Brought to you by Feeding America and the Ad Council
Chef Jernard Wells and Feeding America are teaming up to end hunger across the United States. Growing up in Mississippi, the celebrated chef, TV host and restaurateur learned at an early age the importance of feeding his community. “My grandparents harvested their land to sell food and shared its overflowing bounty with our community,” he shares. “Grandma said, ‘For every yam we pick, we give one away.’”
When Chef Jernard’s family experienced food insecurity, they relied on food assistance programs and organizations like Feeding America to help them through times of need. For over 40 years, Feeding America has worked with communities throughout the United States to find solutions to end hunger. People facing hunger receive support and access to essential food and resources through the Feeding America network of food banks, food pantries and local meal programs across the nation.
The impact of food assistance goes well beyond a meal — it opens possibilities for people to thrive. With the support of food assistance programs like those offered by food banks in the Feeding America network, Chef Jernard had the fuel to strive for greatness and plant the seeds for his future.
How Access to Nutritious Foods Can Help Us Thrive
The charismatic chef understands the incredible impact that organizations like Feeding America have had on his family and many others. “When our resources changed, food assistance programs sustained us.”
Having access to food assistance empowered Chef Jernard to pursue his fullest potential. By having this support, the young chef was equipped with the fuel to aspire for a better future. As a teenager, he was inspired to cook delicious and nutritious meals for his community, selling food out of his mother’s kitchen. “They gave me fuel to start my first culinary business at 16 years old, and inspiration to donate the extra food in my community.”
Today, the award-winning chef leads his own culinary brand. Chef Jernard is a bestselling cookbook author and host of New Soul Kitchen on CLEO TV. The Chef of Love is also a regular on the Food Network and has made appearances on the Today show, Sherri and Good Morning America. Thanks to the strong foundation provided by organizations like Feeding America, the celebrated chef made his dreams a reality.
Relying on food assistance left a lasting impact on Chef Jernard, who has dedicated his career to ensuring that everyone has access to healthy food. “Through my life, I developed an appetite to work with others to ensure everyone has access to the nutritious food we need to thrive.”
Volunteer, Donate and Advocate to End Hunger
By joining Feeding America in the movement to end hunger, we can create many more success stories just like Chef Jernard’s. Food insecurity is a widespread issue that impacts every community. More than 44 million people in the United States don’t have enough food to eat or don’t have access to healthy food. But when individuals, communities, institutions and organizations work together, we can alleviate hunger and do our part to solve this problem together.
As the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, Feeding America works to help communities access nutritious food and resources by supporting food banks, food pantries and meal programs with food, funding and advocacy. Join Chef Jernard and Feeding America in the movement to end hunger by volunteering, donating and advocating. Learn more at FeedingAmerica.org/actnow.
SEE ALSO:
How Food Is A Runway To Build Power And Agency In Black Communities
Founder Of Houston’s First Black-Owned Grocery Store Strives To Address City’s Food Deserts
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