Chef fights food insecurity head-on

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera.

Feeding hundreds of patients – 24 hours a day – along with thousands of employees, visitors and family members is something familiar to certified executive chef Amanda Viau Hopkins at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.

Kellie Stark, culinary manager for Avera Specialty Hospital, Avera Behavioral Health Center and the Avera Addiction Center, discusses food-service plans and menu ideas with Amanda Viau Hopkins, food service director of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. 

Yet as a mom and community member, she knows all too well the tatters in the social fabric that lead to hunger, even in a vibrant city like Sioux Falls. And she wanted to do something about it.

Taking action to serve others

Hopkins volunteers for Sioux Falls Thrive, an organization with a food truck service that regularly serves neighborhoods in the city.

“At Avera, creating a sense of welcome is as important as the food we give our visitors,” said Hopkins, who also serves as the food service director at Avera McKennan.

She wants to portray that same sense of hospitality when serving food for Sioux Falls Thrive.

“I started volunteering because I knew the need. But I also serve because my stepson attended school in this neighborhood. It was just a perfect fit.”

Serve she does: Each time the food truck opens its window for service, dozens of families, couples and individuals stop by. Many gather hot meals for others they know who couldn’t make it out. The visitors can stop inside a nearby church to get fresh vegetables, fruit, bread and other donated staples.

“A warm meal is about more than what is on a plate,” Hopkins said. “We serve wholesome, fresh meals, but we also talk and share of ourselves,” Hopkins said. “Breaking bread with others is a communal activity.”

She has felt the bonds grow with those who come to get groceries and meals. She talks to other parents, and they connect. She also realizes that community-building takes time. “Making these efforts sustainable is vital,” she said. “Our visitors are grateful, and we’re hopeful we can keep building.”

Creating community with nutrition

Hopkins knew of hunger and food insecurity long before she began her volunteer role with Sioux Falls Thrive. She has partnered with other chefs for decades as the culinary community has hosted events, raised money and offered its knowledge. When a food insecurity task force formed in Sioux Falls, she was Avera’s representative and partnered with agencies and organizations.

“When you serve, you can listen, and you can hear stories, meet people and connect,” she said. “We often see some of the same people each time. It’s a good way to get outside of your own bubble and realize what people face.”

The reality is stark: More than 100,000 South Dakota residents are uncertain where their next meal will come from, and more than one-third of that group are children. Older individuals also make up a large portion of the food insecure in the state. Almost half of school-age kids are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches and meals.

Over time, it can have an impact on many things, including school performance in children, overall mental health and risk of chronic conditions.

“Access to food is a multilayered problem,” Hopkins said. “In cities and in the country, a lack of transportation, limited income or limited grocery stores – these factors all contribute to people going hungry.”

Helping to feed people in need can come in the form of time or money.

“Building a community that others will recognize as ‘their community’ takes time to create and ongoing effort to keep it in place,” she said. “The volunteers I work with realize that, and they’re always looking for more hands to help sustain the continuing effort. You can join us in creating community.”

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