The Congressional Hunger Center had the honor of recognizing four distinguished leaders in the fight against global and domestic hunger at the 11th Annual Hunger Leadership Awards on June 13, 2017 at the Madison Building of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Attendees from the government, philanthropy, business, and non-profit sectors, as well as current Fellows and alumni from the Emerson and Leland Hunger Fellowship programs, were on hand to recognize the achievements of our Congressional and alumni awardees.
Shannon Maynard
The theme of this year’s awards ceremony was Building Bridges to a Hunger-Free World. Executive Director Shannon Maynard’s opening remarks recalled the fruitful bipartisan collaboration between Rep. Bill Emerson and Rep. Mickey Leland, the namesakes of our Fellowship programs. “Today, more than ever, we need bridge builders, like tonight’s honorees,” said Maynard; “leaders who are capable of challenging the status quo empathetically, setting aside differences where there’s progress to be made and casting a vision of what a huger free world can look like.”
Receiving the Bill Emerson and Mickey Leland Hunger Leadership Award were:
- Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA)
- Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ)
In their remarks both Members of Congress highlighted the importance of working across the aisle to tackle the challenges of domestic and global hunger.
 Rep. Bobby Scott |
“The work we do in congress should be judged, as they say, by what we do for the least of these” |
“The Global Food Security Act is a blueprint, it is totally bipartisan, and it is law, and now we have to make sure it is implemented.” |
 Rep. Chris Smith |
Receiving the Congressional Hunger Center Alumni Leadership Awards were:
- Shana McDavis Conway, Program Manager, UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute and 10th Class Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow alumna
- Emily Wei, Deputy Director for Policy Development at Catholic Relief Services and 5th Class Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellow alumna
 Shana McDavis Conway |
“I’m still pulling from the lessons I learned as a fellow…about focusing on seeking justice and not seeking gratitude from our clients, and trying to widen our horizons and build relationships with new people.” |
“I am heartened knowing that, despite the great challenge before us, my fellow Leland alumni each have an essential role in our fight” |
 Emily Wei |
Despite the extraordinary work of our awardees, there is still much to be done. Across the world, famine has been declared in South Sudan and threatens to break out in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Yemen. In the United States, the President’s budget request reduces or eliminates funding for SNAP and many other programs (including the Emerson and Leland Hunger Fellowships) that are working to break the cycle of poverty and alleviate hunger domestically.
Rep. James P McGovern
Now is the time to follow the example of our honorees, bridging our differences and dedicating ourselves to the common goal of eradicating hunger. As Board Chair Rep. James P. McGovern said in his remarks, invoking Senator George McGovern: “You don’t have to agree on everything to agree on something, and [for] the something we agree on, we ought to come together and move.”
If you agree with us—that food insecurity is a problem we can and must solve—you can join the Congressional Hunger Center on its mission to end hunger by 2030. There are many ways to get involved. Here are just a few:
- Make a recurring or one-time donation
- Apply to become an Emerson or Leland Hunger Fellow
- Find out how to host an Emerson or Leland Fellow at your organization
- Sign up for our Mailing List and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook
 8th Class Leland Hunger Fellows Carlo Abuyuan and Michelle DeFreese |
 21st Class Emerson alum David Blount with 23rd Class Emerson Fellow Sakeenah Shabazz |
Our sincere thanks to the following sponsors for their generous support of the 2017 Hunger Leadership Awards:
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Full List of Sponsors:
Seeder
Cultivator
Sower
- AARP
- Archer Daniels Midland Company
- Kellogg Company
- Kraft Heinz Company
Plower
- Amazon
- American Beverage Association
- Cargill Inc.
- The Hill
- The Kroger Company
- Nestlé
- Sazerac
Planter
- Abbott
- Albertsons Companies Foundation
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Biotechnology Innovation Organization
- Coca-Cola Company
- Elanco Animal Health
- Food Marketing Institute
- Grocery Manufacturers Association
- Mars, Inc.
- The Sugar Association, Inc.
- Victory Wholesale Group
- World Food Program USA
Friend of the Center
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Individual, Young Professional, and Alumni Sponsors
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* indicates alumnus/a of the Bill Emerson National or Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Programs
Proceeds from the Awards Ceremony provide critical support for our flagship Emerson and Leland Fellowship programs, which train and mentor leaders through hands-on work both in community-based and in policy-focused organizations throughout the U.S., Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
