Eat Better Live Better's 4th Annual Feeding the Hands of Hunger Luncheon – Celebrating 10 years

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Culturally Speaking – The South Florida Sunday Podcast

Episode: Eat Better Live Better's 4th Annual Feeding the Hands of Hunger Luncheon – Celebrating 10 Years
Date: April 2, 2026
Host: Hubbard Radio
Guest: Deborah Tenridge, Founder of Eat Better, Live Better

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Episode Overview

This episode celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Eat Better, Live Better (EBLB), a South Florida nonprofit committed to fighting hunger with dignity, education, and holistic support. Host Hubbard Radio dives into EBLB’s impactful programs, the upcoming “Feeding the Hands of Hunger” luncheon, and the personal story that inspired it all through a heartfelt conversation with founder Deborah Tenridge.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. EBLB’s Mission and Impact

• Healthy Grocery Assistance:
  • Core Program: EBLB reaches about 200,000 people a year, focusing on distributing healthy groceries—restricting foods with synthetic dyes, high fructose corn syrup, excess sugar, and sodium to accommodate families battling health issues.
    • “We want to make sure that we feed the hunger and not feed the disease.” (Deborah, 00:36)
• Affordable Farmers Market:
  • Provides families and the wider public access to fresh, affordable produce.
    • “Seniors and families with children…are finally eating fruits and vegetables on a regular basis because they can finally afford them.” (Deborah, 01:18)

2. Beyond Food: Education, Empowerment, and Dignity

• Nutrition Education:
  • EBLB couples food assistance with nutrition education, believing knowledge and access must go hand in hand.
    • “Education is our biggest equalizer…if you don’t know how to do that plus have the access to do so, what are you actually doing?” (Deborah, 01:57)
• Emphasis on Dignity:
  • Inspired by Deborah’s personal journey from a domestic violence survivor seeking aid, EBLB’s model centers on treating every family with compassion and respect.
    • “When I started my organization, I wanted to make sure that I treated people with dignity when they found the courage to seek help.” (Deborah, 03:00)
• Comprehensive Assistance:
  • EBLB provides pet food, connects families to other social services (dental care, housing, medical treatment), and strives to serve the “whole person.”
• Long-Term Stability:
  • Over 200 families transitioned off nonprofit/government assistance, with support toward self-sufficiency.
    • “Sometimes…people just need a little bit of a support system to get through a hard time and it’s not a long-term support.” (Deborah, 04:54)

3. Real-Life Successes and Challenges

• Personal Stories from the Front Lines:
  • Deborah shares harrowing and touching stories, including seniors forced to eat cat food because of unaffordability, and families recovering from trauma or war.
    • “Seniors who have lost loved ones who were eating cat food…until they walk through our doors because they can no longer afford food.” (Deborah, 07:25)
• Meeting Acute Needs:
  • Acknowledgment of skyrocketing living and medical costs and the razor-thin margin many families survive on.
    • “It costs so much to just exist right now. And I want the community to know that they have someone to catch them when they fall, even if it’s for a one-time support system or if they need something on a longer term.” (Deborah, 06:21)

4. The 4th Annual Feeding the Hands of Hunger Luncheon

• Event Details (09:10):
  • Date: April 22
  • Location: Boca West Country Club
  • VIP Reception: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM (includes jazz, mimosas, massages)
  • Luncheon: 12:00 PM–2:00 PM (featuring singer Adriana Foster, national anthem, family testimonies)
• Purpose & Goals:
  • A fundraiser to make up for lost food supply due to federal program cuts and expand services to meet surging community needs.
  • Inspiration: Deborah started EBLB with just $10 and "sweat equity,” now serving 200,000 people annually.
    • “To see how $10 turned into helping 200,000 people a year…” (Deborah, 10:15)
• How to Help:
  • Donate healthy food (canned chicken/tuna, oatmeal, peanut butter, tomato sauce, etc.)
  • Attend the luncheon or learn more at handsofhunger.org / eblb.org

5. Funding Challenges and Community Support

• Impact of Food Aid Cuts (11:44):
  • In October, EBLB received a 75% reduction in federal food deliveries, affecting over 1,100 households per month.
    • “This luncheon is a fundraiser that would also help us purchase more food to meet some of those needs as well.” (Deborah, 12:13)
• Call to Action:
  • Open invitation to donate, volunteer, or join the event, emphasizing the ripple impact collective action can have.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On dignity in service:
  • “It’s hard enough to ask for help in the first place.” (Deborah, 03:30)
• On self-sufficiency and empowerment:
  • “We really take a different approach because I know what it feels like to need support at a time when…you might never have had to ask for help before.” (Deborah, 05:04)
• On the organization’s ethos:
  • “These aren’t clients, these are our families.” (Deborah, 04:48)
• On turning pain to purpose:
  • “I really sit back and reflect on how blessed I am to have turned my pain into something that can truly cure other people’s pain.” (Deborah, 10:21)
• On why ‘Hands of Hunger’:
  • “We don’t share the faces of families, but hands tell a huge story.” (Deborah, 11:24)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:19 – Introduction to EBLB and grocery assistance program
• 01:40 – Role of nutrition education and access
• 02:36 – Deborah’s personal inspiration and focus on dignity
• 04:54 – Support for the “whole person” and helping families to self-sufficiency
• 07:20 – Personal stories: seniors, refugees, and families in crisis
• 09:10 – Luncheon event details and purpose
• 11:44 – Federal food aid cuts and urgent fundraising needs
• 12:45 – How listeners can support and contact information

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Resources & Get Involved

• Event & Organization Info:
  • handsofhunger.org (event/fundraising)
  • eblb.org (general info, volunteering, support)
• Food Donations Needed:
  • Healthy canned proteins, oatmeal, natural nut butters, marinara/tomato sauce
  • Drop off at EBLB facility, Delray Beach

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This powerful episode beautifully highlights Eat Better, Live Better’s commitment to fighting hunger holistically—with dignity, education, and deep community engagement—while inviting listeners to celebrate, contribute, and take action as the organization turns 10 years strong.

Transcript

[A]

Wow. I can't believe it's already 10 years of eat Better, Live Better, an organization that has been doing so much to fight hunger in our community. And right now I'm speaking with Deborah Tenridge. Thank you so much for joining the show today. You know, just thinking about the people who have maybe hearing about Eat Better, Live Better for the first time. Can you tell us about, you know, some of your programs and services?

[B]

10 years is a big deal. We do so much. We reach about 200,000 people a year through our different programs. Our core program is our grocery assistance program. And this one's really cool because we. We actually provide healthy groceries only. We don't give out foods with synthetic dyes, high fructose corn syrup, too much sugar or sodium. And why that's so important is because a lot of the families who walk through our doors have cancer or autoimmune disorders, or they might have high blood pressure or diabetes. And it's very hard for them to find a food pantry that provides majority of the food they can actually eat. And so we want to make sure that we feed the hunger and not feed the disease. And so providing healthy grocery access is really our priority. We complement that with our affordable farmers market, so we have the freshest produce that are available to our families that are in our program and actually also to the general public to have affordable opportunity to access healthy, fresh produce. We have seniors and families with children who come in and say they're finally eating fruits and vegetables on a regular basis because they can finally afford them.

[A]

You're definitely doing a lot of work here because, you know, people do want to eat healthier, but sometimes you go to the store and you can get a bag of chips for, you know, cheaper than you can get, like, one apple sometimes. So you're, like, really helping out here.

[B]

Yeah. And I appreciate you saying that, because beyond that, we also want people to learn how to eat better and live better. So we also do nutrition education. And I'm a full believer that education is our biggest equalizer, and that also expands nutrition education. But aside from nutrition education, you have to couple nutrition education with access, because you can learn how to eat better and live better, but if you don't know how to do that plus have the access to do so, what are you actually doing? And so we want to make sure through Eat Better, Live Better that people not only learn how to eat better and live better, but can also access foods to allow them to eat better and live better.

[A]

And I really want to point out something that you have been focusing on because you're not just providing food. You're focusing on dignity. You're focusing on education, empowerment. Why are these such important part of your approach to fighting hunger?

[B]

This is actually a personal reason. In 2012, I moved here leaving a domestic violence situation from Atlanta. And when I first moved here, I didn't have any clothes, I didn't have any money. And just me and my daughter and some nonprofits, they left a hand up. I got clothes from Dress for Success and they helped me with clothes for interview for me to get a job. Jewish family services help me with clothes and toys for my daughter. And a free clinic helped me with a safety plan. And you know, it took nonprofits who treated me in a dignified way to make sure that I had a hand up in a vulnerable time in my life. And so when I started my organization, I wanted to make sure that I treated people with dignity when they found the courage to seek help. And most people who come to get help, it's not because they're not trying. Most of our families are working or senior citizens on a fixed income that have worked their whole life. And so when they're seeking help, we want to make sure that they get a hand up in a very dignified way. Because it's hard enough to ask for help in the first place.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Especially when you're trying to. Especially when you don't want your children to feel like they're being fed by pantries or grocery bags look like real grocery bags. When parents take the groceries home, their kids don't have to know that their parents went to a pantry to get food. I want the whole family to feel dignified. And we're not just feeding the families, we are also feeding their pets. We make sure that the seniors can keep their furry companion and make sure that their pets are taken care of. So we actually provide pet food for their pets, also offer social services because when they walk through our doors, we want to make sure that we're servicing the whole person and the whole family. They might need help with free dental work, access to housing. They might need help getting medical treatment or navigating some of these really complicated systems. And we have the ability to help connect with those additional resources too. And so what our goal is, we've actually, we've actually transitioned over 200 families off of nonprofit and government health as well. Because sometimes, you know, people just need a little bit of a support system to get through a hard time and it's not a long term support. And so we really Want to take in the whole person, get to know each family that walks through our doors. And that's another big component is these aren't clients, these are our families. And we really take a different approach because I know what it feels like to need support at a time when, you know, I might never have had to ask for help before. They're a family, they're part of our eat better, live better family moving forward. And they should never feel uncomfortable asking us for help to get what they need to make sure that them and their families are in a better place.

[A]

So many families here are living right on the line. So it just takes that one moment to kind of just turn the world upside down and to have something like this, eat better, live better, where you're treating with dignity and you're not only just, you know, handing out food, but you're helping them get educated. You're getting them the resources that they need to, like you said, a hand up, you know, not a handout, a hand up. That way they can get back on their feet. I love that you're able to transition over 200 families off of assistance. That that is doing something.

[B]

Thank you and I appreciate that. And we've held probably close to 3,000 families and households with other social service needs. That got them into a more stable position too. But the truth of the matter is medical care is expensive. Have you priced cancer lately and trying to juggle that or not being able to go to work because of a medical crisis? Sometimes it just takes one week off work to not be able to pay your rent and that turns into a spiral effect, into just really flipping your world upside down. And right now people are being strangled financially. It costs so much to just exist right now. And I want the community to know that they have someone to catch them when they fall, even if it's for a one time support system or if they need something on a longer term. We built a foundation to be able to catch people when they fall. And we want people to know that they have someone that they can reach out to.

[A]

And this is amazing because like you just said, it started off from your situation. This is why you're involved in this. This is why you want to help other people. You were able to get through your situation with the help of the community and now you are, you're giving back in such a great way. You've been doing this for such a long time. What is one experience that you would say that kind of stood out to you of you, you know, helping someone else?

[B]

One of the things that sticks out to me is the trust that the families put in us. They tell us things that are extremely personal. You know, we hear things from, you know, seniors who have lost loved ones who were eating cat food. Oh, wow.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Until they walk through our doors because they can no longer afford food. And cat food was cheaper and more shelf stable. And, you know, to be in your 80s and be forced to treat yourself in that way and not be able to revive because you lost a spouse, that's so heartbreaking to being able to help furnish a home and feed families with children who are relocating after a domestic violence situation, or refugee families from Ukraine after their entire family had been killed in this war. We have situations across the board that they're all deeply personal and touching. It's so heartfelt when someone comes in and says, I need groceries. But, you know, I've been looking for a job. I put in hundreds of applications and I can't get a job right now or I can't get a job that would afford me child care and my rent at the same time. Right, right. And so when you're looking at someone who's, you know, getting offered a job and at $15 an hour, but you have to pay for childcare. Right. And your rent, it's very hard to try to figure out, is it. Is this job even able to support me and my family? And a lot of times the answer is no.

[A]

Right, Exactly. And so many families are going through that. And you know what? We want to help you in your mission because you are doing such an amazing job here in our county. You have the fourth annual Feeding the Hands of Hunger luncheon coming up. That is April 22nd, am I correct?

[B]

It is. It is. We're so excited to have the community come and celebrate our 10 year milestone with us. The cool part about this event is it's divided in half the between a VIP reception that everyone who buys a ticket can enjoy, which you would then be able to jazz mimosas and massages.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And then you come into our luncheon where Adriana Foster will sing. And she actually was on the Voice in Mexico, and she'll be singing the national anthem and a couple songs throughout the event. Her voice is to die for. She is an amazing singer. So people leave feeling so inspired after hearing her voice. They'll hear from families that we feed. They'll meet amazing people who care about the community, and they'll be walking down memory lane to see how I started this nonprofit with just clipboard and a lot of Sweat equity knocked on doors, showed up, was consistent, and built this from, you know, like, 10 bucks. You know, I really just.

[A]

You go, girl.

[B]

But to see, like, how $10 turned into helping 200,000 people a year.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I really sit back and reflect on how blessed I am to have turned my pain into something that can truly cure other people's pain and the amount of volunteers and people who support that as well. You know, I literally am beyond words when full of gratitude about how many people have just care so much about making people's lives better next to me and our volunteers and our team.

[A]

Absolutely. And we want to do the same. The event is going to be April 22nd. Where is it going to happen? We need those details as well.

[B]

Sure. So April 22nd, the VIP reception is 10 to 12. The lunch is 12 to 2, and it'll take place at the Boca West Country Club. And they do an amazing job with the event. The event details can be found on the website handsofhunger.org Again, that is handsofhunger.org Hands is plural and just fun fact. We call it hands of hunger because we're very protective of the privacy of our families. So we don't share the faces of families, but hands tell a huge story.

[A]

And we were also talking about this before we got on air, but you eat better, Live better was one of those organizations that were affected by the government cuts, right?

[B]

Yeah. So last October, we got a cut from the TFAT program, which is a federal program for food grants. So it's not money, but it's actually food we would get delivered to our office on a weekly basis. And 75% of that food was cut, which is actually cutting food for about 1125 households every month. And so this luncheon is a fundraiser that would also help us purchase more food to meet some of those needs as well and also meet the growing need of families walking through our doors. That is something that we're working on through this luncheon. And also we're running food drives. People can just drop off food as well. We're right now in need of canned chicken and tuna, oatmeal, peanut butter, marinara sauce, tomato sauce for. So all these different items that are just healthier quality. People can also just drop them off through our doors at our location, our facility here in Delray Beach.

[A]

Come out and contact Deborah one more time. What is your website?

[B]

The website for the luncheon is handsofhunger.org handsofhunger.org and if you just want to learn more about our nonprofit and get involved outside of the luncheon, you can visit ebl.org again. That's eblb.org and that stands for Eat Better, Live Better.