Billy Shore speaks with Mayor Daniel Rickenmann of Columbia, South Carolina, Mayor Alyia Gaskins of Alexandria, Virginia, and Aaron Goldstein of Share Our Strength about how local leaders are using practical, bipartisan solutions to fight childhood hunger.

The conversation explores why mayors are so effective at solving problems close to home, how housing, transportation, and economic insecurity affect food access, and why local innovation often moves faster than state or federal policy.

Mayor Rickenmann shares how Columbia is using partnerships, technology, churches, and community organizations to expand food access, while Mayor Gaskins discusses Alexandria’s focus on housing, workforce issues, and the lived reality of hunger in the community. Together, they show how mayors can turn concern into action and build coalitions that make it easier for families to get the support they need.

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In this episode of Add Passion and Stir, Billy Shore speaks with George Kelemen of Share Our Strength and Jennifer Wheeler of Marion County Public Schools in Kentucky about what childhood hunger looks like when school is out for the summer. They discuss how Summer EBT, non-congregate feeding, and local school nutrition teams are helping close the gap for families who rely on school meals during the year.

Jennifer shares powerful stories from the ground in Kentucky, while George explains the bipartisan policy work that expanded summer access nationwide. This conversation shows how policy, logistics, and school leadership can work together to feed more kids with dignity and consistency.

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In this episode of Add Passion and Stir, host Billy Shore talks with Maureen Conway, vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program, and Giselli Veloz, senior program manager of parent engagement and recruitment for LIFT in New York.

The conversation explores why ending childhood hunger requires more than food alone — it also means supporting parents, reducing systemic barriers, and creating pathways to economic mobility. Maureen explains how the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program advances promising policies and practices that help low- and moderate-income people connect to better opportunities and build better lives. Giselli shares how LIFT’s coaching, cash infusions, and trust-based support help parents move toward stability.

Together, they make the case that poverty is not an individual failure but the result of systems, and that real change comes from policy, partnership, and lived experience. If you care about child hunger, family well-being, or practical solutions to poverty, this is an essential listen.

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