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.

(01:12:27):
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

(01:12:49):
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

(01:13:12):
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

(01:13:33):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:13:52):
You're going to get it. You're gonna get it.

Speaker 3 (01:13:55):
There is a great joy in exploring what a power
dynamic looks like outside of our internalized experience of the patriarchy.

Speaker 2 (01:14:04):
Yes, there's a great joy in just.

Speaker 3 (01:14:07):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:14:17):
Whatever that looks like. I wish that for you too.

Speaker 1 (01:14:21):
Thank you. May it be so it shall be all
of it for us, ladies.

Speaker 3 (01:14:27):
Here we go, Here we go, Come on twenty twenty five,
and let's do this.

Speaker 2 (01:14:33):
Come on, let's do it.

Speaker 1 (01:14:35):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:14:45):
Great way to end twenty twenty four. Thank you Claire
for being here.

Speaker 1 (01:14:49):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:14:50):
Oh my goodness, I'm always excited. I got it. I
caught it. Yes,