Episode 70 | Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer, Feeding America

In another excellent episode focused on food insecurity, Nancy and Jose are joined by Vince Hall, the Chief Government Relations Officer for Feeding America. As Chief Government Relations Officer, Vince Hall leads the development and execution of Feeding America’s public policy, legislative and advocacy strategies to empower communities and improve food security. He helps lead efforts to end hunger by advocating for policy changes, supporting advocacy capacity across the network, increasing neighbor enrollment in public benefits and building partnerships that amplify our collective voice.Vince has extensive nonprofit and public sector management experience. Prior to joining Feeding America, he served as the CEO of Feeding San Diego, the leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization in San Diego County. During this episode, you'll hear Nancy, Jose, and Vince discuss "The Food Line" as the core focus of Feeding America, with its efforts and programs built around Serving The Line, Shortening The Line, and Ending The Line. And how large are their efforts? With over 200 local food bank members of the national network, additionally connected to over 60,000 local organizations, the vast ecosystem of Feeding America delivers over 5.5 billion meals to over 40 million of our neighbors in America! You'll also hear Vince discuss the many reasons why he is positive on the food hunger battle, ranging from their food interception programs at every step in the food chain from farms to restaurants, to their efforts to expand summer EBT programs to alleviate child hunger during the summer months when schools are closed. Not to mention the 3 million volunteers around the country making a difference on the front lines to alleviate food insecurity. An excellent episode on filling gaps in the community with Vince Hall. Here are some other takeaways from the interview:The challenges to food banks brought on by food and fuel inflation, as well as labor costsThe most severe food gaps are children and "race and place" segments70% of SNAP recipients are children, seniors, and those with disabilitiesNew national food and nutrition program passed in a recent omnibus spending billThe answers to the rapid-fire questionsAn excellent interview from a passionate gap minder. Thank you, Vince, for your contributions both nationally and in San Diego, and for joining us on The Gap Minders.Enjoy this episode and be sure to subscribe to the show.If you have any questions or want to contact Nancy or Jose, please send an email to [email protected]. Thank you for listening.To learn more about the two social impact organizations making The Gap Minders possible, please visit www.TheGapMinders.org.