Mayor Giles will speak at the kickoff event for the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities at 8 a.m. Arizona time on Friday, March 24, 2023. Other event speakers include Director of Domestic Policy Ambassador Susan Rice, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Chef Jose Andres, Members of Congress, and other public and private-sector stakeholders.
"No community goes untouched by food insecurity, and communities large and small are grappling with issues made worse by the pandemic," said Mayor Giles. "Mayors and local leaders across the U.S. have a role to play in addressing hunger for people of all ages, and I'm honored to be invited to the White House to bring attention to this issue on a national stage."
Mayor Giles is the Chair of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 174 mayors from 46 states and Washington D.C. working to ensure every child has the healthy food needed to thrive. In partnership with the national nonprofit Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign, the coalition taps the leadership and collective expertise of mayors from across the political spectrum to drive change at the state and national level.
As part of the emergency response to COVID-19, the City of Mesa joined local, state, and national entities to fight hunger and stave off increases in food insecurity brought on by the pandemic. In partnership with the United Food Bank, the City of Mesa distributed over 4.5 million pounds of food through weekly drive-through food box events.
Mayor Giles is also an executive board member for AzBrainfood, a Mesa-based nonprofit organization that discreetly provides a backpack of food to feed hungry schoolchildren on the weekends. The organization serves 125 schools in six Arizona cities, delivering meals to over 3000 students each week. On Thursday, March 30, AzBrainfood will celebrate the milestone of packing their one-millionth bag.
For more information about the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, visit mayorshungeralliance.org. For more information about AzBrainfood, visit azbrainfood.org.