I think we can all agree that kids shouldn't go hungry ever really, but especially at school.

You might feel right now like you are giving it everything you got, but when you look around, things feel kind of dark out there. So you, our listeners and readers and viewers across the country and across the world want, demand, need more examples of fight and real progress you can actually see and touch and feel and taste. And in these conversations, in partnership with our best friends at Run For Something, we're giving you exactly that. Each of these episodes features two guests both sourced from the Run For Something pipeline and graduating classes.

They are the next generation of American leaders. First, I'll introduce one young elected official at the state or local level who's made real measurable progress on an issue facing more Americans than ever before, like food, and then in the same episode, I'll introduce a bright-eyed candidate currently running for state legislature, mayor, city council, or like today's guest, school board, who's similarly hellbent on attacking the same issue in their own hometown or state.

And it matters because for all you know, it could be yours next.

So first up again, today, our topic: school lunches.

School breakfasts, after school meals for students and teachers and parents and caregivers and whoever needs it. Because without food teachers can't work. None of us can learn.

Our incumbent, Jessica Spillers is a mom, a social worker, and an advocate with 12 years of experience in community mental health, the criminal justice system, and the government sector. She currently serves on the school board in Manchester, New Hampshire, and was named the New Hampshire Young Democrat of the Year in May, 2024. Jessica recently announced enough is enough and decided to run for Mayor of Manchester. 

Our candidate, Talia Rodriguez is running for the Buffalo Board of Education West District to be the first Latina on the board. She's a mom, a nonprofit development professional, and community advocate. She holds a law degree from the University of Buffalo and a Master's in Public Policy. She has extensive experience advancing educational equity, food justice, and bilingual programs. Talia is committed to uplifting diverse families, supporting student-centered policies and creating safe inclusive schools that meet the needs of all children.

I'm so excited to introduce you to these two amazing humans who are fighting for kids to have food. Let's find out what it means for their hometowns and for yours.

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INI Book Club:

• Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds
• The Bible and The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova
• Find all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club

Links:

• Support Jessica's campaign for Manchester Mayor at spillersformayor.com
• Support Talia's campaign for Buffalo School Board West District at talia4bps.com
• Support other young progressives at runforsomething.net or find a local office where you can run yourself at https://wherecanirun.org/

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• Produced by Willow Beck
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