Hunger Spikes in Congress’s Own Backyard
Hunger in the greater Washington region is at five year high, and food assistance alone cannot solve the crisis. Radha...
About This Episode
Hunger in the greater Washington region is at five year high, and food assistance alone cannot solve the crisis. Radha Muthiah, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank, joins Billy Shore to discuss the food bank’s 2026 Hunger Report, which finds that 38% of the region’s residents experience food insecurity and 34% of its children live in food-insecure households. She explains how job losses, rising costs, and strained household budgets are forcing families to sacrifice their financial futures to meet today’s basic needs. The conversation also examines projected SNAP benefit losses and a promising approach to lasting change: connecting nutritious food with health care, transportation, education, and pathways to living-wage jobs. Muthiah shares how food-is-medicine programs and partnerships with colleges are helping people move toward greater stability—and why government support is essential to expanding those efforts. Download this episode of Add Passion and Stir for a candid conversation about feeding neighbors today, addressing hunger’s root causes, and building a safety net that works for the whole household.Resources and Mentions:
Radha Muthiah
president and CEO
Radha Muthiah oversees the Capital Area Food Bank’s work to help people across greater Washington thrive by creating more equitable access to food and opportunity through community partnerships. Under her leadership, CAFB serves as the anchor of our region’s charitable food ecosystem, sourcing and supplying the food for more than 60 million meals annually through 400 partner organizations. Muthiah serves on several regional and national boards that focus on food security, economic development, and food as medicine, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Baltimore Branch, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Children’s National Hospital, the Federal City Council, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks.Â
Capital Area Food Bank .
The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest organization in the District of Columbia and surrounding areas working to solve hunger and its companion problems: chronic undernutrition, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Each year the Capital Area Food Bank is helping nearly half a million people each year get access to good, healthy food. they accomplish this goal by partnering with over 450 community organizations in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, as well as delivering food directly into hard to reach areas.
Related Episodes
One Mayor, Two Moms; On Hunger Hitting Close To Home
Omaha Mayor John Ewing, Hastings, NE organizer Sierra Edmisten, and Bellevue, NE SNAP career navigator Alicia Fremont-Musil about food insecurity...
The Great Betrayal: Cutting America’s Most Vulnerable From SNAP
Why are millions of Americans losing SNAP food assistance—even when many remain eligible? In this episode of Add Passion and...
When The Law Fails Families: The Human Cost of Detention
In this very special repeat episode of Add Passion and Stir, Billy Shore and Debbie Shore speak with attorney Corey...