239 | Combating the Hunger Epidemic By Democratizing Wellness with Samantha Pantazopoulos
Welcome to episode 239 of The Optimal Body Podcast
Combating the Hunger Epidemic By Democratizing Wellness with Samantha Pantazopoulos
The hunger epidemic in the United States is a real issue. We have Samantha Pantazopoulos on to discuss why people in the US are going hungry, available resources for navigating the hunger epidemic, and the impact of food banks. Samantha discusses how you can reduce food waste in relation to expiration dates and ger top hacks in preventing foods from going bad. Furthermore, she explains the idea of food deserts through an equity lens. Offering a solution, Samantha dives into the Vizer app, their mission, and how the Fall Hunger Challenge is set to help this epidemic while benefiting your health. Let’s learn more with Samantha!
Join the Fighting Fall Hunger Challenge. It is a 2-week challenge from the September 15th to September 30th. With prizes to offer in this challenge, the rules are as follows: Donate 10 meals within the challenge dates to be entered to win a prize from Olipop.
Instructions on how to join:
1. Download Vizer and create an account.
2. Navigate to the home page of the app.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen, and you’ll see a button named “Join A Team“.
4. Tap that button, enter the challenge code FFH2022, then click “Submit”.
5. Once that’s done, they have officially joined. They will see a confirmation message on the screen saying “Congrats! You’ve joined Fighting Fall Hunger Challenge”.
What You Will Learn In This Interview with Samantha Pantazopoulos
3:17 – Why are people in the US going hungry?
5:15 – Resources for navigating the hunger epidemic
8:21 – The impact of food banks
10:48 – Expiration date
13:31 – Hacks to prevent things from going bad
16:13- Food deserts and equity
20;23 – What is the Vizer App?
23:55 – Rescuing food & how it’s distributed
26:48 – What does it mean to democratize “wellness”
30:12 – Community & Vizer App
33:31 – Fighting Fall Hunger Challenge
About Samantha Pantazopoulos
Sam has started (and stopped) more exercise routines than she can count.
While studying abroad on Semester at Sea, it was no different. Only this time, as she struggled with unhealthy habits, she was armed with a new perspective.
She was learning about social innovation and how business can be used as a tool to sustain social good. The potential blew her away, and she set out to build a tool that would make healthful living more accessible for all members of our community.
Sam is a brand strategist and connector of people and ideas. She started her first business at 8 years old, and in 2017, graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA).
She is a multi-time social entrepreneurship award winner and was named the Rising Star Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2019 Women’s Venture Summit.
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