Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

11 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

11 hours ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

11 hours ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

12 hours ago
Michelle Obama Sends Love to Fresno With 100,000 Healthy Meal Kits
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 3 years ago on
January 12, 2022

Share

 

Former first lady Michelle Obama says an initiative she’s involved in will provide more than 100,000 nutritious meal kits to Fresno residents in need of healthy food.

She made the announcement Tuesday on Twitter.

Pass the Love Campaign

Families might recognize  Waffles and Mochi as the puppet pals who star in Netflix’s culinary children’s series of the same name alongside Obama.

Through the show, Obama started the Pass the Love campaign, which is raising funds to distribute 1 million meals to families in need nationwide, along with the nonprofit Partnership for a Healthier America.

PHA says the campaign was inspired by the series, which tells the story of two puppet friends who “travel the world exploring the wonders of food and culture while learning how to cook with fresh ingredients.”

Watch: Michelle Obama Wants to Help Feed Families with ‘Waffles + Mochi’

PHA and its local partner, Central California Food Bank, will distribute 120,000 healthy meals to food-insecure Fresno families, The Fresno Bee’s Melissa Montalvo reported on Tuesday.

“We are grateful and honored to be chosen by Partnership for a Healthier America to join forces in educating and raising awareness about health and hunger in Central California,” Kym Dildine, co-CEO of Central California Food Bank, told The Bee. “We have seen a huge spike in need in our community and this partnership with the ‘Pass the Love w/ Waffles + Mochi’ campaign could not come at a better time.”

Campaign Began in Summer 2021

The food distributions are designed to bolster the capacity of local nonprofits to address food insecurity. The effort began last summer in cities such as Atlanta, Cleveland, and Philadelphia.

The hope of Obama and her partners is that the meal kits — with recipes that are fun, fast, and easy to replicate — will expose families to affordable meal-making and thus improve public health.

“Meal boxes that provide fresh food and a complete set of ingredients to households are one way to reduce the impact of these (pandemic) food access disruptions, and to get healthy meals on the table,” said Caitlin Caspi, a University of Connecticut professor who studies food insecurity.

(Associated Press contributed to this story.)

 

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

9 hours ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

9 hours ago

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

A two-vehicle collision sent a woman driving one of the vehicles to the hospital with a head injury Thursday afternoon in Fresno. Fresno pol...

7 hours ago

A crash causes a traffic jam in northwest Fresno on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (GV Wire/Paul Marshall)
7 hours ago

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned 52,593 acres with 5% containment, prompting evacuation orders in several San Luis Obispo County zones as of Thursday, July 3, 2025, afternoon. (CalFire)
8 hours ago

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

8 hours ago

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

9 hours ago

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

An ICE agent talks with migrants about their scheduled appointments with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Father’s Day, to learn about their immigration status, in Chicago, Illinois., U.S., June 15, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

Boeing logo and miniature satellite model are seen in this illustration taken, March 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

9 hours ago

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

Clovis Police are searching for Pathmani Goonawardena, 82, who went missing nearly three weeks ago and was last seen driving a white Volvo near Copper and Auberry, possibly en route to Coarsegold. (CHP)
10 hours ago

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend