This is the fifth post in our NFRD Who's Who series, a collection of interviews with the fantastic leaders who will be speaking at the National Food Recovery Dialogue from April 2-4. Stay tuned – we'll be sharing more interviews as we count down to the NFRD.
George A. Jones became Chief Executive Officer of Bread for the City (BFC) on January 2, 1996. BFC’s mission is to alleviate the suffering caused by poverty and rectify the conditions that perpetuate poverty. The agency achieves this goal by each month providing free food, clothing, legal, medical and social services to more than 5,000 D.C. families living in poverty, while also advocating for racially equitable public policy reforms that seek to eliminate socio-economic disparities that disproportionately affect people of color and those living on low-incomes. Jones was recently named by Georgetown University the winner of the 2015 John Thompson Jr., Legacy of the Dream award for his almost 20 years of social justice efforts in D.C. He also currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the DC Primary Care Association, is a Board Director for the Capital Area Food Bank and Life Pieces to Masterpieces, and serves as a Commissioner on the DC Access to Justice Commission.
FRN: What are you looking forward to at the conference?
GJ: I'm hoping the conference combines insights about food security and its intersection with poverty and socioeconomic disparities that effect people of color disproportionately in D.C. and across the country.
FRN: Why are you passionate about food recovery?
GJ: For over the past 30 years, I have been passionate about ending poverty and creating a more economically just Washington, D.C. and United States. I think that food insecurity is one of the major consequences of persistent poverty, and ensuring the adequate access to healthy foods for everyone is one of the major imperatives to creating more economically just society.
FRN: What's your proudest accomplishment of your career?
GJ: I am really proud that Bread for the City has maintained a strong reputation for providing strong and quality programs and services and doing important and effective public advocacy work in D.C., during my 20 years at the organization.
FRN: Time for some fun. What's your favorite pizza topping?
GJ: Believe it or not, my favorite pizza topping is pineapple, usually combined with ham.
Interested in learning more about George's work with Bread for the City? Register for the National Food Recovery Dialogue today and follow Bread for the City on Facebook and Twitter.