James Beard Foundation Celebrates Senator Luján as 2026 Impact Award Honoree for National Leadership on Nutrition Programs

Recognizing visionary changemakers leading the way toward a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system- Senator Ben Ray Luján, CHIRLA, Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, ReFED, and Southern Smoke Foundation

© Photographer for James Beard Foundation, Max Flatow

Washington, D.C. - The James Beard Foundation® celebrated U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and four other honorees of the 2026 James Beard Impact Awards at a luncheon in Chicago on Sunday, June 14. The event honored five changemakers from across the country whose work is helping to build a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system. Through advocacy, policy, innovation, and direct community support, this year's honorees are advancing meaningful change for producers, workers, and consumers alike.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Senator Ben Ray Luján'swork is driven by the belief that in a country with the abundance of the United States, hunger is a policy decision. Senator Luján has fought to protect and strengthen SNAP-the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation. He has also fought to ensure that the farmers, ranchers, and producers who make up our agricultural sector and the farmworkers, grocery store workers, packers, shippers, and processors who ensure our food system operates have the resources and support they need to thrive. SenatorLuján is committed to tackling climate change and protecting New Mexico's land, water, and air. He has long advocated for acequias and traditional lands, securing resources to preserve these natural resources and cultural traditions.

"I was deeply honored to receive the Impact Award from the James Beard Foundation, and I am grateful for the work they do for our communities," said U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico. "My work to protect and improve federal nutrition programs is driven by the advocates back home in New Mexico who fight hunger in our communities every day. To these advocates in New Mexico and across the country, thank you for informing and strengthening my work in Congress. In a country as abundant as the United States, allowing our neighbors to go hungry is a policy choice, not an inevitability. I look forward to continuing this fight and working to ensure that no family in America goes hungry."

© Photographer for James Beard Foundation, Max Flatow

"We are thrilled to celebrate the 2026 Impact Award honorees! Five visionary leaders who recognize that food has the power to transform lives, not only at the table, but across our health, communities, economy, and planet," said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. "From supporting immigrant workers in moments of crisis to expanding mental health access, reducing food waste, and fighting to ensure no one goes hungry-they represent the kind of visionary, compassionate leadership our food system desperately needs right now. It is an honor to celebrate their extraordinary impact."

"Our food system is a direct reflection of our collective values-from environmental health and the dignity of labor to equity within our communities," said Mary Sue Milliken, Impact Awards Chair. "This year's honorees are tackling these complex challenges with creativity and determination. By expanding opportunity and strengthening support systems, their leadership is actively building a more just and resilient food future."

The 2026 Impact Award honorees also include:

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights(CHIRLA)

Founded in 1986, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) has become one of the largest and most effective organizations in California advocating for immigrant rights. For 40 years, CHIRLA's approach has centered on organizing directly impacted families, communities, and coalitions around local, state, and national campaigns to advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants. Today, CHIRLA serves over 450,000 immigrants annually through its programs and services, including community education and outreach, organizing, workers' rights and labor legal services, climate justice work, and policy and advocacy. This work also includes providing legal resources such as citizenship and DACA services, leading the Los Angeles Raids Rapid Response Network to defend families impacted by raids, and providing direct assistance, such as the California Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants Program and Los Angeles wildfire recovery resources, to support low-income immigrant workers and families.

"CHIRLA is deeply honored and humbled to receive the Impact Award from the James Beard Foundation. This recognition affirms the values that guide our work every day: the belief that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and the chance to thrive, regardless of the country they come from or the language they speak. It encourages us to continue advocating for a more just, humane, and equitable world where dreams are not limited by immigration status or background but are as achievable for our communities as they are for anyone else. We value our partnership with the James Beard Foundation and salute its ongoing service to our nation, its commitment to equity, and its leadership in uplifting the people and communities who enrich our collective future," statedAngelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation

Since 2006, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has worked to break the cycle of hunger, poverty, and homelessness. To date, the JBJ Soul Foundation has helped provide support for almost 1,000 units of affordable and supportive housing in 12 states for thousands of people, including youth and veterans. In 2011, Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea Bongiovi, expanded their mission by founding JBJ Soul Kitchen, a nonprofit, pay-it-forward restaurant that has served over 234,000 healthy, three-course meals across its four New Jersey locations. JBJ Soul Kitchen offers more than just a meal-it fosters meaningful connections with guests through community outreach, including job training, resume support, employment assistance, partnerships with local mental health providers, and access to housing resources.

"We are honored and humbled to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation with this Impact Award. We salute all our fellow recipients as well as all of those who work in the culinary industry. We are grateful for this recognition, but the true reward is the work," said Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi.

ReFED

ReFED is a nonprofit field catalyst building a movement to solve food waste and create a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system. Implementing the data-driven solutions ReFED has modeled has the potential to unlock nearly $60 billion in net financial benefit while diverting 20 million tons of food from going to waste every year. ReFED's comprehensive Insights Engine helps restaurant and foodservice operators identify and solve their food waste footprint, not only improving the bottom line, but engaging and empowering staff, strengthening workplace culture, and allowing workers to participate in meaningful change. As a field catalyst, ReFED has unlocked more than $215Mthrough its unique suite of programs, including the Catalytic Grant Fund that supports scalable solutions to food waste.

"Chefs and restaurants set the tone of our food culture-they are the sexy megaphone we need to educate and motivate consumers to reduce food waste," says Dana Gunders, president of ReFED. "We're so honored by this award because it shows that this high-impact community is eager to collaborate on a problem that in many ways has always been core to the culinary world."

Southern Smoke Foundation

Founded in 2017 by James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and executive director Lindsey Brown, Southern Smoke Foundation provides access to no-cost mental health services through its program, Behind You, and emergency relief funding to food and beverage (F&B) workers nationwide. This includes restaurant, bar, and cafe workers; farmers and ranchers; winemakers, distillers, and brewers; and anyone in the industry faced with financial hardship because of a medical emergency, accident, natural disaster, or other unforeseen incident. To date, Southern Smoke Foundation has granted more than $16 million to F&B workers nationwide and provided access to more than 10,000 no-cost counseling sessions to F and B workers in 12 states and Washington, D.C.

"It's an honor to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation alongside these incredible nonprofits that inspire us," said Lindsey Brown, executive director of Southern Smoke Foundation. "Our team is dedicated to providing a safety net for the food and beverage industry via our Emergency Relief Fund and Behind You mental health program,and creating a healthier, more sustainable foundation for the amazing folks who feed and care for us daily. Our passion for this community shines through in everything we do!

We're so grateful for this recognition from JBF, which will only help us grow our reach and support even more F&B workers nationwide

Award nominations come from a public open call for recommendations, from an Impact Awards Advisory Council constituted of experts in the food system space and sectors adjacent to the restaurant industry, and from the Foundation's trustees. Honorees are then chosen by the Impact Committee.

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