Hunger in America is solvable—and this episode features the leaders proving that. Amanda Renteria talks with chefs Amanda and Isaac Toups, who transformed their New Orleans restaurant into a powerful community food operation during COVID, ultimately providing over 175,000 meals. They discuss the tie between transportation access and food access and what families actually need to thrive.

Then, Billy Shore of Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry explains the creation and expansion of Summer EBT, one of the most significant federal anti-hunger programs in decades. Together, these stories reveal how communities and government can fix food insecurity for good.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Husband-and-wife duo Isaac and Amanda Toups co-founded Toups Family Meal, the New Orleans nonprofit born during the pandemic that has since delivered over 175,000 meals to families in need. Their grassroots effort pairs Isaac’s James Beard–nominated culinary work with Amanda’s leadership in community support. They’re joined by Billy Shore, founder of Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry, a national anti-hunger leader who has raised $1 billion to fight food insecurity across the country.

LEARN MORE:

• https://toupsfamilymeal.com/
• https://shareourstrength.org/

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT FIX:

The Government Fix is a podcast by Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit for over 15 years. Hosted by CEO Amanda Renteria, we explore what it looks like when government works well for everyone.

Explore all episodes and learn more: codeforamerica.org/thegovernmentfix

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@codeforamerica/podcasts

Transcript available here: https://codeforamerica.org/podcast/the-government-fix-for-food

The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org.