Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins Brings a Personal Mission to the National Fight Against Childhood Hunger
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Standing in Washington, D.C., and looking directly into the camera, Alyia Gaskins didn’t speak as a politician first — she spoke as a daughter, a granddaughter, and someone who knows firsthand what it means to grow up with food insecurity.
In a newly released social media video filmed at the Share Our Strengths Summer Nutrition Summit, Gaskins shared a deeply personal story that has quietly shaped her public service journey. Raised by a mother who worked multiple jobs, Gaskins recalled how, despite tireless effort, there were many days when food was scarce.
“There were many nights where, if it wasn’t for my grandma,” she said, “we probably wouldn’t have had anything at all.”
That lived experience now fuels her newest national leadership role: Gaskins has been elected Vice Chair of the Mayors Alliance to End Hunger, a coalition convened by Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign.
From Alexandria to a National Table
As vice chair, Gaskins will work alongside the Alliance’s president, Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, and more than 550 mayors from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Together, they are focused on identifying solutions that ensure children — particularly during summer months when school meals disappear — have reliable access to nutritious food.
For Gaskins, the work is not abstract policy. It is personal.
“We are seeing so many in our communities struggling to make ends meet,” she said, drawing a clear line between today’s families and her own childhood. “Just like my mom did when I was a little girl.”
The timing is critical. Across the country, rising food costs, housing pressures, and gaps in federal nutrition programs have left many families vulnerable — especially children. Summer nutrition programs are a key battleground, as millions of students lose access to free or reduced-price meals once school ends.
Gaskins emphasized collaboration over quick fixes, saying she looks forward to learning from other cities and hearing new ideas — not just sharing Alexandria’s successes, but helping shape national strategies that can be adapted locally.
Her message was both hopeful and direct: this is work that requires mayors, communities, and families pulling together.
“Together,” she said, “we can make sure that everyone has the nutrition they need to thrive.”
