MAYOR DANIEL RICKENMANN NAMED CHAIR OF MAYORS ALLIANCE TO END CHILDHOOD HUNGER

Columbia, SC –  Mayor Daniel Rickenmann has been named chair of the  Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, a nonpartisan coalition working in partnership with the national nonprofit Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry campaign.

The Mayors Alliance taps the individual and collective leadership of over 550 mayors from across the country. These city officials advocate to end childhood hunger in their communities through policies and partnerships that promote access to school and summer meal programs, grocery benefits like WIC and SNAP, and a host of local resources. 

“Childhood hunger is one of the most solvable challenges we face, and it’s one that hits close to home for me – as a former restaurateur who understands the power of a good meal and as the husband of a pediatrician who sees every day how nutrition shapes a child’s life,” said Mayor Daniel Rickenmann. "Columbia has taken bold steps to expand food access, from our grocery access partnerships to improving meal programs that families rely on. As chair of the Mayors Alliance, I’m committed to bringing mayors together, championing strong local solutions, and advancing the national efforts needed to give every child a full plate and a fair shot.”

Mayor Rickenmann has been a fierce advocate for child nutrition programs and has provided a strong voice of opposition in the face of congressional threats to SNAP funding.  He has been at the forefront, working with innovative approaches to expand food access for underserved communities in his city.

As chair of the Mayors Alliance, Mayor Rickenmann will receive a $15,000 grant from Share Our Strength to strengthen Columbia’s food access efforts by extending the City’s partnership with Instacart and the traditional Grocery Access Program for another year, and launching a local microgrant program that invests in grassroots organizations working to combat adolescent hunger. Each of these initiatives underscores that meaningful progress requires strong partnerships – from national collaborators to local nonprofits and community leaders - and reflects the mayor’s commitment to practical, community-driven solutions to ensure every young person has access to the healthy food they need to grow and thrive.

“Across the city of Columbia, Mayor Rickenmann is uniquely positioned to attest to and respond to child hunger on a local level,” said Marissa Spady, senior manager of No Kid Hungry South Carolina. “As chair of the Mayors Alliance, he will be able to address the issue on a much larger scale, backed by mayors from across the nation, all with the support of the No Kid Hungry campaign. This is a recipe for creative and successful change for the children of our country.”

For more information about the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, please visit  www.mayorshungeralliance.org.