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This Week's Episode

What makes a place home?

For Cyndi Kirkhart, CEO of Facing Hunger Food Bank, the answer can be found along the country roads of Appalachia—in communities where resources may be scarce, but resilience, ingenuity, and care for one another run deep.

 

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On This Episode

In this episode of Food Secure Nation, Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson explore Cyndi’s remarkable journey: from inheriting a struggling food bank that might not make payroll to leading an organization serving 17 counties across West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. Along the way, she challenges one of the oldest narratives about hunger: this work isn’t about filling empty bellies. It’s about supporting lives.

“Every plate has a story. Take hunger out of the picture, and imagine what becomes possible.”

Cyndi Kirkhart, CEO of Facing Hunger Food Bank

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This Week's Guest

Cyndi Kirkhart

Cyndi Kirkhart is the CEO of Facing Hunger Food Bank in Huntington, West Virginia, serving 17 counties across West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. Over her 14 years of leadership, the food bank has grown from a team of 13 to more than 50 employees and now distributes more than 14 million pounds of food annually.

With a background in psychology, mental health and community service, Cyndi brings a deeply human-centered approach to food security. She is also a writer, poet and member of Feeding America’s National Advisory Committee, where she has been a strong voice for rural communities, smaller food banks and the people at the center of this work.

At the heart of her leadership is a simple belief: every plate has a story — and every person is worthy of being seen for far more than what they need.

Cyndi Kirkhart

Cyndi Kirkhart, CEO of Facing Hunger Food Bank

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Cyndi Kirkhart

Cyndi Kirkhart, CEO of Facing Hunger Food Bank

Cyndi Kirkhart is the CEO of Facing Hunger Food Bank in Huntington, West Virginia, serving 17 counties across West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. Over her 14 years of leadership, the food bank has grown from a team of 13 to more than 50 employees and now distributes more than 14 million pounds of food annually.

With a background in psychology, mental health and community service, Cyndi brings a deeply human-centered approach to food security. She is also a writer, poet and member of Feeding America’s National Advisory Committee, where she has been a strong voice for rural communities, smaller food banks and the people at the center of this work.

At the heart of her leadership is a simple belief: every plate has a story — and every person is worthy of being seen for far more than what they need.

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