Opelousas’ Claire Babineaux-Fontenot on CBS News Sunday Morning
CEO of Feeding America Claire Babineaux-Fontenot Featured in "The Persistence of Hunger in America" with Lee Cowan on CBS News
On March 8 at 9 a.m. CST, the CBS Sunday Morning News aired, featuring “The Persistence of Hunger in America,” with Lee Cowan covering the issue of hunger in America by looking at the lives and work of two courageous women on International Women’s Day.
The two women were Shannon Patrick from Boulder, Colo., and Claire Babineaux-Fontenot from Opelousas, La.
In the video piece, Patrick opens up about the struggle to feed her family on a $2,000 monthly salary. Regarding her efforts to provide for her kids, Patrick said, “I’m failing.”
Cowan reassured her, saying, “You’re doing everything you can. I can’t imagine what more you could do.”
Patrick’s sharing of her homelife intimately captured the same hurdle that, according to the USDA, 47.9 million people experienced in 2024.
CBS also showcased the efforts of those working to assist the hungry through the life of Claire Babineaux-Fontenot.
Babineaux-Fontenot has been the CEO of Feeding America since 2018, but her story begins much earlier than that.
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot
According to CBS, her parents, Mary Alice and Warren Babineaux, were known for helping the local children in need in their hometown of Opelousas–so much so that Babineaux-Fontenot has 107 siblings.
Babineaux-Fontenot also shared her experience with food insecurity and how the kindness of a woman at the Salvation Army during a time of need meant so much to her. According to CBS, after that, Babineaux-Fontenot became a tax attorney and, eventually, executive vice president and global treasurer for Walmart.
Walmart was the last job she held before her breast cancer diagnosis, which led her to quit her job and prioritize helping those in need.
Though CBS states that Babineaux-Fontenot will step down as CEO of Feeding America, her work has made a lasting impact.
Read or watch the full CBS News Sunday Morning story at www.cbsnews.com/news/the-persistence-of-hunger-in-america.
