From “The Dude” in “The Big Lebowski,” to Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit,” Jeff Bridges has played several iconic characters over the span of his prolific career—but his greatest role isn’t on the big screen—it’s fighting hunger.
Upset that 46.2 million Americans live in poverty and 16.7 million kids don’t have enough to eat, Bridges founded the End Hunger Network in1983; an organization dedicated to resolving the U.S. child hunger problem.
In recognition of his philanthropic efforts, the AARP featured him on the cover of their August/September 2015 magazine, and held a luncheon in his honor in Beverly Hills.
Heather Newgen chats with Jeff Bridges. Photo courtesy of Scott Huver.
The Voluntourist was on hand at the event, and spoke to the Oscar winner about why he’s made this his cause.
“I have three girls—three children—and I can imagine not being able to feed my kids and how stressful that would be, and how detrimental that would be to my three creative daughters. They want to be doctors, scientists, and engineers and all this stuff, but the sad fact is if they don’t have that nutrition, they won’t be able to achieve their dreams,” he said.
“The Giver” star has been proactive about the problem on a global level, but explains why he shifted his attention to the U.S.
Beau Bridges jokes around at AARP luncheon honoring his brother Jeff Bridges. Photo courtesy of Scott Huver.
“I’ve been involved with the issue of hunger for about 30 years now. It started off to be international hunger with the famine in Ethiopia. Then about 20 years or so ago, America started to experience hunger here because a lot of programs that we’re keeping hunger at bay weren’t being fully supported,” he said. “I thought, rather than telling some other countries how to do it, we should take care of our own country first. I still am very interested in supporting international hunger issues, but I’m mainly focusing here.”
In addition to his own organization, the 64-year-old has been working with Share our Strength where he serves as the spokesperson for a campaign called “No Kid Hungry.”
“One of the things I’m most excited about is this texting program that “Share our Strength” has come up with. These kids who are in need get their nutrition in school, and when school is out, so is the source of their meals. So we’ve been going around from state to state working with governors and business leaders in different communities, letting them know there are summer meal programs that are available. There’s no questions asked and nothing to fill out. If families of the kids themselves text the word food to 877877, they can find out where these meals are being served in their area.”
The actor may have grown up living the rich and famous lifestyle with the unlimited privileges Hollywood has to offer someone with his resources, but he impressively remains unpretentious about his esteemed celebrity status, which he credits his family for.
“My parents first come to mind. I remember my dad back in the 60s reading a book for us, ‘The Family of Man.’ It was a book of photographs. It was basically human experiences all over the world. [He said], ‘How we live is quite rare’ and he said, ‘we’re a family and we’re all in this together.’ That’s kind of stuck with me.”
To join Bridges in fighting the hunger epidemic, check out End Hunger Network for ways to give back to your local community.