Food is central to the work of The Marcus Foundation

Food is central to the work of The Marcus Foundation. For decades the Foundation has supported organizations in New York, Washington, Denver and elsewhere working to help address the immediate short-term needs of our hungry or poor neighbors. And the Foundation has an enduring commitment as well to finding long-term, systemic solutions that address the complex web of sustainability issues in food and agriculture.

So our collaboration with The James Beard Foundation is a logical and effective extension of our mission. We are honored to support the role of chefs as leaders in our communities who can create myriad food and cultural experiences that both honor rich culinary traditions and lean into a future with greater food equality, greater connection to the land, and a more sustainable food system.

Marcus Foundation trustees Amy Wood and Jonathan J. Halperin participated in a stimulating and productive conference October 27 & 28 in New York, on food and health, and joined attendees in honoring a diverse group of thought leaders at the 2014 Leadership awards dinner. (Watch the Conference Proceedings.) 

Related Work

The Marcus Foundation is collaborating with Participant Media, The Ford Foundation, Magnolia Pictures and a range of national and regional organizations to end hunger now, using A Place at the Table as the platform to launch this effort. For more information, see:

• Celebrate Food and End Hunger Guest Commentary by chef and food activist Tom Colicchio and Marcus Foundation trustee Amy Wood (The Aspen Times, June 20, 2014)
• What Does 48 Million Hungry People Look Like?
• SNAP Alumni Gallery
• Post Screening Discusion of "A Place at the Table"
• Participant Media Launches SMS Mobile Game for A Place at the Table Timed to DVD & Blu-Ray Release (The Wall Street Journal, July 1, 2013)
• Foundation trustee Jonathan J. Halperin's dispatches:
  Facts -- Not What They Used to Be; Truth and Power ; Real Experts on Hunger  On Hunger and Respect in America; and The American Table: From James Beard to 7-Eleven