July 2, 2024 • 29 mins
Welcome to Generous Impact! In this episode, hosts Bret and Amanda Brummitt are joined by Marshay Love, Partnership Manager with Rise Against Hunger. Marshay shares her inspiring journey from a probation officer to a key player in the fight against global hunger.
Discover how Rise Against Hunger aims to eradicate hunger by providing immediate food assistance and building sustainable food systems for the future. Marshay delves into the organization's impactful programs, including meal packaging events and sustainable agriculture projects, and highlights their ambitious goal to end world hunger by 2030.
Learn about the incredible stories of volunteers and beneficiaries, and how you can get involved in making a difference. Whether through hosting a meal packaging event or simply spreading the word, there are numerous ways to contribute to this noble cause.
Tune in for a heartwarming and enlightening conversation about the power of community, resilience, and the drive to create a hunger-free world.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to Generous Impact. This is Bret Brummitt. And my name is Amanda Brummitt.
We are joined today by Marshay Love, Partnership Manager with Rise Against Hunger.
In this episode, you'll hear how they seek to eradicate hunger by providing
food today and building sustainable systems for food tomorrow.
Well, Marshae, thank you so much for being here with us today.
(00:21):
I would love it if you could start by just telling our guests who you are,
who are you personally and professionally. Additionally, absolutely.
So I'm Marshay Love. I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, but grew up in a small
town in northeast Texas. I am a country girl through and through.
I went to Hendricks College in Conway, Arkansas,
(00:43):
got my degree in psychology there, moved to Dallas in 2010 and started working
in mental health and realized that a great population of people in mental health
had also a criminal background as well.
And so I just slightly made that transition over and became a probation officer.
(01:03):
I was a probation officer for 10 years with Dallas County, and I enjoyed the work.
I enjoyed helping people, but I think it was definitely time to make my mark
in a different location, in a different organization as well.
And so I moved over to Rise Against Hunger in 2023 full time.
(01:27):
I started with them in 21 as a event coordinator.
And I have been loving my life since then.
I now have time for the pleasures of playing volleyball, coaching volleyball.
I get to garden more and play with my dog, Popcorn. So I'm really enjoying getting
(01:47):
to know more about myself without the confinement of brick walls around me.
So which northeast Texas town locale did you grow up in?
I grew up in Bivens, Texas.
I am not sure where that is.
Are you familiar with Atlanta, Texas? Yes. Okay, so Bivens is about 10 minutes
(02:11):
one direction. I couldn't even tell you which direction you're from Atlanta.
I'd say Southwest.
Now, the insurance world has gotten me driving in most places across the state
of Texas at some point in time in my career. So I'm like, I'm sure I've been
around there at some point.
Most of the time, people said they've been on 30 at any point.
(02:33):
They've seen the sign for Texarkana, New Boston.
Atlanta is sometimes a little bit adjacent to that if they've gone through like 59 from Houston.
So some people are familiar with the part of Texas, but not very many.
So a lot of times I'm just saying, Texarkana, Texas.
Yeah, I understand that too.
(02:55):
I mean, I have to admit, I grew up in East Texas in between like Lindale and
Red Springs, kind of by Tyler State Park.
And I didn't even know Bivens, but I know Atlanta.
I mean, people have heard of Atlanta, Texas. And especially when I go to like
Georgia and I'm saying, oh, I'm from Atlanta.
And they're like, well, you're in Atlanta. No, not this Atlanta.
(03:15):
The really small one. the really small the really tiny one like if you close
your eyes for a nap you've already missed it yeah,
Well, you kind of laid a little bit of the background about moving from probation
officer into nonprofit world.
But give me a little more, what drew you in to Rise Against Hunger and why was
(03:37):
that the fit that worked so well for you? Yeah.
So in 2020, when we were going through our pandemic,
I started looking for just another reason to, I shouldn't say live,
but I'm going to say another reason to live, another way to make an impact when
we were already being impacted by something so global already. ready.
(03:59):
And so then in 2021, I found Rise Against Hunger. They were looking for a part-time event coordinator.
And I applied.
I got the position. I worked my very first event. And I believe that event was in Rockwall, Texas.
And it was an amazing event.
I was engaged with so many different different volunteers who were just excited to be there.
(04:24):
And I'd never seen the amount of people volunteering with just complete joy
on their face, every single person.
And I knew that this was something that I needed to get involved in a little
bit more. I knew this was something that I need to learn more about.
And from there, that was my first event working as part-time.
(04:45):
From there, I knew this is full time. I want to make this full time.
And it wasn't until 2023 when that position became available that I was able
to make that full transition over to Rise Against Hunger to really make a difference
in the world of food, hunger.
And just making sure that those who are not fortunate enough to even know that
(05:07):
there are organizations like this that do exist, maybe putting them in front
of it now so that they can make an impact as well.
So were you working full-time still as probation officer and part-time at that point?
I was. I was. And I will tell you the moment that I realized that,
(05:28):
Rise Against Hunger is where I wanted to be was when I had gotten to the point
of I would take vacation days just to be at Rise Against Hunger because that's
where I wanted to be. That's where my heart was at.
That's where my mind, my soul, every part of me wanted to be there.
And that's when I really knew like I need to go full time here.
(05:49):
That's so amazing. And so nice to have that kind of certainty and just self-awareness too.
Yeah, yeah, it was. And honestly, the way that everything kind of just fell
in place for me to get the job full time was amazing.
I knew it was nothing but touched by God. And so I just had to continue to carry out that journey.
I'm glad you listened and to rise against hunger.
(06:13):
So let's let's get into the details of what you guys do. Your mission is nothing short of ambitious.
You want to end hunger. and you
guys do this through both immediate nourishment for people
in need but also you guys work on long-term sustainable
food sources can you tell us how you guys meet both those immediate needs but
(06:33):
also the bigger long-term absolutely so rise against hunger is a international
non-profit organization with the mission to grow a global movement to end hunger
by empowering powering communities,
nourishing lives, and also responding to emergencies.
With as many as 783 million people, that's almost 10% of the world's population facing hunger,
(06:58):
Rise Against Hunger has been able to predominantly work in remote last mile
communities within hunger pockets designated serious or higher by the Global Hunger Index.
So because of food insecurity being disproportionate in those areas,
we have been able to go into these locations and also help fight their food insecurity.
(07:20):
In 2022, over 33% of adults living in rural areas globally faced food insecurity.
It's an amazing number. Our pathways to end hunger, nourishing lives,
empowering communities, and responding to emergencies while also growing the
movement work to provide both immediate nourishment to those facing hunger today
(07:43):
and sustainable solutions that will lift the entire communities for years to come.
As part of our work, Rise Against Hunger has facilitated the volunteer packaging
of over 600 million nutritious meals to be distributed to communities facing
hunger across the world.
We also work... Are those the packets you guys have on your website that you
(08:06):
guys... Yes, those are those little meal bags.
So one of those meal bags will feed six. It's serving size for six.
And as part of our work,
We also work alongside local leaders to implement sustainable agriculture and
income-generating projects that support communities' long-term food security.
(08:28):
So we're not just there to temporarily drop off a meal.
We actually have people on the ground in these locations, helping our partners
and our communities to reach sustainability with themselves.
Every year, we serve millions of people facing hunger in countries across the
world. In 2023 alone, we were able to impact 3.6 million lives and serve 37 countries.
(08:54):
Wow. Yeah. So this includes providing urgent meals to people in schools,
health centers, and community settings, implementing sustainable agriculture
and income generating projects,
as well as providing food and other critical assistance to people affected by crises and many more.
How does a group come up with such the, like from thinking about the sustainability
(09:19):
and working with the agriculture in the different regions,
like how do you guys manage to, I guess, find the unique solutions and also
correlate the lessons learned region to region?
So our programs team really deals well with our in-country partners,
making sure that we're able to create sustainable programs, but also not just
(09:41):
create them, but see them through to the end.
Really cool. And have y'all found, you talk about creating like the job part
around the agriculture, how big of an impact is, do y'all focus on that?
As far as encouraging?
Yeah, encouraging the new jobs around building food.
So we have an influx of people on the ground helping to just teach farmers how
(10:07):
they can cultivate and utilize what we're teaching them to make their agricultural goals come true.
And that could be any type of, let's see, in South Sudan, for instance,
we've been able to help them by adopting agricultural techniques so that they're
able to diversify their diets.
(10:29):
Really cool. So with all of that widespread impact in the different stages,
do you have some personal favorite stories of the organization?
I mean, I know it's only been a couple of years, but I do, you got to find something
personal when you want to go in on your vacation days. Honestly,
there are so many stories to share.
(10:51):
There's so many that I even just get like confused on how much of an impact
we are making because we are making such a large impact. pack.
For instance, in the Philippines, we serve, I think we distribute about 1.73
million meals in the Philippines alone.
And we have an amazing story of Elizabeth, who is one of the people who serves
(11:15):
with our Rise Against Hunger Philippines program.
She is a volunteer cook at the Better World Tondo, part of the Rise Against
Hunger Philippines Good Food Grocer Food Bank Network, work and the mobile kitchen.
So she started volunteering at the Better World Tongo Food Bank when her son
(11:35):
was a recipient of the program.
He would receive meals at the food bank during his school lunches.
So she started volunteering. Her son has since moved on to secondary school
and graduated from the feeding program, but Elizabeth still continues to volunteer. here.
And she's so passionate about helping her community out, serving these meals
(11:57):
to kiddos so that now they're able to focus in the classroom.
And Elizabeth and the other cooks also started a mushroom livelihood program in 2023.
They use the harvest to make and sell mushroom chips, and then they divide the
income and use it to support their families.
So that's just one way of being able to increase the sustainability effort and
(12:18):
also generate income within the the communities that we serve.
Her story is a personal favorite of mine because it highlights how the work
to end world hunger starts with just a meal.
It started with that meal for her son and then she volunteered and then it started
with the meals to her son's classmates.
And it continues even though her son has graduated.
(12:41):
So for Elizabeth, it has led to nourishment for her family, supported her son's
education and also strengthened the economic opportunities for her.
I personally love the story or there is multiple stories, but I personally enjoyed
working at the meal packaging event that we did last summer.
(13:05):
And it was with Southlake, White's Chapel, Southlake.
And there was a little kid, I think he may have been three years old.
I don't even know if he was much older than that. His name was David.
He came in with a Ziploc bag and he had crackers in there.
He had what looked like little pieces of, it looked like tortoise food,
(13:27):
I guess, in like a little Ziploc bag.
But he had put food from his own home in this bag and brought it to the meal
packaging event because he wanted to feed the hungry.
And so when he brought it up to me, he was like, here it is.
You can take this to feed people. And I'm like, oh, that is so adorable.
But just knowing that through a meal packaging event or an experience with Rise Against Hunger,
(13:53):
that this little kid was able to put that people need food, I have food, let me give to people.
For him at three, being able to put that together is already a big portion of
our mission, which is growing the movement.
Starts that legacy of giving back. Exactly. Yeah. And I'm real curious about
(14:13):
the distribution. I'm sure it looks different in different areas.
I mean, you know, for Elizabeth's story going from the food at schools,
but what are the different ways you guys distribute the food locally?
So we have, like I said, our programs team deals with our global partners in
these countries that we serve.
And so they determine who's in need, and then they work that out logistically
(14:37):
to make sure that we are making sure that all of our meals are going to communities that need them.
Got it. Okay. I was trying to envision getting to the end. That explains a lot.
So it helps me visualize what happens.
Yeah. Sometimes it takes them a while to get the meals. Like I know that one
of our shipments had been sitting for like a month.
(14:58):
Sometimes it does take a while just because of logistically getting those meals to the community.
They're in the country now, but then getting them to the community that they
need to be in sometimes tends to be a little bit more of a hassle.
But we are able to overcome all of those obstacles and still get these meals
(15:19):
over to our communities that we serve. Yeah.
And Marsha, you mentioned South Sudan, which Brett and I both have a huge heart
for. We went last year and we're actually headed back next year.
You know, hunger is just one of the things that Rise Against Hunger has to battle
there to even get in and provide food.
You've got active conflict going on. DRC is another great example.
(15:42):
I saw you guys serve there. Yeah.
So how do you guys go from the immediate nourishment to creating,
like you mentioned, the sustainable farming in South Sudan in places with so
much instability? How do you go about that?
And thank you for doing it, by the way. Absolutely. So through all of our programs,
(16:03):
including those in conflict areas, we work alongside in-country partners.
That is key for creating sustainable programs, especially in areas with that amount of instability.
By listening to our partners' expertise about their local area,
we can determine together gather what their needs are, and ensure that we're
(16:25):
addressing those needs efficiently and as effectively as possible.
So in South Sudan, we currently implement a sustainable agriculture program
and project at a residential school and orphanage.
The school was receiving Rise Against Hunger meals pretty regularly and expressed
an interest in becoming self-sufficient, which is how that program got started back in 2020.
(16:51):
So Rise Against Hunger has been working with our partner Lift Up the Vulnerable
and the local school to increase the school's agricultural production to fulfill
its own nutritional requirements.
And as of 2023, all the students are receiving nutritious meals regularly from
crops grown at the school.
(17:11):
And there are zero cases of male nutrition on campus, which is amazing.
So our program has been in place since 2020, and that's just three years in for a five-year plan.
Yeah, so we're doing amazing things. And again, this could not be done without
(17:33):
our programs team working with the in-country partners.
Yeah, that's amazing. I'm so glad that you guys are doing that.
So smart to team up with the school there too, because yeah,
we're, we're far away and you've got to have boots on the ground that know what's
going on. Exactly. Exactly.
All right, Marshay, I want to talk about you again.
(17:57):
So tell me your, your, your role as the partnership manager,
what would it look like for you and your role now, if you had the most wildly
successful three years in that role? Yeah.
Oh, for one, someone else would be doing this. Just kidding.
But no, wildly successful. It would be, we have now touched over a million lives,
(18:22):
just Dallas alone. That would be ideal. deal.
Last year in 2023, we were able to engage 7,200 volunteers and package about 1.1 million meals.
I would say in three years, my hope is that we would double that.
So I'm hoping for 2.4 million if I were saying that we had a wildly successful three years.
(18:46):
We're at 2.4 million meals being packaged.
We're engaging with about 15,000 volunteers across Northeast Texas and Oklahoma
or Arkansas and Louisiana because we serve those parts of the country as well.
And then also just increase community engagement.
People are now more familiar with the name Rise Against Hunger.
(19:08):
Companies coming into the area are more familiar with service projects that
that will lead them to Rise Against Hunger.
So whether the companies are looking for volunteer opportunities or they're
looking to just give back themselves, they can make that connection and be like,
oh, I've heard about Rise Against Hunger.
That's what I would think would be a completely successful three years is that
(19:31):
more people are familiar with Rise Against Hunger and engaging with Rise Against
Hunger to make an impact with Rise Against Hunger.
And does that mean a one-for-one growth and impact for the organization?
The recipients or is that exponential exponential we're we're we're going towards
ending world hunger we have our on our side of our trucks that says in world
(19:54):
hunger by 2030 and so we are.
Optimistically ambitious in that goal.
And I think that we definitely have a great plan to meet that goal or at least get very close to it.
Yeah, it's going to be, I want you to meet that goal and I want you to have
(20:14):
that successful three years.
That means that I won't have a job, but I want us to meet that goal.
Generous benefits will find you a home if you end hunger. Yes, yes.
So on the awareness, I love that that's part of your goal. You know,
before we connected through the Coppell Chamber, I knew Rise Against Hunger.
(20:34):
I had no, and I knew that you guys worked all over the world.
I had no idea that you worked on a local level too, which was really exciting.
And I think really important.
We all have a heart for different things.
And yeah, you know, some people want to give back right here locally.
And so I think it's huge that you guys do both. Yeah, I mean,
you can give back your time here locally, just knowing that you're also making an impact globally.
(21:00):
For sure. So, okay, you lined out the most wildly successful next three years.
In general, what's next for Rise Against Hunger? Oh, so Rise Against Hunger
has a goal to exponentially expand our work, aiming to reach 30 million food
insecure people annually by 2030.
(21:21):
We aim to do so through our four pathways, nourishing lives,
empowering communities, responding to emergencies and simply growing the movement.
We are working with our in-country partners to address food insecurity by increasing
the availability and access for food, especially through our school feeding programs,
(21:42):
improving knowledge, skills, assets through sustainable agriculture projects
that enable communities to address their own food security challenges and also
work towards self-resilience and reliance.
Responding with food and other assistance
to support people impacted by crises and
(22:02):
then also continuing to engage volunteers and donors
in our mission to grow the movement to end hunger those all sound like incredible
goals yeah i'm excited about the future for rise against hunger we have our
staff retreat coming up in next week and we're going to be talking about like
(22:22):
really getting into the depth of that strategic plan and what that looks like
over the next few years, because I mean, it's 2024 and we're talking about 2030,
which is just six years away. Yeah.
You're not planning. You're not getting there. Exactly.
All right. So coming out of the mental health world, probation,
(22:45):
we're all getting in a nonprofit world, um.
Finding Rising As Hunger is obviously the one that was the right fit for you.
But looking around, where did you start to get that inspiration from and what
kind of organizations are inspiring you right now? Oh, so.
Like I said, I grew up in a small town, so my exposure to these larger organizations
(23:10):
and big name charities was very small. all.
We had local community leaders who were really trying to engage with the community
and just tackling those who were hungry in the area.
Where I grew up, we had the Fine Arts Club.
And to me, the Fine Arts Club was just another level of which kiddos could find
(23:32):
something to keep them busy in the summer,
but also learning more about the arts and it not just being about coloring and
it not just being about music.
And it's now can include dance and any other type of variation of that.
And so that was where I originally got my inspiration to help others because
(23:54):
that was from my daycare teacher, Ms. Daniels.
She initially put that little place, that little thing in my heart that was
like, okay, I want to give back to people. I want to help people in some kind of way.
But it wasn't until I moved to Dallas in 2010 that I really started to dig deeper
into organizations and charities that really are doing some work to either help with mental health,
(24:19):
whether it is polio, whether it is hunger,
whether it is making sure that dogs are safe.
I feel like there are organizations throughout the entire country that people could just tap into.
Mine was with mental health.
NAMI was a huge one, the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
(24:42):
That was a huge one for me, more specifically because I know that there are
many people who are not, who just don't take care of their mental health as they should. it.
People who don't utilize the
word mental health because they think that it has a negative stigma to it.
And it doesn't. There are many people who are now,
(25:06):
because of NAMI's work and because of the mental health work going on,
people really understand now that they should really consider people's mental
health in different aspects of their work life and their personal life.
Organizations that are inspiring me now, though, I had the pleasure of going
to Baylor's Mission Week last year. It was last fall.
(25:28):
And I got to meet this wonderful lady. Her name was Rachel, I believe, with Signs of Love.
And this organization goes into different pockets of the world.
I know they go into Honduras.
And they help teach those who do not have language, who are also deaf, how to sign.
And they do that utilizing stories of the Bible.
(25:51):
And I thought that that was the most amazing thing.
I'm still trying to get back in touch with Rachel because I want to go on one
of these trips so I can learn sign and also learn these Bible stories.
But I think at this point, that is the organization that inspires me the most
because I love sign language.
(26:13):
And having individuals in parts of the country not being able to communicate
with others because they don't have a way is mind-blowing.
And to know that this organization is going over and beyond to teach these deaf
individuals how to communicate is...
(26:34):
I'm almost teary-eyed just thinking about it. Yeah.
So that's what's inspiring me right now. That's amazing.
Super amazing. And, you know, just being isolated in any way,
shape, or form, whether that's physically or even right beside the other person
you can't communicate with, that's a huge impact. For sure. For sure.
All right. Well, what can our community do for you and for Rise Against Hunger?
(27:00):
Well, you're doing it, one, by just me being here. you are helping us to grow the movement.
People getting involved and engaging with our grow the movement pathway helps
us to really get towards our goal of ending world hunger.
But there are other ways that you can get involved in the community.
You can host a Rise Against Hunger meal packaging experience with your business,
(27:23):
your church, your school, your group, your friends.
We've had people do it for weddings, receptions, birthday parties.
However you want is a great way to literally lend a hand to people facing hunger
as the meals being packaged by the volunteers are then being shipped to the
communities across the world that we work in.
(27:44):
Your hands would be the last hands touching these meals before they actually
get to maybe a child in South Sudan school or a mom in the Philippines.
Your hands are the last ones to touch these meals. You can also donate to support
communities around the world through our website.
(28:05):
You can spread the word to your families and friends.
Again, what we're doing right now, volunteering your time, volunteering or giving your donation.
And then also again, going to riseagainshunger.org to learn more about Rise
Against Hunger, what we're doing and what our goal is for the future.
(28:27):
I am so glad we got you to say friends.
That's finally the East Texas girl came out after all of that.
I got the, get your friends, get your friends together.
I try to put a lid on my East Texas. I don't know if you heard me when I said Bivens.
(28:47):
Oh, Amanda puts a hard lid on her East Texas too.
I don't know about you Marshay, but if I'm tired or if I've had a glass of wine, it gets real thick.
Yes. Sometimes there's no controlling it. And I could be like,
y'all. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I am so sorry.
That came out really thick and country. Right.
(29:10):
Right.
Well, thank you so much for joining us. And thank you so much for peeling back
the curtain and letting us see behind this huge organization and for all your impact.
We really thank you. Thank you for having me on and giving me the platform to
(29:30):
be able to speak about Rise Against Hunger and the amazing things that we're doing in the world.
Well, there you have it. Ending World Hunger by 2030. I sure hope that Marshay
Love and Rise Against Hunger are wildly successful.
Find them at riseagainsthunger.org.
Welcome to Generous Impact. This is Bret Brummitt. And my name is Amanda Brummitt.
We are joined today by Marshay Love, Partnership Manager with Rise Against Hunger.
In this episode, you'll hear how they seek to eradicate hunger by providing
food today and building sustainable systems for food tomorrow.
Well, Marshae, thank you so much for being here with us today.
(00:21):
I would love it if you could start by just telling our guests who you are,
who are you personally and professionally. Additionally, absolutely.
So I'm Marshay Love. I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, but grew up in a small
town in northeast Texas. I am a country girl through and through.
I went to Hendricks College in Conway, Arkansas,
(00:43):
got my degree in psychology there, moved to Dallas in 2010 and started working
in mental health and realized that a great population of people in mental health
had also a criminal background as well.
And so I just slightly made that transition over and became a probation officer.
(01:03):
I was a probation officer for 10 years with Dallas County, and I enjoyed the work.
I enjoyed helping people, but I think it was definitely time to make my mark
in a different location, in a different organization as well.
And so I moved over to Rise Against Hunger in 2023 full time.
(01:27):
I started with them in 21 as a event coordinator.
And I have been loving my life since then.
I now have time for the pleasures of playing volleyball, coaching volleyball.
I get to garden more and play with my dog, Popcorn. So I'm really enjoying getting
(01:47):
to know more about myself without the confinement of brick walls around me.
So which northeast Texas town locale did you grow up in?
I grew up in Bivens, Texas.
I am not sure where that is.
Are you familiar with Atlanta, Texas? Yes. Okay, so Bivens is about 10 minutes
(02:11):
one direction. I couldn't even tell you which direction you're from Atlanta.
I'd say Southwest.
Now, the insurance world has gotten me driving in most places across the state
of Texas at some point in time in my career. So I'm like, I'm sure I've been
around there at some point.
Most of the time, people said they've been on 30 at any point.
(02:33):
They've seen the sign for Texarkana, New Boston.
Atlanta is sometimes a little bit adjacent to that if they've gone through like 59 from Houston.
So some people are familiar with the part of Texas, but not very many.
So a lot of times I'm just saying, Texarkana, Texas.
Yeah, I understand that too.
(02:55):
I mean, I have to admit, I grew up in East Texas in between like Lindale and
Red Springs, kind of by Tyler State Park.
And I didn't even know Bivens, but I know Atlanta.
I mean, people have heard of Atlanta, Texas. And especially when I go to like
Georgia and I'm saying, oh, I'm from Atlanta.
And they're like, well, you're in Atlanta. No, not this Atlanta.
(03:15):
The really small one. the really small the really tiny one like if you close
your eyes for a nap you've already missed it yeah,
Well, you kind of laid a little bit of the background about moving from probation
officer into nonprofit world.
But give me a little more, what drew you in to Rise Against Hunger and why was
(03:37):
that the fit that worked so well for you? Yeah.
So in 2020, when we were going through our pandemic,
I started looking for just another reason to, I shouldn't say live,
but I'm going to say another reason to live, another way to make an impact when
we were already being impacted by something so global already. ready.
(03:59):
And so then in 2021, I found Rise Against Hunger. They were looking for a part-time event coordinator.
And I applied.
I got the position. I worked my very first event. And I believe that event was in Rockwall, Texas.
And it was an amazing event.
I was engaged with so many different different volunteers who were just excited to be there.
(04:24):
And I'd never seen the amount of people volunteering with just complete joy
on their face, every single person.
And I knew that this was something that I needed to get involved in a little
bit more. I knew this was something that I need to learn more about.
And from there, that was my first event working as part-time.
(04:45):
From there, I knew this is full time. I want to make this full time.
And it wasn't until 2023 when that position became available that I was able
to make that full transition over to Rise Against Hunger to really make a difference
in the world of food, hunger.
And just making sure that those who are not fortunate enough to even know that
(05:07):
there are organizations like this that do exist, maybe putting them in front
of it now so that they can make an impact as well.
So were you working full-time still as probation officer and part-time at that point?
I was. I was. And I will tell you the moment that I realized that,
(05:28):
Rise Against Hunger is where I wanted to be was when I had gotten to the point
of I would take vacation days just to be at Rise Against Hunger because that's
where I wanted to be. That's where my heart was at.
That's where my mind, my soul, every part of me wanted to be there.
And that's when I really knew like I need to go full time here.
(05:49):
That's so amazing. And so nice to have that kind of certainty and just self-awareness too.
Yeah, yeah, it was. And honestly, the way that everything kind of just fell
in place for me to get the job full time was amazing.
I knew it was nothing but touched by God. And so I just had to continue to carry out that journey.
I'm glad you listened and to rise against hunger.
(06:13):
So let's let's get into the details of what you guys do. Your mission is nothing short of ambitious.
You want to end hunger. and you
guys do this through both immediate nourishment for people
in need but also you guys work on long-term sustainable
food sources can you tell us how you guys meet both those immediate needs but
(06:33):
also the bigger long-term absolutely so rise against hunger is a international
non-profit organization with the mission to grow a global movement to end hunger
by empowering powering communities,
nourishing lives, and also responding to emergencies.
With as many as 783 million people, that's almost 10% of the world's population facing hunger,
(06:58):
Rise Against Hunger has been able to predominantly work in remote last mile
communities within hunger pockets designated serious or higher by the Global Hunger Index.
So because of food insecurity being disproportionate in those areas,
we have been able to go into these locations and also help fight their food insecurity.
(07:20):
In 2022, over 33% of adults living in rural areas globally faced food insecurity.
It's an amazing number. Our pathways to end hunger, nourishing lives,
empowering communities, and responding to emergencies while also growing the
movement work to provide both immediate nourishment to those facing hunger today
(07:43):
and sustainable solutions that will lift the entire communities for years to come.
As part of our work, Rise Against Hunger has facilitated the volunteer packaging
of over 600 million nutritious meals to be distributed to communities facing
hunger across the world.
We also work... Are those the packets you guys have on your website that you
(08:06):
guys... Yes, those are those little meal bags.
So one of those meal bags will feed six. It's serving size for six.
And as part of our work,
We also work alongside local leaders to implement sustainable agriculture and
income-generating projects that support communities' long-term food security.
(08:28):
So we're not just there to temporarily drop off a meal.
We actually have people on the ground in these locations, helping our partners
and our communities to reach sustainability with themselves.
Every year, we serve millions of people facing hunger in countries across the
world. In 2023 alone, we were able to impact 3.6 million lives and serve 37 countries.
(08:54):
Wow. Yeah. So this includes providing urgent meals to people in schools,
health centers, and community settings, implementing sustainable agriculture
and income generating projects,
as well as providing food and other critical assistance to people affected by crises and many more.
How does a group come up with such the, like from thinking about the sustainability
(09:19):
and working with the agriculture in the different regions,
like how do you guys manage to, I guess, find the unique solutions and also
correlate the lessons learned region to region?
So our programs team really deals well with our in-country partners,
making sure that we're able to create sustainable programs, but also not just
(09:41):
create them, but see them through to the end.
Really cool. And have y'all found, you talk about creating like the job part
around the agriculture, how big of an impact is, do y'all focus on that?
As far as encouraging?
Yeah, encouraging the new jobs around building food.
So we have an influx of people on the ground helping to just teach farmers how
(10:07):
they can cultivate and utilize what we're teaching them to make their agricultural goals come true.
And that could be any type of, let's see, in South Sudan, for instance,
we've been able to help them by adopting agricultural techniques so that they're
able to diversify their diets.
(10:29):
Really cool. So with all of that widespread impact in the different stages,
do you have some personal favorite stories of the organization?
I mean, I know it's only been a couple of years, but I do, you got to find something
personal when you want to go in on your vacation days. Honestly,
there are so many stories to share.
(10:51):
There's so many that I even just get like confused on how much of an impact
we are making because we are making such a large impact. pack.
For instance, in the Philippines, we serve, I think we distribute about 1.73
million meals in the Philippines alone.
And we have an amazing story of Elizabeth, who is one of the people who serves
(11:15):
with our Rise Against Hunger Philippines program.
She is a volunteer cook at the Better World Tondo, part of the Rise Against
Hunger Philippines Good Food Grocer Food Bank Network, work and the mobile kitchen.
So she started volunteering at the Better World Tongo Food Bank when her son
(11:35):
was a recipient of the program.
He would receive meals at the food bank during his school lunches.
So she started volunteering. Her son has since moved on to secondary school
and graduated from the feeding program, but Elizabeth still continues to volunteer. here.
And she's so passionate about helping her community out, serving these meals
(11:57):
to kiddos so that now they're able to focus in the classroom.
And Elizabeth and the other cooks also started a mushroom livelihood program in 2023.
They use the harvest to make and sell mushroom chips, and then they divide the
income and use it to support their families.
So that's just one way of being able to increase the sustainability effort and
(12:18):
also generate income within the the communities that we serve.
Her story is a personal favorite of mine because it highlights how the work
to end world hunger starts with just a meal.
It started with that meal for her son and then she volunteered and then it started
with the meals to her son's classmates.
And it continues even though her son has graduated.
(12:41):
So for Elizabeth, it has led to nourishment for her family, supported her son's
education and also strengthened the economic opportunities for her.
I personally love the story or there is multiple stories, but I personally enjoyed
working at the meal packaging event that we did last summer.
(13:05):
And it was with Southlake, White's Chapel, Southlake.
And there was a little kid, I think he may have been three years old.
I don't even know if he was much older than that. His name was David.
He came in with a Ziploc bag and he had crackers in there.
He had what looked like little pieces of, it looked like tortoise food,
(13:27):
I guess, in like a little Ziploc bag.
But he had put food from his own home in this bag and brought it to the meal
packaging event because he wanted to feed the hungry.
And so when he brought it up to me, he was like, here it is.
You can take this to feed people. And I'm like, oh, that is so adorable.
But just knowing that through a meal packaging event or an experience with Rise Against Hunger,
(13:53):
that this little kid was able to put that people need food, I have food, let me give to people.
For him at three, being able to put that together is already a big portion of
our mission, which is growing the movement.
Starts that legacy of giving back. Exactly. Yeah. And I'm real curious about
(14:13):
the distribution. I'm sure it looks different in different areas.
I mean, you know, for Elizabeth's story going from the food at schools,
but what are the different ways you guys distribute the food locally?
So we have, like I said, our programs team deals with our global partners in
these countries that we serve.
And so they determine who's in need, and then they work that out logistically
(14:37):
to make sure that we are making sure that all of our meals are going to communities that need them.
Got it. Okay. I was trying to envision getting to the end. That explains a lot.
So it helps me visualize what happens.
Yeah. Sometimes it takes them a while to get the meals. Like I know that one
of our shipments had been sitting for like a month.
(14:58):
Sometimes it does take a while just because of logistically getting those meals to the community.
They're in the country now, but then getting them to the community that they
need to be in sometimes tends to be a little bit more of a hassle.
But we are able to overcome all of those obstacles and still get these meals
(15:19):
over to our communities that we serve. Yeah.
And Marsha, you mentioned South Sudan, which Brett and I both have a huge heart
for. We went last year and we're actually headed back next year.
You know, hunger is just one of the things that Rise Against Hunger has to battle
there to even get in and provide food.
You've got active conflict going on. DRC is another great example.
(15:42):
I saw you guys serve there. Yeah.
So how do you guys go from the immediate nourishment to creating,
like you mentioned, the sustainable farming in South Sudan in places with so
much instability? How do you go about that?
And thank you for doing it, by the way. Absolutely. So through all of our programs,
(16:03):
including those in conflict areas, we work alongside in-country partners.
That is key for creating sustainable programs, especially in areas with that amount of instability.
By listening to our partners' expertise about their local area,
we can determine together gather what their needs are, and ensure that we're
(16:25):
addressing those needs efficiently and as effectively as possible.
So in South Sudan, we currently implement a sustainable agriculture program
and project at a residential school and orphanage.
The school was receiving Rise Against Hunger meals pretty regularly and expressed
an interest in becoming self-sufficient, which is how that program got started back in 2020.
(16:51):
So Rise Against Hunger has been working with our partner Lift Up the Vulnerable
and the local school to increase the school's agricultural production to fulfill
its own nutritional requirements.
And as of 2023, all the students are receiving nutritious meals regularly from
crops grown at the school.
(17:11):
And there are zero cases of male nutrition on campus, which is amazing.
So our program has been in place since 2020, and that's just three years in for a five-year plan.
Yeah, so we're doing amazing things. And again, this could not be done without
(17:33):
our programs team working with the in-country partners.
Yeah, that's amazing. I'm so glad that you guys are doing that.
So smart to team up with the school there too, because yeah,
we're, we're far away and you've got to have boots on the ground that know what's
going on. Exactly. Exactly.
All right, Marshay, I want to talk about you again.
(17:57):
So tell me your, your, your role as the partnership manager,
what would it look like for you and your role now, if you had the most wildly
successful three years in that role? Yeah.
Oh, for one, someone else would be doing this. Just kidding.
But no, wildly successful. It would be, we have now touched over a million lives,
(18:22):
just Dallas alone. That would be ideal. deal.
Last year in 2023, we were able to engage 7,200 volunteers and package about 1.1 million meals.
I would say in three years, my hope is that we would double that.
So I'm hoping for 2.4 million if I were saying that we had a wildly successful three years.
(18:46):
We're at 2.4 million meals being packaged.
We're engaging with about 15,000 volunteers across Northeast Texas and Oklahoma
or Arkansas and Louisiana because we serve those parts of the country as well.
And then also just increase community engagement.
People are now more familiar with the name Rise Against Hunger.
(19:08):
Companies coming into the area are more familiar with service projects that
that will lead them to Rise Against Hunger.
So whether the companies are looking for volunteer opportunities or they're
looking to just give back themselves, they can make that connection and be like,
oh, I've heard about Rise Against Hunger.
That's what I would think would be a completely successful three years is that
(19:31):
more people are familiar with Rise Against Hunger and engaging with Rise Against
Hunger to make an impact with Rise Against Hunger.
And does that mean a one-for-one growth and impact for the organization?
The recipients or is that exponential exponential we're we're we're going towards
ending world hunger we have our on our side of our trucks that says in world
(19:54):
hunger by 2030 and so we are.
Optimistically ambitious in that goal.
And I think that we definitely have a great plan to meet that goal or at least get very close to it.
Yeah, it's going to be, I want you to meet that goal and I want you to have
(20:14):
that successful three years.
That means that I won't have a job, but I want us to meet that goal.
Generous benefits will find you a home if you end hunger. Yes, yes.
So on the awareness, I love that that's part of your goal. You know,
before we connected through the Coppell Chamber, I knew Rise Against Hunger.
(20:34):
I had no, and I knew that you guys worked all over the world.
I had no idea that you worked on a local level too, which was really exciting.
And I think really important.
We all have a heart for different things.
And yeah, you know, some people want to give back right here locally.
And so I think it's huge that you guys do both. Yeah, I mean,
you can give back your time here locally, just knowing that you're also making an impact globally.
(21:00):
For sure. So, okay, you lined out the most wildly successful next three years.
In general, what's next for Rise Against Hunger? Oh, so Rise Against Hunger
has a goal to exponentially expand our work, aiming to reach 30 million food
insecure people annually by 2030.
(21:21):
We aim to do so through our four pathways, nourishing lives,
empowering communities, responding to emergencies and simply growing the movement.
We are working with our in-country partners to address food insecurity by increasing
the availability and access for food, especially through our school feeding programs,
(21:42):
improving knowledge, skills, assets through sustainable agriculture projects
that enable communities to address their own food security challenges and also
work towards self-resilience and reliance.
Responding with food and other assistance
to support people impacted by crises and
(22:02):
then also continuing to engage volunteers and donors
in our mission to grow the movement to end hunger those all sound like incredible
goals yeah i'm excited about the future for rise against hunger we have our
staff retreat coming up in next week and we're going to be talking about like
(22:22):
really getting into the depth of that strategic plan and what that looks like
over the next few years, because I mean, it's 2024 and we're talking about 2030,
which is just six years away. Yeah.
You're not planning. You're not getting there. Exactly.
All right. So coming out of the mental health world, probation,
(22:45):
we're all getting in a nonprofit world, um.
Finding Rising As Hunger is obviously the one that was the right fit for you.
But looking around, where did you start to get that inspiration from and what
kind of organizations are inspiring you right now? Oh, so.
Like I said, I grew up in a small town, so my exposure to these larger organizations
(23:10):
and big name charities was very small. all.
We had local community leaders who were really trying to engage with the community
and just tackling those who were hungry in the area.
Where I grew up, we had the Fine Arts Club.
And to me, the Fine Arts Club was just another level of which kiddos could find
(23:32):
something to keep them busy in the summer,
but also learning more about the arts and it not just being about coloring and
it not just being about music.
And it's now can include dance and any other type of variation of that.
And so that was where I originally got my inspiration to help others because
(23:54):
that was from my daycare teacher, Ms. Daniels.
She initially put that little place, that little thing in my heart that was
like, okay, I want to give back to people. I want to help people in some kind of way.
But it wasn't until I moved to Dallas in 2010 that I really started to dig deeper
into organizations and charities that really are doing some work to either help with mental health,
(24:19):
whether it is polio, whether it is hunger,
whether it is making sure that dogs are safe.
I feel like there are organizations throughout the entire country that people could just tap into.
Mine was with mental health.
NAMI was a huge one, the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
(24:42):
That was a huge one for me, more specifically because I know that there are
many people who are not, who just don't take care of their mental health as they should. it.
People who don't utilize the
word mental health because they think that it has a negative stigma to it.
And it doesn't. There are many people who are now,
(25:06):
because of NAMI's work and because of the mental health work going on,
people really understand now that they should really consider people's mental
health in different aspects of their work life and their personal life.
Organizations that are inspiring me now, though, I had the pleasure of going
to Baylor's Mission Week last year. It was last fall.
(25:28):
And I got to meet this wonderful lady. Her name was Rachel, I believe, with Signs of Love.
And this organization goes into different pockets of the world.
I know they go into Honduras.
And they help teach those who do not have language, who are also deaf, how to sign.
And they do that utilizing stories of the Bible.
(25:51):
And I thought that that was the most amazing thing.
I'm still trying to get back in touch with Rachel because I want to go on one
of these trips so I can learn sign and also learn these Bible stories.
But I think at this point, that is the organization that inspires me the most
because I love sign language.
(26:13):
And having individuals in parts of the country not being able to communicate
with others because they don't have a way is mind-blowing.
And to know that this organization is going over and beyond to teach these deaf
individuals how to communicate is...
(26:34):
I'm almost teary-eyed just thinking about it. Yeah.
So that's what's inspiring me right now. That's amazing.
Super amazing. And, you know, just being isolated in any way,
shape, or form, whether that's physically or even right beside the other person
you can't communicate with, that's a huge impact. For sure. For sure.
All right. Well, what can our community do for you and for Rise Against Hunger?
(27:00):
Well, you're doing it, one, by just me being here. you are helping us to grow the movement.
People getting involved and engaging with our grow the movement pathway helps
us to really get towards our goal of ending world hunger.
But there are other ways that you can get involved in the community.
You can host a Rise Against Hunger meal packaging experience with your business,
(27:23):
your church, your school, your group, your friends.
We've had people do it for weddings, receptions, birthday parties.
However you want is a great way to literally lend a hand to people facing hunger
as the meals being packaged by the volunteers are then being shipped to the
communities across the world that we work in.
(27:44):
Your hands would be the last hands touching these meals before they actually
get to maybe a child in South Sudan school or a mom in the Philippines.
Your hands are the last ones to touch these meals. You can also donate to support
communities around the world through our website.
(28:05):
You can spread the word to your families and friends.
Again, what we're doing right now, volunteering your time, volunteering or giving your donation.
And then also again, going to riseagainshunger.org to learn more about Rise
Against Hunger, what we're doing and what our goal is for the future.
(28:27):
I am so glad we got you to say friends.
That's finally the East Texas girl came out after all of that.
I got the, get your friends, get your friends together.
I try to put a lid on my East Texas. I don't know if you heard me when I said Bivens.
(28:47):
Oh, Amanda puts a hard lid on her East Texas too.
I don't know about you Marshay, but if I'm tired or if I've had a glass of wine, it gets real thick.
Yes. Sometimes there's no controlling it. And I could be like,
y'all. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I am so sorry.
That came out really thick and country. Right.
(29:10):
Right.
Well, thank you so much for joining us. And thank you so much for peeling back
the curtain and letting us see behind this huge organization and for all your impact.
We really thank you. Thank you for having me on and giving me the platform to
(29:30):
be able to speak about Rise Against Hunger and the amazing things that we're doing in the world.
Well, there you have it. Ending World Hunger by 2030. I sure hope that Marshay
Love and Rise Against Hunger are wildly successful.
Find them at riseagainsthunger.org.
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