In this episode of the For the Good of the Public podcast, Michael and Phebe present a conversation about child hunger and child poverty and highlights organizations that are doing the essential work on the ground. Jason DeParle, a reporter for The New York Times and author of A Good Provider is One Who Leaves and American Dream, moderates the conversation with Rev. Pamela Irvin, Founder, President and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia; Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World; and Anne Filipic, CEO at Share Our Strength. Child poverty fell to a record low in 2021 due to the expansion of government aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that rate along with child hunger have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. One in five children in the U.S. are food insecure. These panelists discuss the pathways to addressing and ending child hunger in America.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Where does that leave us? I guess an optimist could say that having been through the experience of cutting child poverty in half, we’ve seen the potency and potential of government action. Progressives often say that poverty is a policy choice, not a fate. And if the government could cut it in half, they could do so again. Of course, I’m a journalist, not an optimist. A pessimist might point to the political backlash against that aid and especially the current determination among conservative Republicans who control the House of Representatives to make deep cuts to government spending.” -Jason [07:42]

“The way that I think about the work, Yes, I am deeply passionate about making sure that all our children have full bellies, but I think about it more broadly. I think about it as ensuring that all our children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.” -Anne [09:40]

“And I’ll tell you the truth. I’ve seen some of the oldest people that I’ve worked with now for 42 years, and I believe it’s the fountain of youth. When you pour yourself out into someone else, it keeps you young. It keeps you spirited, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment in a way that you couldn’t do it any other way.” -Rev. Irvin [18:35]

“When people ask me the question, ‘How do you think or why do you think people of faith and Christian should be involved in this work?’ I often and respectfully push back and say, how can we not?” -Rev. Cho [19:40]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[02:30] This week’s guests

[06:04] Context on child poverty

[08:27] Disrupting the status quo

[14:38] The power of influence

[19:19] Theology of flourishing

[25:04] Speaking across political divides

[31:01] Government aid vs private aid

[35:00] Outro

REFERENCES

• Rev. Pamela Irvin, Founder, President and CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia
• Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World
• Anne Filipic, CEO at Share Our Strength
• Jason DeParle, reporter at the New York Times