Above: A 4×4 navigates a difficult patch of muddy road. The quality of roads, and challenges of transportation, can be explained to distant staff in a meeting or report; but that explanation might mean relatively little compared to actually navigating … Read more
Join Us for The State of U.S. Hunger 2023
A briefing featuring field work presentations from the 29th Class of Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows, will be held online on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 from 10:00 a.m EST to 3:00 p.m EST. This is a great opportunity to learn … Read more
Investigating the Enabling Environment of Food Security in Ethiopia
Above: Natalie Volin, 11th Class Leland Fellow. Over the past year at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), I have worked on the evaluation and learning activities of the Strengthen Productive Safety Net Program Institutions and Resilience Development Food Security Activity, … Read more
The Right to Seed: Food Sovereignty and Indigenous Autonomy
A parent carrying their infant inspects their machamba (farm) in Chemba district, Mozambique. 📸: Onyịnye Alheri, placed with the UN World Food Programme in Mozambique. Seeds are life. For as long as humans have cultivated crops, we have freely saved, stored, … Read more
Finding the Community Connection: Breakfast After the Bell in Massachusetts
Above: Nathan Garcia, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. Sometimes a problem can feel so large that it’s hard to know how to start solving it. We learn that millions of people across the United States are food insecure, that poverty and racism … Read more
Reclaiming Self-Sufficiency for Black Farmers: Co-Creating Policy Solutions with Lived Experience in Kentucky
Above: Amira Iwuala (left) and Morgan McKinney, 28th Class Emerson Fellows. Born and raised in Boston, I have unfortunately been blinded to the realities that Black farmers have faced in the U.S. Accustomed to urban poverty and food insecurity due to my … Read more
No One Develops Equitable Policies Alone: Researching Senior Hunger in Washington, D.C.
Above: Fleurian Filkins, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. When I first learned that I would be working with the DC Office of Planning Food Policy Division and DC Food Policy Council for my field placement, I was excited and nervous. For … Read more
Emerson Fellows Present A Snapshot of Hunger in Online Briefing
On Thursday, February 17, the 28th Class of Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows presented findings from their field placements in a briefing entitled “A Snapshot of Hunger in America.” Presentations showcased innovative strategies and approaches for ending hunger at the … Read more
Recognizing an Overlooked Population: CalFresh Outreach at UC Irvine
Above: Michelle Fausto (left), 28th Class Emerson Fellow, with Sandra Cuyuch, CalFresh Manager at the FRESH Basic Needs Hub. The day that field placements were announced, I remember opening my email to see “University of California Irvine – FRESH Basic … Read more
RSVP for “A Snapshot of Hunger in America”
“A Snapshot of Hunger in America: Lessons Learned from Emerging Anti-Hunger Leaders in the Field,” a briefing featuring field work presentations from the 28th Class of Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows, will be held online on Thursday, February 17, 2022 … Read more
Centering the Human Experience: Creating a Storytelling Program in Cortland County, New York
Above: Elaine Zhang, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. As a California native, I have witnessed devastating droughts that lasted for years and raging wildfires that have increased in severity and frequency–scenes that are manifestations of climate change. In California there is … Read more
Assessing Community Needs: Food and Gardening School Programs in Washington, D.C.
Above: Robbie Economou, 28th Class Emerson Fellow. I’ve learned an essential lesson about nonprofits from Alex Boyd, my supervisor at Kid Power, Inc.: “Sometimes you’re so busy doing the work,” he says, “that you don’t have the time to think … Read more