The newly released Time Magazine review (Feb. 20, 2025) of “Women of the Year” features Claire Babineaux-Fonteno for her nation-wide advocacy to end hunger. (https://time.com/7216387/feeding-america-ceo-claire-babineaux-fontenot/)
Babineux-Fonteno heads the nonprofit Feeding America, described by Time as “the country’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization—overseeing a network of more than 200 food banks and 60,000 partners.”
Time quotes her: “Babineaux-Fontenot embraces the nonpartisan nature of her work. ‘No matter what your political positions are in this country, people consistently believe that people deserve to have access to nutritious food.’”
A lifelong volunteer with nonprofits and boards, Babineux-Fontenot worked at Wallmart before joining Feeding America, including as executive vice president and global treasurer. She was recognized by Sothern Methodist University with their Distinguished Alumni Award.
Interviewed by The Cut in December, she explained how “Advocating on behalf of people experiencing hunger is a big part of my role. I get to lift up their aspirations.”
Feeding America, based in Chicago, Illinois, was founded in the 1960s.
The organization supports mobile food distributions, school feeding, disaster relief, public advocacy, education, elderly feeding and other activities.
Their annual report for 2024 explains that their network supported almost 6 billion meals in the twelve months from mid 2023 to mid 2024. Feeding America raised $5.2 billion in 2024.
