“Mission-led” isn’t a phrase you typically associate with national retailers. But at our special June Nobody Cares event—renamed Seat at the Table: A Conversation on Food Access & Community for the occasion—Dollar General’s VP of Food & Fresh, Allen Warch, made it clear that purpose drives everything they do.
“Our mission is to serve others,” Allen began. “It’s in pretty much every aspect of our company, and it has to be in order to make real, sustainable change.”
Joining Allen were two voices bringing personal perspective to the conversation: Chef Tiara Bennett, owner of The Pastry Box, the first Black-owned bakery on her East Village block, who’s redefining what it means to offer affordable indulgence and radical hospitality.
And our final panelist was the soft spoken, yet highly impactful Michael C. Platt, a 19-year-old food justice advocate, nonprofit founder, and cookbook author, who’s using a 1-for-1 model in which he donates a dessert to someone in need for every one he sells, and peer-to-peer education to rethink how food access shows up in everyday life.
Together, they dove into their own lived experiences, offered insight into the issues from both a business and personal perspective, and gave a powerful reminder: real change starts in our neighborhoods, our kitchens, and our communities. Here are our biggest takeaways from the event:
Photo by Food52
1. Food Insecurity is Deeply Personal—and Systemic
Each panelist had their own experience with food access and insecurity that informed their own approach to it in later life. “Growing up, I was usually the friend who didn’t have enough for a snack after school,” Tiara said, “That’s why we have our $2 cookies. I’m probably never going to raise the price.”
Allen grew up in Baltimore, where fresh produce was a luxury his family couldn’t afford. “My mom was raising me and my brother by herself, and we didn’t have a lot. We didn’t have produce in the fridge,” he shared. Later, working as a grocery store cashier, he remembered the look in a customer’s eyes as they were forced to return half their groceries—an experience that stayed with him, and now shapes how he thinks about access and dignity.
It’s not just about economics. It’s dignity, opportunity, and lived experience balled up into one.
2. Dignity Must Be Built Into Every Solution
Speaking of dignity, each panelist noted how vital it is to treat people with respect, no matter their situation. “When I give away cupcakes, I don’t choose someone because I think they look hungry or in need. I just chose them because they were sitting in the park,” said Michael. “I just want to feed people, and have them not go hungry.”
And Tiara still carries a lesson she learned in culinary school: always afford the dishwasher and the executive chef equal levels of respect. It’s a principle she’s baked into her business. “You treat the customer who’s spending $2 and the one spending $1,000 the same. Everyone gets welcomed the same.”
For Allen, dignity now comes in the form of budget-friendly options—enabling greater variety in customers’ baskets, including nutritious foods such as assorted dairy items, frozen vegetables proteins, canned fruits, grains and more, without having to make trade-offs at the register. Dollar General also offers approximately 2,000 items to fit customers’ needs at just $1 or less, including personal care, over-the-counter medications and more.
Photo by Food52
3. Access Starts With Proximity and Trust
Access isn’t just about proximity—it’s about trust. You can’t benefit from food that isn’t there, and you won’t reach for help if you don’t believe it’s being offered in good faith. As Allen pointed out, Dollar General now operates over 20,000 stores across the U.S., and with more than 6,700 of those stores offering fresh fruits and vegetables, it’s the nation’s largest retailer for produce per points of distribution. Many of Dollar General’s stores are located in food deserts, aiming to meet people where they are—literally.
But meaningful access goes beyond storefronts. It requires deep connection with the communities being served. “We donate to the local food pantry and churches weekly,” Tiara said. “The lines are getting longer and longer. So we just try to do our part and be present in our community.”
Allen echoed Tiara’s initiative, sharing that DG’s operational partnership with Feeding America includes in-kind donations from stores and distribution centers across the country, creating access for those who need it most.
4. You Just Need to Start
One of the most resonant themes of the night: giving back doesn’t require a grand gesture—just a first step. “You don’t have to have everything to give something,” Michael said. “People think they don’t have anything to offer—but they do. Even if it’s your time.”
Erika and Tiara echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that real change often starts close to home. Whether it’s checking in on an elderly neighbor, dropping off a pantry donation, or simply asking how you can help, small, intentional actions—done consistently—add up.
Photo by Food52
5. Representation and Storytelling Matter
Representation isn’t just symbolic—it shapes who feels seen, heard, and empowered to act.
When asked how he engages his peers, Michael offered a powerful insight: “You have your own idea, then you talk about it to people who care about your ideas, and care about you. Over time, they start to care.”
For Tiara, representation shows up in the everyday moments at her East Village bakery: “When younger kids come in and say, ‘You’re the shop owner, right?’ and I say, ‘Yeah,’ they say, ‘That’s dope.’ And I say, ‘Yeah it is.’”
Our panelists reminded us that who’s at the table changes the conversation—and when that table includes young leaders, diverse entrepreneurs, and community-rooted voices, the solutions get smarter, more inclusive, and more human.
