What a thrill to be a part of this great article by Aimee Blanchette about celebrities giving back to charity in the Star Tribune! My kids pointed out that I’m probably the fourth or fifth celebrity out of five in their minds… but the idea of using a platform to give back is really important to me.

The Strib asked me to focus on one area of my charity work, so I talked about hunger. As a food reporter, it’s critical to me to speak out on issues of hunger, and shine a spotlight on the reality that nearly 1 in 5 Minnesotans have to make a decision at the end of every month: do I pay for my prescription drugs, buy clothes for my kids, or do I buy a healthy meal. That’s why I was the Chairperson of the Minnesota March Food Share Campaign this year [as Plymouth Magazine wrote about], and I’ll keep doing whatever I can to share more on issues of hunger with the audience.

I probable emcee about 30-40 different charity fundraising galas each year, so my charity interests run wide for sure. My other passion is the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital: we continue to proudly donate and volunteer our time with the U of M. If you’re interested in having me work with your charity – hit me up on !