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Solving Food Insecurity with WhyHunger

March 31, 2026 · 49 min

Show notes

Food insecurity, hunger, food justice, and access to nutritious food are critical issues impacting millions—and the solutions may be closer than we think.

In this compelling episode of Women Road Warriors with Shelley Johnson and Kathy Tuccaro, we speak with Jenique Jones, Executive Director of WhyHunger, about solving hunger through sustainable, community-driven solutions and why hunger is not inevitable.

Jenique’s passion is rooted in lived experience. Growing up in Harlem during the crack epidemic, raised by her grandmother, she witnessed how broken systems prevent access to basic necessities like healthy, nutritious food. That experience shaped her lifelong mission to fight hunger, strengthen communities, and advance food justice.

Her career includes public service with the New York State Senate, building community partnerships in education, and more than a decade at City Harvest, where she led efforts through major growth, technological innovation, and crises including Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, Jenique leads WhyHunger, the global nonprofit founded in 1975 by musician Harry Chapin and radio host Bill Ayres, grounded in the belief that access to nutritious food is a fundamental human right. She is expanding the organization’s visibility, partnerships, and funding to drive long-term, sustainable solutions to hunger worldwide.

Through initiatives like the award-winning Plentiful app, corporate and donor partnerships, and investments in sustainable agriculture, WhyHunger is addressing the root causes of hunger. In the past three years alone, the organization has connected more than 3.5 million people to nutritious local food and invested nearly $7 million globally to support community-led solutions that empower people to feed themselves.

This episode also highlights a major gap: many food assistance programs are not aligned with the true cost of living, leaving countless individuals and families food insecure. Jenique emphasizes that those most impacted must be part of the conversation—and part of the solution.

If you’re interested in hunger relief, food insecurity solutions, community empowerment, and sustainable food systems, this episode delivers insight, inspiration, and actionable awareness.

👉 Listen now to learn how hunger can be solved—and why it starts with all of us.

https://whyhunger.org/

https://womenroadwarriors.com/

www.womenspowernetwork.net

#FoodInsecurity #Hunger #SolvingHunger #WhyHunger #JeniqueJones #HarryChapin #BillAyres #HungerRelief #FoodJustice #WomenRoadWarriors #ShelleyJohnson #KathyTuccaro

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