Emerson Fellow
Paige Milson
25th Class, 2018-2019
Paige grew up in Yorktown, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018 with a B.S. in public health, a certificate in environmental sustainability, a minor in geography, and a concentration in biostatistics and health informatics. Most recently, she worked at Foundation Communities, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing and services to low-income residents of Austin, Texas. She served as an Americorps VISTA at the Central Texas Food Bank where she enjoyed growing food for her community and developing a gardening education curriculum for children. Paige interned at the Texas Department of State Health Services where she mapped a pilot program to improve access to HIV testing, and she has also worked with Innovations for Peace and Development on projects related to agricultural productivity and malnutrition in developing countries. She has had the honor of being engaged in her community through her volunteer work at food pantries, the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and through her Alternative Breaks trip where she co-directed a video about East Austin youth and gentrification.
Field placement: Community Food Bank of Central Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Paige completed her field placement with the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama where she was responsible for coordinating the food bank's first region-wide, comprehensive study of food pantry clients. Paige led a team of volunteers to interview 200 people at food pantries throughout the food bank's service area using a survey she created with questions about various topics including food insecurity and health status. Paige's findings and analysis of the data provided the food bank with a clearer vision of the population they serve and will strengthen advocacy efforts as well as food bank programs. In addition, Paige assisted with operations of the Corner Market, a mobile grocery store that provides healthy food to areas that lack brick and mortar grocery stores.
Policy placement: Center for Native American Youth
Hunger Free Community Report
"Hunger in Central Alabama: a comprehensive profile of people receiving food assistance" is a set of materials used to illustrate the results of the Hunger Study conducted by the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. These will be shared with a variety of stakeholders to advance the mission of ending hunger.