Stars of 'The Bear' help fight summer food insecurity
Cast members went to three food banks to raise awareness in the summer months.
In celebration of the second season of the hit series "The Bear," several cast members teamed up with Disney and Feeding America to make special visits to partner food banks in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, where they could provide nutritious food to families in need.
Fans of the series who have a deep knowledge and appreciation of food at a professional level have related to "The Bear" and hailed its creators for their unique and poignant representation of restaurants and the hospitality industry.
From stunning dishes by the fictitious Michelin-starred chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, to trials and tribulations inside the walls of a working kitchen, the show has given real-life chefs and diners alike a chance to see food in a new light.
Four of the series' stars -- Liza Colón-Zayas, who plays sous chef Tina; Lionel Boyce, who plays the pastry chef Marcus; Chris Witaske, who plays Pete; and Corey Hendrix, who plays Gary -- joined up with Disney and Feeding America to help raise awareness about the increased need for children and families to gain access to nutritious foods during the vulnerable summer months when kids are out of school.
According to Feeding America, 49 million individuals turned to food banks and community programs for help putting food on the table in 2022, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when unemployment and food insecurity soared. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that 13.5 million households overall were food insecure at some time during the year in 2021. Among households with children under the age of 18, 4.6 million reported being food insecure at some point during that same year.
Zayaz, who grew up in the projects of the Bronx told "GMA" that despite their parents best efforts to work to feed five kids, "it wasn't enough" which is why food banks are so vital.
"Sometimes we had to go to the community center to get our staples just to get through or rely on family members. And during the summers, if I wasn't in some kind of summer program, that's often where during the day I would get healthy snacks or juices," Zayas said. "These things matter, it makes all the difference. So I'm so grateful for all of you who are supporting programs like that, we need them."
Hendrix, a Chicago-native, said he thinks this donation will "bring some balance to families during the summer, school is out, parents are still working so the kids need these meals."
Boyce checked in from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank alongside Witaske and said this moment is the cherry on top for "The Bear" being able to help those in need of food assistance.
"I grew up in Inglewood, it's a bit of a food desert over there, so the fact that we're able to provide an alternative to fast food with nutritious meals, it's awesome to see," Boyce said.
Witaske added that "being able to come down and really see [the charitable operation] first-hand is really amazing."
For over 10 years, Disney -- the parent company of FX and Hulu -- has teamed up with Feeding America in its effort to end hunger in the United States, and to date, it has provided millions of meals to children and families in need of support.
This year, Disney will donate approximately 450,000 meals across three major food banks: Food Bank For New York City, The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, and Greater Chicago Food Depository.
If you need help or are able to provide help, please visit FeedingAmerica.org/Disney to learn more.
All episodes of FX's "The Bear" are streaming exclusively on Hulu now.
Disney is the parent company of Hulu, FX, ABC News and "Good Morning America."