About This Episode

How do we continue to care for each other as the pandemic draws to a close? Congressman Mike Thompson from California’s 5th District and influential Sacramento chef Patrick Mulvaney discuss how the pandemic has affected the food and wine industries. Congressmen Thompson and Mulvaney partnered with funders, including No Kid Hungry, Sacramento County, and community members to deliver more than 250,000 meals through schools and seniors during the pandemic. Both changemakers are hopeful about building America stronger after the pandemic. “I’m excited about the things that we can do. If we work together, there’s no stopping us,” Thompson believes. “What I feel now is hope… There’s a sense that any of us that have made it this far are going to live to see the other side,” says Mulvaney.

Resources and Mentions:

Chef Patrick Mulvaney

Patrick Mulvaney

Chef/Owner // Mulvaney's B&L

Patrick Mulvaney is Proprietor and Chef of Mulvaney's B&L. A leading public policy advocate on the national stage, Patrick is one of the people working to make Sacramento the “Farm-to-Fork” capital of the country. He also founded The I Got Your Back peer referral and online resource focused on reducing stigma and increasing conversation about mental health in hospitality. In 2020, in response to COVID19, IGYB turned into Family Meal and Great Plates which has delivered millions of meals to schoolchildren and seniors.

Rep. Mike Thompson

Rep. Mike Thompson

U. S. Representative

Congressman Mike Thompson represents California's 5th Congressional District. First elected in 1998, Thompson is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Chairman of the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, senior member of the Health Subcommittee and Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Thompson is the co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Wine Caucus, which consists of more than 117 bipartisan Members of Congress committed to protecting the interests of the wine community from grape to glass.

I Got Your Back

https://igotyourback.info/

The I Got Your Back project (IGYB) is a peer referral and online resource which seeks to reduce stigma and increase conversation about mental health in the hospitality world. With the help of four major health groups and many others a pilot was conducted showing a marked increase in seeking out resources and professional help among participants. IGYB is presently working with the State of California and James Beard Foundation to extend the reach of the program.