September 2022 Newsletter
Like so many realized during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have long been systemic social equity injustices affecting communities. An issue brought to light when shutdowns first occurred was the disparity in health and nutrition among frontline workers and the most vulnerable. This crisis inspired Maggie Baird, mother of world-renowned superstar Billie Eilish, to launch Support + Feed. An intersectional organization, Support + Feed utilizes plant-based food to solve the interconnected problems of food insecurity, climate change, and economic equity. Founded in Los Angeles, they have since grown to 10 U.S. cities, working with over 80 community organizations, and continue to support local economies nationwide. One of their most exciting initiatives is the Plant-Based Pledge, where participants promise to eat one plant-based meal daily for 30 days.
We are thrilled to honor Maggie, Billie, and the documentary 'Overheated' by Support + Feed at the 2022 EMA Awards on Saturday! 'Overheated' documents a multi-day climate-focused event at The O2 during Eilish's Happier Than Ever, The World Tour and features incredible activists, including EMA Board Members Wawa Gatheru and Isaias Hernandez. You can watch 'Overheated' here!
We look forward to the positive impact Maggie, Billie, and the Support + Feed organization continues to make to ensure we all live in a sustainable, healthy, and just world. So please enjoy our interview with Janette Fernandez, Chief Marketing Officer of Support + Feed, and take the pledge!
1.) What was the moment, or catalyst, that turned Support + Feed from a small-scale effort to an organized collective of dedicated individuals?
The catalyst was the Covid crisis when the shutdown threatened the closure of local plant-based restaurants, and the deepest trauma of the health crisis was clearly occurring among frontline workers and the most vulnerable and historically marginalized communities. Within weeks of starting in Los Angeles, we had become an organized collective of dedicated individuals working in some major cities - Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York, and Philadelphia.
As the pandemic wore on, we saw that our work fills an enormous gap in education about the climate crisis and in customary food distribution programming for underserved people. For example, our Covid Response initiative revealed how marginalized individuals bear the heaviest brunt of the effects of the climate crisis and food scarcity. This double injustice is handed down generation after generation. Plant-based food is a solution to this interconnected problem that simultaneously increases health and wellness for both people and the Planet.
2.) How have you seen the impact of the work you do affect not just food insecurity but other issues?
Increasing numbers of community organizations rely on our plant-based meals and education as a crucial element in their efforts to offer healthy food, empowerment, and pride in their local communities. Further, the youth receiving our meals have been hired by the local restaurants who prepare them, children participating in our vertical farming program bring seeds home to plant with grandparents, and young people who take our plant-based pledge share their stories, recipes, and encouragement on our social platforms where our readership has grown to 2.5 million. In addition, our first international summit on plant-based action expanded the conversation to include sustainability in fashion and the music industry.
3.) How do you maintain momentum in the face of skeptics or others who may not recognize the intersectionality of food and climate-related issues?
Our momentum comes from our uniquely positioned youth demographic to reach and serve. Young people are now seizing their leadership capacity and seeking authenticity and effectiveness in selecting resources they count on for support. We are a go-to for plant-based food, education, and impact strategies because our health and wellness start in the body and include the whole Planet. We are constantly inspired by the young people who count on us.
