Episode 318- What If Hunger Looked Like You? With Angela Moloney

Hunger isn’t a distant problem, it’s often a quiet one. Host Rich Helppie sits down with Angela Moloney, President and CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan, to unpack what food insecurity looks like today and why solving it takes more than good intentions. We connect the dots between nutrition and health care, learning and school performance, and the basic dignity of having enough to eat. 

Angela explains how a modern food bank actually works: sourcing food at scale, moving it through refrigerated warehouses, and getting it out through pantries, schools, churches, and direct-to-family options like community mobile distributions. We talk about the shift from “just calories” to healthy, nutritious food, including the big push for fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy. We also dig into culturally competent food, making sure neighbors receive foods they want and know how to cook, with attention to needs like kosher and halal. 

If you’ve ever wondered whether giving really makes an impact, we go straight at stewardship, transparency, and how accountability works across audits and partner checks. We also discuss uncertainty when government programs and policies shift, why local solutions matter, and how national partners fit into the picture. Angela leaves us with a challenge: hunger is complex, but it can be solved through donations, volunteering, and real collaboration across health care, food systems, and community groups. 

If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with someone local, and leave a review so more people can find practical ways to fight hunger where they live.

Transcript

Welcome And The Hunger Challenge

Announcer 0:00

Welcome to season seven of the Common Bridge, hosted by Richard Helpie, a leading analyst, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Now expanded with healthcare, education, finance, science, and world affairs bridges, the podcast now in its seventh season, with an audience of over seven million worldwide, explores issues in a fiercely nonpartisan way. Find us at the Common Bridge at Substack.com, YouTube, and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Rich Helppie 0:32

Hello, welcome to the Common Bridge. I am your host, Rich Helpie, and we've got with us today a special guest, Angela Maloney. We're going to be talking about food. We're going to be talking about hunger, and we're going to be talking about eradicating hunger in this great, plentiful nation that we have. Angela is the president and chief executive officer of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan. I can't wait to hear about the mission and how things are working. Angela, welcome to the Common Bridge. So glad you joined us.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Thank you. It's so good to be here.

Angela’s Journey And Core Values

Rich Helppie 1:07

So if you don't mind, just maybe a little bit about your biography and how you got to this role, and then quick overview on what Gleaners is all about.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Thank you. It is so good to be here. So my entire leadership journey has been working with nonprofit organizations in the social sector. So I started with Gleaners back in January, just a few months ago. So just starting month five. Prior to that, I've had about 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership. I'm originally from Michigan, went to Madonna University with my Felician sisters, great ladies. And after that, I went to Washington, D.C. to receive a master's degree. Spent about seven to ten years out in DC as a high school teacher. Loved it. During that time, I met my husband, got married, and then spent three years at a farm called Nazareth Farm in West Virginia. We did home repair for low-income families and helped feed people and build community and do really good things in West Virginia. Loved our time out there, but knew after three years it was time to come back to Michigan. And so I spent 10 years with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in a number of jobs, but finally as the domestic director before I went to the Catholic Foundation of Michigan, which is a faith-based community foundation, and had a phenomenal experience there in philanthropy and community building. And, you know, when I look over my career, I can see a string or a thread, if you will, that ties it all together. And that's thinking about human dignity and basic needs. When we think about kids going to school, elderly being taken care of, individuals who are trying to make a positive change, none of that can happen if food is not part of the reality. And so this opportunity at Gleaners was just a perfect fit for where I've come from and how I have served in the world. And it's really a gift

What Gleaners Does Day To Day

SPEAKER_01 3:12

to be here.

Rich Helppie 3:12

Well, I appreciate all of that good work you're doing. And of course, that the statistics show it in healthcare. If people don't have good nutrition, they tend to get sicker and stay sicker longer. Students can't learn in school unless they're fed. And it's important, I think, for us as a generous society to make sure that everybody does have enough to eat and that they're eating good nutritious food, which in and of itself is a challenge. So, what are the services that Gleaners has and how do you go about getting funded or getting food? And how do you distribute that to people that need it?

SPEAKER_01 3:49

Yeah, there's so much. So much. So one of the things I am learning uh every day I am here at Gleaners, just how much more Gleaners does in the community than most of us are aware of. And so primarily as a food bank here in Southeast Michigan, our job is to secure, store, and distribute food for the community. And so it's it's so much more than just about food, it's about that connection. And so last year, just to put it in perspective, Gleaners distributed 47 million pounds of food. Oh my. And so we we work with our partners, so pantries, schools, churches, those in the community that really get the food for the most part to the community who needs it, the community that's hungry. Um, and our role is to ensure that we have adequate food and healthy food, and then culturally competent food, right? Food that we want, um, we want to make sure people can eat. So there's been two significant shifts in in food when we think about distributions. Um previously it used to just be any calorie counts, just get people calories. And we know we are what we eat. Food is medicine. And so if we're putting junk into our bodies, that's really not making us healthy. Kids who are growing, adults who are thriving, and then seniors, right, in their golden years. And so we want to ensure that the food that Gleaners provides is one food that people want, and then also food that we need. So out of that 47 million that was distributed last year, 15 million pounds of that was fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, uh, real intentional choices that we're putting into the community to make sure people are healthy.

Food Is Medicine And Cultural Choice

Rich Helppie 5:34

That's terrific. Now, you said culturally welcomed food. Tell me a little bit more about that.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Yeah, so what we realize obviously is um people want to eat what people want to eat and know how to eat, right? So a couple things. One, making sure that the community that receives food gets food that they want. And so we're very intentional about listening to our neighbors in need and making sure that the food that we provide is something that people know how to cook. And if they don't know how to cook it, making sure that we have um recipes uh for individuals. Um, some of our largest partners are faith-based partners. Um, and so wanting to make sure that we've got food that is kosher and halal and um attentive to the food that people can and want to eat.

Rich Helppie 6:19

I see. Okay, that was the distinction that I was curious about. And my understanding of a food bank is that it is the place that gives it to food pantries and to even prepared meal places, and then they're the ones that give it to beneficiaries. So you're not actually screening to make sure that the right people are getting the food. You're you're screening is the bank being both on, it's both and that's a great question.

SPEAKER_01 6:48

So obviously, Gleaners has the ability to acquire food at scale, so we can do it bigger, greater, um, less expensive than individual pantries can do.

Getting Food To Families With Dignity

SPEAKER_01 7:00

And so um we source the food and then get it out to the pantries. We also have a number of resources that gets food directly to people. So when you're thinking about, we have something called um community mobile distributions. So all throughout Southeast Michigan, families can drive up and they can receive food uh in a really quick, efficient, dignified way. Um they can they can receive food. That's something that started with us during COVID. Uh, and because it was so successful, um so efficient for families, it's something that we've continued. So we have school mobiles, we have community mobiles, and then we also have a few pantries around town. So we are in Detroit, Warren, Livingston County, and in Taylor.

Rich Helppie 7:47

And uh for the recipients, are there any kind of eligibility requirements or frequency limitations or anything like that? Or is it just if if I come into a pantry today and say I'm hungry, you're gonna give me a basket of food or that's a great question.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

It really depends on where you go. So some of the spaces are space or location-based, right? So we have a phenomenal new space called Fresh by Gleaners that opened up at the end of last year, and that's specifically focused on two zip codes in Warren and Detroit, because we're really doing this study to ensure that we have fresh fruits and vegetables in a community. So that one is specific. If you showed up there and you were not from that, um, those two zip codes, we would make sure we took good care of you and provided you the resources to show up to one of our community mobiles or direct you down the street to our local, um, to a local partner pantry as well. Uh so when it comes to screening, our main question is are you hungry? Do you need

Trust Transparency And Public Systems

SPEAKER_01 8:51

food?

Rich Helppie 8:51

Well, uh we all, I think, agree. I don't know anybody that disagrees that we need to feed the hungry, period. And I think there's any debate about it needs to be nutritious food. There's so many, you know, overprocessed foods that just frankly aren't nutritious and actually do lead to disease. We know about the heart disease, diabetes, and and other things that come from ultra-processed foods. At the same time, there's a question of stewardship. You know, and recently, you know, in Minnesota in particular, raising money, billions for food, and none of it going to food. California is probably going to be multiples of that main, this is the tip of the iceberg here. How does the public say my giving through either tax-supported or my philanthropic giving is being stewarded appropriately? How do you address that?

SPEAKER_01 9:43

That's a fair question. Folks who are generous want to make sure there's positive impact from the dollars they give. Um, one of the reasons why I came to Gleaners is how phenomenal they are as stewards of one's resources. So 97 cents on every dollar goes into delivering food for the community. So that's a pretty significant, um, uh significant number. So I'm gonna say that again. I think it's 93%, um 7% goes to running the organization. So 93% of every dollar that's donated to cleaners goes back into the community. And so that's a really important number for folks to hear. Um, and we invite people to visit our warehouse. When you come and you see that the food that's coming in and going out around the clock here, right? It's refrigerated. And so it's it's a quick intentional turnaround that donors and supporters definitely need to ask the question. And uh the proof is in the work, right? Just see how much is getting done and you see the food that's going out the door, and there's really no question.

Rich Helppie 10:48

I can understand that. And at the do you ever audit the food pantries or the you know, point of giving?

Commercial Speaker 10:54

Before we dive back into today's enlightening discussion, we have a quick message for all you Common Bridge enthusiasts out there. Did you know that you can find this episode and over 300 more on Substack as part of the Common Bridge series? You can also find written columns and opinions as well. Subscribe at the commonbridge.substack.com for a full Common Bridge experience. There you can comment and express your opinion on all the topics we cover on this and the past seven seasons of our podcasts. If you'd rather support the show without subscribing, you can do so with Zell at rich at richardhelpie.com or using Venmo at Richard CBridge. Thanks for listening. Now back to the episode. That's a great question.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

So uh a number of things. So that's a great question. So yes, so uh twofold. One, we get audited regularly from the um uh it's called the AIB audit. So it's the um international baking, if you can imagine. Um they come in and they do um uh a survey and they check under every corner of gleaners to make sure that everything that we're doing is up to code and up to standards. And we um passed with flying colors um again at our locations this year. But when we think about the pantry partners that we work with, one of the things I've been really impressed by is that partnership, that anytime gleaners works with a partner, we are ensuring that they are up to code. So the last thing we would want is to get, let's say, refrigerated food in the hands of a pantry, and then it's not being stewarded well, it's not being cared for. So we have very close relationships and a process of checks and balances with our partners.

Rich Helppie 12:38

And I know there's interactions with tax supported programs through the government, federal, state, local. And we had some interruptions in service as the folks in Washington were doing what they do, not serving us. What impact did that make downstream on places like Gleaners? Did you see any difference during that time?

SPEAKER_01 12:58

This has been a really challenging year, um, really, because there's just so much uncertainty in the community. Um, individuals who are trying to stretch a dollar aren't necessarily sure where that next dollar is going to come from or how much it's going to be able to pay for in the near future. So I think that uncertainty more than anything is challenging for individuals, for nonprofit organizations, and for providers to ensure that people are in a secure place. And so we're seeing a great need. I'm thinking of some of the most recent people that you've had on your show articulating the need in the community. And so it is definitely growing. Um and we see that our response at Gleaners is to be here when there is a need, regardless of what's happening from the USDA, regardless of gas prices. Gleaners' intention is to be here when folks are experiencing that food insecurity to make sure they know where to find food and how to find food when they're hungry.

Rich Helppie 14:01

Indeed. And I will view that most people have a generous heart and that they do want to see people clothed, fed, housed, educated appropriately. And it seems to me that maybe we just hear more about it, but we're we should be empowered at the local level. A lot more can happen just within the community instead of like, let's go to Washington and let's send tax money there, let's let it wash through four bureaucracies and then some portion of it comes back. It just seems that we could do a little bit more directly. Are you experiencing that? Do you ever get frustrated just with the overhead of the government bureaucracies and just like let them let you do your work? Is there any barriers that you're facing with them?

SPEAKER_01 14:46

So uh I mentioned previously I was with the Catholic Foundation of Michigan, and there's a um a value in Catholic teaching called subsidiarity. It's due at the level, um, the lowest level possible, the most local level possible, um, and then obviously grow and go to different levels as necessary. And so um it's really imperative when you look around the community. Detroit in particular is such a generous community. And so there is a fair amount of rallying in our community here and generosity. And so whatever can get done at a local and a state level, by all means. Uh, and so there are certain things we partner with Feeding America, which is a national organization, and there's certain um particular roles that they have uh to play uh in this in this relationship to food and in the relationship to organizations. You know, we've got great partners at the grocery store level, right? At the statewide, some of really strong partners that are assisting with us. And then there's our other relationships that are at a national level. And so I think it just depends on the question and how to solve it. But the short answer is every level's really important.

Rich Helppie 15:56

I was gonna ask about the grocery stores because I mean, in effect, you're a food wholesaler. They have food wholesalers, they have a retail location. Your real retail location is a pantry or a kitchen to get people fed, which we all need to do every day. You've been at the philanthropic service for a very long time.

Lessons On Giving And How To Help

Rich Helppie 16:16

What are some of the lessons learned along the way? And if you had to identify a change or two over the years, what are some of the more profound changes?

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Sure. So that's you know, that's an important question to ask. I think when you think of when you think of individuals who are generous, um, most of us think of the uber wealthy, right? Um or the very wealthy. Uh the short answer is I believe that everyone gives and everyone is invited and called to give at every level. So I think that's that's one um just notice is that uh we are all called to give something. You know, just recently we had uh stamp out hunger, and you look at what the letter carriers did in regards to doing something, and some would say, What do my, you know, two cans matter if I put those out? You know what? The letter carriers typically pick up about a million pounds of food for us, and so that little thing gathered together is a big thing, and so one, everyone needs to give. And it's very easy, I think, for some folks to say, oh, others will do it, but in reality, we all need to support. So I would say that's the first thing is community can really respond in a way that's very powerful. Uh, two is um individuals who give, organizations who give are smart and they deserve um information. Uh, transparency is really important as it should be in in when in in nonprofit philanthropy. Um so transparency and impact. And so, what is my money and dollars and time going to and what will change, what will get better because of that. And so it's important for us to to be able to articulate that with courage and confidence. Um, and then third, this is a little bit less than popular, is it takes money to do good things. And so there's always been this tension in the nonprofit world of we're gonna spend as little as possible to do good things. And I think um while I stand by that and my practices have definitely um exhibited that, I think it's time for us to think about could we do better if we use more? And so that's just a question for your listeners to think about um what would look different if we ran nonprofits more like for-profit organizations, right? Um, and we're willing to put more into the how we do it because we know the why is so important. And frankly, we know the what's coming out is really good too. So that's just, I would say, a gentle push that the the community needs to start thinking about how can we get behind that a bit more?

Rich Helppie 19:01

Yeah, and look, ultimately, not for profit, for profit, it's all the same. It's resources in, benefit out, and can you be efficient in the middle? There's what used to be a saying in healthcare no mission, no no margin, no mission.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

No mission. Yeah.

Rich Helppie 19:15

You've got to, you've got to spend less than you take in, or you're not gonna be there to do good for people. Angela, you've been uh generous with your time. I hope people look up the gleaners community food bank of Southeast Michigan. And so if if you will, as we come into our close, let people know how to get in touch with you, how to support Gleaners where you need it, and any closing comments that you've got for the listeners, the readers, and the viewers of the Common Bridge.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Thank you. Um food access is uh really about dignity, right? And so none of us like to um to ask for things, none of us like to stand in line. And so gleaners is really working to provide food in a way that's dignified. Uh, and we hope that your listeners join us. Um, and so when folks are looking into gleaners, I invite you to go to Gleaners Community Food Bank's website. So it's gcfb.org. Uh gcfb.org. And there's several ways to get involved, which is really nice. One, um a dollar, right? Um for every dollar you give, that allows us to um provide three meals. Uh, we this summer are getting ready for uh the hunger-free summer. When you think about kids who are in school getting some days breakfast and lunch at school, that resource is going to be going away when summertime comes. And so thinking about supporting kids when they're outside of out of school. So um by supporting gleaners financially, um, second, volunteering. We love when volunteers come. Our volunteer ratings are 97% joy and love and have a great time. And so um, when when folks volunteer with gleaners, uh, it's really a fun time. There's music, there's engagement. Um, and so invite people to consider going to our website, gcfb.org, and signing up to volunteer. Um, and then thinking about collaborating. We need a lot of people to help us right answer this problem. So collaboration is required to solve complex challenges. And we know hunger is a complex challenge, and we're not going to do it alone. And so we are looking to partner with healthcare, um, folks in the healthcare industry, folks in the insurance industry, folks in the food industry, farmers, it's going to take collaboration for all of us to do this well in order to solve the problem of hunger. It can be solved. We believe that. Uh, and so joining with gleaners with a matter of time as well as a thought provider uh would be an invitation to the folks that you reach out to. Um and so my final thought is that hunger doesn't look just one way. I think for for many of us, um, it's easy to say, oh, hunger looks like this, but in reality, it it doesn't look like anything. It could look like any of us. It could be a family member, it could be a neighbor, it could be a work colleague. Hunger is human. And so when we think about how we are impacted, we are all impacted by the reality of folks going hungry. When I first started at Nazareth Farm in West Virginia, we would often do get just a get to know you question. And one of my favorite questions was tell us about a meal, your favorite meal, right? Whether that was a you know grandma's cooking or a trip that you took. And it occurred to me with some of the families that we worked with, they didn't necessarily have a good answer for that question. And no child should be in a situation where they don't have the joy and the love and the excitement that comes from tell us about your favorite meal. And so at Gleaners, our goal is to make sure that the one in five kids who are currently experiencing hunger in our community have an answer to that question.

Closing Reflection And Sign Off

Rich Helppie 23:05

I have to tell you, every time I see people going out and yelling at each other on some political front, I have this thought. I said, what if everybody just brought a can of food? You'd at least know you were doing some good, right? It's like, I don't know if they think they're doing good or not, but a lot of it looks futile to me. And I I see there's a gathering of people and they came out of their house and they want to care about something. Well, what if you brought a little food with you and there was a cleaner's truck in the corner and you drove away with a truckload of food?

SPEAKER_01 23:37

I mean, it comes down to that old proverb of stone soup. Remember that story where everybody was holding on real tight, and then they said, Well, what if I put in my carrot? What if I put in my potato? And that's the beautiful thing about food is that it's it's a nonpartisan issue. We all believe in this. All major faiths have this idea of feeding people and caring for the folks who are struggling. And so everyone can get on board with this. And so that's one of the reasons why I think I'm so drawn to the work of Gleaners as well, is it takes community and it takes all of us to do it. And so we all have something to give and we can all participate. And I hope your listeners do.

Rich Helppie 24:17

Well, make a difference with Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan or a place in your geographic region. Um, let's quit complaining at the folks we elect and let's take on something just close to home. Let's eat together. So, with our guest, Angela Maloney of Gleaners, this is your host, Rich Helpie, signing off on the Common Bridge.

Announcer 24:41

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