Food insecurity impacts millions, but communities are rising to meet the challenge – especially in a climate where many are unsure if there will be continued federal aid for relief programs. This episode of Meat and Three dives into the innovative and compassionate efforts reshaping food access in Chicago, Oregon, and Texas. From traditional food pantries to mutual aid programs, we spotlight organizations providing holistic care for our neighbors in need.

Further Reading:

Don’t forget to sign up for our Weekly HRN Newsletter to get all the latest news from our storytelling communities. Sign up is at the bottom of our homepage!

Read more about the Black Panther Party’s Free School Breakfast program here.

Check out Ravenswood Community Services and the work they do. If you are interested in volunteering for their Tuesday night pantry, Saturday pantry, community kitchen, or after school pantry, please sign up.

What to learn more about the Greater Chicago Food Depository? Visit their site to learn about all their programs and efforts across Chicagoland.

Get more information on Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Retail Food Rescue Program.

VeggiesRx is a program supported by the Chicago Botanic Garden and Lawndale Christian Center. To learn more about the Farm on Ogden and other programs on site.

Learn more about the USDA’s GusNIP grant program!

The Farmer’s Market fund can be found here.

Can you double your spending power at the farmers’ market? Check out Double Up Food Bucks.

Want to support your local Food Not Bombs? Find your nearest one here, and see what the Laredo Food not Bombs is up to on instagram.

This episode of Meat and Three was reported by Ash Tyler, Bean Metcalf, and Zariel Grullón.

Our lead producer on this episode was Ash Tyler, with support from Maya Okindo, Hieu Huynh, Jessie Nicley, and Kiki Canuto.

Meat and Three is produced by H Conley and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer for this episode was Sam Gerardi.

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

In this first episode of Love Letters to the Lower East Side Girls Club, we introduce you to your host and producer, Sasha DuBose (they/she), and the girls they taught during the Fall 2024 Flavor and Folklore after-school program at the Lower Eastside Girls Club. Tune in to follow along as Sasha shares the exciting things that they taught the LESGC Members, and the lessons learned in the process. And a few delicious recipes (and heehee hahas) too!

This episode of Love Letters was brought to you by the LESGC Flavor and Folklore Members Amelia Rodriguez, Astan Kaba, Shayla James, Rae McGee, Noni Johnson, Symone Carre, Melissa Gregory, and Imani Hughes.

For more information about The Lower East Side Girls Club, click here.

Check out more information about HRN’s storytelling education programming (updates coming soon!) here.

Listen to Sasha’s stories on Meat & Three here.

Here is one of Sasha’s many recipes for collard greens.

If you want to have a Black Ass Tuesday of your own, check out Sasha’s all-time family favorite.

If you want to make Rae and Imani’s Jamaican staple, click here.

Learn more about the history behind Symone’s favorite Haitian dish, click here.

Heritage Radio Scholars offers high school students the opportunity to learn audio reporting techniques while discovering how food shapes the world around them. The program empowers young girls to connect with their culture, community, and themselves through food — all while honing their storytelling skills. HRN collaborated in Fall of 2024 with The Lower East Side Girls Club to create the Love Letters to the LES Girls Podcast through our newest iteration of the Heritage Radio Scholars Flavor and Folklore, a 10-week after school high school program serving the girls and femmes of the LES Girls Club.

Love Letters to the LES Girls Club is exactly what it sounds like. HRN’s Digital Media Educator Sasha DuBose shares her experiences teaching the food storytelling course of their dreams. Combined with anecdotes from the girls she taught, the Love Letters Podcast highlights just how special this program was for everyone involved. The podcast series premieres February 14th, so expect something in the mail!

Love Letters to the LES Girls Club was reported by the LESGC Flavor and Folklore Members Kiyerra Braveboy, Astan Kaba, Shayla James, Amelia Rodriguez, Symone Carre, Noni Johnson, Imani Hughes, Rae McGee, and Melissa Gregory, with support from Santanah Thomas.

Love Letters to the LES Girls Club is produced by Sasha DuBose and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer is Sam Gerardi.

Support the Heritage Radio Scholars program by becoming a member!

Love Letters to the LES Girls Club is Powered by Simplecast.

It’s a new year, and with it comes new bites, new recipes, and, for many, new meal prep. While this practice is designed to make life easier, there are a few obstacles that you might encounter when preparing meals ahead of time.. Tune in to this week’s episode of Meat and Three as we discuss the realities of meal prepping, including struggles the very real struggles of making a meal for a family of five, finding specific ingredients in a cultural food desert, and cooking with ADHD.

Further Reading:

To read more about women’s unpaid labor, you can find The New York Times article here.

Learn more about Hieu’s journey for pork belly here.

Visit Zariel Grullón’s website to learn more about their work and wellness journey.

For a better solution to managing food waste at home, check out Mill—the odorless food recycler.

Visit the Atwater Village Farmers Market the next time you’re in Los Angeles!

Get all the latest tricks and tips in eco-friendly and sustainable living with the Commons app.

This episode of Meat and Three was reported by Taylor Graham, Hieu Huynh, Jessie Nicely, and Kiki Canuto.

Our lead producer on this episode was Taylor Graham, with support from H Conley, Kiki Canuto, Ash Tyler, Maya Okindo, Bean Metcalf, and Jessie Nicely.

Meat and Three is produced by H Conley and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer for this episode was Sam Gerardi.

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

SFX Licenses:

FX_Car_Door_and_Honks01.WAV by PeteBarry - https://freesound.org/people/PeteBarry/sounds/494166/ - License: Attribution 4.0 (TG)

Dear Listener: Uh oh, it looks like you’ve been selected for jury duty… But this isn’t your typical public service! We all have strong opinions about food - the best way to cook a particular dish, or the superior condiment. And when someone disagrees with those opinions….well, it can get pretty heated. This week we’re taking you to a place we all wish we could visit - a fictional food court, where impassioned foodies take the stand to defend their controversial food opinions! So take a seat in the jury box, and get ready….for FOOD COURT WITH JUDGE FOODIE.

Further Reading:

This episode of Meat and Three was reported by Kiki Canuto, Sam Gerardi, Zariel Grullon, Ash Tyler, Jessie Nicely, Taylor Graham, and Bean Metcalf

Our lead producers on this episode were Bean Metcalf and Kiki Canuto

Meat and Three is produced by H Conley and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer for this episode was Sam Gerardi.

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

Licenses for Music/SFX:
Audience_Murmur_of_Agreement by unchaz -- https://freesound.org/s/150965/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Gavel by Science_Witch -- https://freesound.org/s/762733/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Freesound - LETTUCE_CRUNCH_001.wav by JoelAudio - https://freesound.org/people/JoelAudio/sounds/135457/ - License: Attribution 4.0

boo 01.wav by tim.kahn -- https://freesound.org/people/tim.kahn/sounds/336997/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Crowd Aghast by McRae - https://freesound.org/people/FlippantMoniker/sounds/128151/ - License: Attribution 4.0

Gavel - 3 Strikes with room reverb by Odditonic https://freesound.org/people/odditonic/sounds/187705/ - License: Attribution 4.0

Court room murmur - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3YU8LKqGeE

Law & Order Sound Effect - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP3MuUTmXNk

Angry Crowd Booing and Hissing - https://freesfx.co.uk/sfx/booing

Heritage Radio Scholars offers high school students the opportunity to learn audio reporting techniques while discovering how food shapes the world around them. The program empowers young girls to connect with their culture, community, and themselves through food — all while honing their storytelling skills. HRN collaborated in Fall of 2024 with The Lower East Side Girls Club to create the Love Letters to the LES Girls Podcast through our newest iteration of the Heritage Radio Scholars Flavor and Folklore, a 10-week after school high school program serving the girls and femmes of the LES Girls Club.

Love Letters to the LES Girls Club is exactly what it sounds like. HRN’s Digital Media Educator Sasha DuBose shares her experiences teaching the food storytelling course of their dreams. Combined with anecdotes from the girls she taught, the Love Letters Podcast highlights just how special this program was for everyone involved. The podcast series premieres February 14th, so expect something in the mail!

Love Letters to the LES Girls Club was reported by the LESGC Flavor and Folklore Members Kiyerra Braveboy, Astan Kaba, Shayla James, Amelia Rodriguez, Symone Carre, Noni Johnson, Imani Hughes, Rae McGee, and Melissa Gregory, with support from Santanah Thomas.

Love Letters to the LES Girls Club is produced by Sasha DuBose and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer is Sam Gerardi.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support the Heritage Radio Scholars program by becoming a member!

Love Letters to the LES Girls Club is Powered by Simplecast.

For more information about LESGC, click here.

Check out more information about HRN’s storytelling education programming (updates coming soon!) here.

From Atlanta, Georgia to Pasadena, California, we explore the foods we love that make us feel at home. Come with us as we cook the recipes that taste like being wrapped in a warm hug, debate whether deep dish or tavern style pizza is best, spend an afternoon on a stretch of Atlanta with cuisine from all over the world, and sink our teeth into the juicy origins of the cheeseburger.

Further Reading:

For information on how you can donate time or resources to those impacted by the fires in Los Angeles, check out Mutual Aid LA’s Fire and Wind Resources Master Sheet. You can also donate directly to the Mutual Aid LA network and they will redistribute funds. If you would like to donate directly to families affected by the Eaton Fire, use this directory of GoFund Me’s for Displaced Black Families from Altadena and Pasadena. Lastly, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition has started a fund for the incarcerated firefighters currently battling the Los Angeles fires.

Check out Palermo’s to find out more about tavern style pizza and find their three locations in the Chicagoland area.

Visit Pie ‘n Burger for a classic Pasadena burger and read more about the city’s meaty history here.

Find out more about We Love Buford Highway and what they’re doing to build community in one of Atlanta’s most vibrant areas.

Curious about the restaurants Hieu visited on her Buford Highway Food Crawl?

Support these local businesses:

El Rey Del Taco - 5288 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, Georgia 30340

Lee’s Bakery - 4005 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30345

Canton House - 4825 Buford Hwy NE Chamblee, GA 30341

This episode of Meat and Three was reported by Kiki Canuto, Ash Tyler, Hieu Huynh, and Jessie Nicely

Our lead producers on this episode were Jessie Nicely and Zariel Grullon, with support from Sam Gerardi, Maya Okindo, Ash Tyler, and Kiki Canuto.

Meat and Three is produced by H Conley and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer for this episode was Sam Gerardi.

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

Does place affect who we are? From the edible schoolyards of the west coast, to the soul food of the south, we’re taking you on a journey to find out what shapes identity. How do we relate to the food and space around us? What traditions will we carry into the future? Come with us to explore the HRN archives, and discover what makes us, well, us.

Further Reading:

Listen to Adrian Miller’s interview here

Learn more about American food on A Taste of the Past here

Listen to the full interview with Alice Waters on Inside Julia’s Kitchen here.

Explore Heart and Soul Food: A Celebration of Black Women here

Find Paulo Shin’s conversation about BBQ here

This episode of Meat and Three was reported by Taylor Graham, Bean Metcalf, Jessie Nicely, Hieu Huynh, and Kia Damon.

Our lead producers on this episode were Bean Metcalf and Jessie Nicely, with support from Kia Damon and Taylor Graham.

Meat and Three is produced by H Conley and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer for this episode was Sam Gerardi.

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

Licenses for Music/SFX:

I Was Different - Ov Moi Omm
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 International License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Free Walking Guitar Blues (F 015) - Lobo Loco
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

All in a Garden Green (Whistle Quartet Version) - Axletree
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 International License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Schoolyard, kids.wav by jungh001 -- https://freesound.org/s/42320/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

From hearty Italian beef sandwiches to dreamy bowls of rice, everyone has comfort foods that remind them of home — whether that’s a physical or mental space. These dishes not only evoke memories of meals shared with families and friends, but they also play a significant role in shaping our cultural identities. In this episode, we’re revisiting some of the best HRN stories that make us feel warm and fuzzy inside… and maybe even a little bit hungry. These dishes are an inviting embrace– from us, to you.

Further Reading

Take a listen to the original episode from Feast Meets West! And if you’re ever in NYC, give Layla Chen’s Maya Congee Cafe a visit!

Visit the link to hear the original Taste of the Past episode on The Genealogy of Chicago’s Italian Beef with food historian, Anthony Buccini.

In Chicago and want to taste some local Italian Beef Spots? Visit Mr. Beef, Al’s, Tony’s, or even Buona!

Haven’t seen The Bear? Watch here.

Visit the link to hear the original Cooking in Mexican from A to Z: Plantains: The People’s Ingredient and check out Chef Aaron’s work here. If you want to see the inspiration behind Zariel’s tattoo check it out here and give the artist a follow.

Visit the link to hear the original Taste of the Past episode : Comfort Food with folklorist Lucy Long

This episode of Meat and Three was reported by Kiki Canuto, Ash Tyler, Zariel Grullón, and Maya Okindo.

Our lead producers on this episode were Kiki Canuto, Maya Okindo, and Hieu Huynh with support from Bean Metcalf, Jessie Nicely, Kia Damon, Taylor Graham, Ash Tyler, and Zariel Grullon.

Meat and Three is produced by H Conley and Taylor Early.

Our audio engineer for this episode was Sam Gerardi.

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

Licenses for SFX:

Tattoo Gun by rayprice -- https://freesound.org/s/155005/ -- License: Attribution 3.0

20060624.supermarket.cashdesk.flac by dobroide --

https://freesound.org/s/20150/

-- License: Attribution 4.0 - attribution for the sound