Emhoff unveiling $1.7B in new commitments to Biden anti-hunger initiative

by Julia Mueller - 02/27/24 10:27 AM ET

FILE – Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, attends a roundtable discussion with Jewish leaders about the rise in antisemitism and efforts to fight hate in the United States in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus in Washington, Dec. 7, 2022. Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, is taking his advocacy against antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of hate to the Swiss Alps. Aides tell The Associated Press that Emhoff will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff unveiled nearly $1.7 billion in new commitments to the Biden administration’s efforts to end hunger by the end of the decade.

The list includes more than 140 commitments from nonprofits, insurers, health systems, local officials and academia. Sixteen cities across the country have pledged to create task forces and action plans to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030.

The Harlem Globetrotters will kickstart a two-year partnership with the playground-building nonprofit KABOOM! to bring awareness to nutrition and physical activity. The nonprofit Food Forward will distribute 290 million pounds of surplus fruits and vegetables to people experiencing food insecurity. And Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is making nutrition coaching and healthy food delivery a standard benefit for its members.

The $1.7 billion in new initiatives adds to the $8 billion announced in September 2022, when President Biden set a goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases by 2030.

The latest efforts come as part of The Challenge, a nationwide call-to-action for stakeholders to contribute to the administration’s goal.

Emhoff is set to announce the new commitments at the White House on Tuesday alongside chef José Andrés and WNBA player Elena Delle Donne, who chair the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden, Office of Public Engagement Director Stephen Benjamin and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will also attend.