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 Nicole Alvarado
Field Placement: Farm to Table (Santa Fe, NM)
Nicole worked with communities in southern New Mexico to continue a three year community food security assessment, "Closing New Mexico's Food Gap." Through the collection of qualitative data and extensive food source mapping, she documented the potential "gaps" between people and food. Nicole presented the project to community leaders with the goal of improving every New Mexican's access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally significant foods.
Hunger Free Community Report: Closing New Mexico's Food Gap describes options for increasing access to affordable and nutritious foods in rural and underserved areas of New Mexico, and promotes grocery stores as a means of economic development.
Policy Placement: Volunteers of America (Alexandria, VA)
Nicole researched the impact of homelessness on the health, education, and developmental outcomes of children. She also used the data she collected to create educational outreach materials for VOA and its advocacy partners.
Education and Experience: Nicole is a 2006 graduate of Humboldt State University, with a degree in Human Communication and a minor in Leadership Studies. She was student body president, the official representative of the HSU student body to campus administrators, the local community, and the State of California. Nicole was also appointed to the City of Arcata's Homeless Task Force in 2004; in this capacity she worked with community members to create a 10 year affordable housing plan for the residents of Arcata.
 Eric Ares
Field Placement: Atlanta Community Food Bank (Atlanta, GA)
Eric helped assist and educate low to moderate-income families about tax credits for working families and other benefits. Specifically, Eric worked to increase awareness, accessibility, and participation in the Food Stamp and Earned Income Tax Credit programs in Atlanta. He collaborated with various community partners to create an EITC/Asset Development community coalition, promoted the Advance EITC among local business, and conducted multi-benefit pilot programs in two Atlanta communities.
Hunger Free Community Report: Food Security within Immigrant Communities in Georgia illustrates the challenges immigrants face in accessing emergency food and provides recommendations for Food Bank outreach to growing immigrant populations in Georgia.
Policy Placement: National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (Washington, D.C.)
Eric’s projects focused on homeless people’s access to food and nutrition. He analyzed federal policies to improve access to food stamps, wrote a white paper on food insecurity within the homeless community, and updated and disseminated NLCHP materials on food programs for the homeless. Eric also contributed to a cross-program report on best practices to alleviate homelessness, and collaborated with staff on a report about homelessness 20 years after the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
Education and Experience: Originally from Los Angeles, Eric graduated from Boston College in 2005 with a degree in History and Theology. Eric has worked with the Global Justice Project and with the Haley House, a social service center that fights hunger and homelessness in Boston. While studying abroad in El Salvador, he interned at a child development center and a soy cooperative project. After graduating, Eric moved to Colorado where he managed the homeless outreach program at a community health clinic and worked as an overnight coordinator for a transitional housing shelter program.
 Nikita Barai
Field Placement: Food & Friends (Washington, D.C.)
Food & Friends is an organization that provides medical nutrition therapy, meals, and groceries to people living with life-challenging illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. Nikita conducted a pilot study, making 60+ home visits, to document how Food & Friends' services affect the lives of its critically ill clients. She also assisted in developing a comprehensive community resource guide to help clients meet additional needs, such as assistance with housing and health care.
Hunger Free Community Report: When Medicine Isn't Enough: The Benefits of Providing Nutrition Support to People Living with a Life-Challenging Illness documents the pilot study evaluating health outcomes of critically ill patients who receive comprehensive nutrition services. The report shows positive outcomes in the areas of health and symptom management, quality of life, food intake and knowledge of nutrition, and weight stabilization and body composition.
Policy Placement: Families USA (Washington, D.C.)
As part of the Health Policy team, Nikita focused on private insurance market reforms at the state and federal levels. She also looked at recent changes in long-term care policy under Medicaid, the areas of cost-savings in healthcare, and medical debt.
Education and Experience: Nikita graduated with honors from Cornell University in 2006 with a degree in Urban and Regional Studies. At Cornell, she became a certified Emergency Medical Technician, tutored low-income high school students for the SAT, studied in Washington, D.C. and Rome, and wrote an honors thesis on low-income women's access to social services in drug treatment. Originally from Munster, Indiana, Nikita has worked with Museum Campus Chicago, the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program, the Office of Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, the Neonatology Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Chicago area HIV clinic.
 David Coffman
Field Site: Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans (New Orleans, LA)
David created a disaster preparedness manual to help the Food Bank in its ongoing efforts to transition from disaster relief to disaster recovery. Using GIS technology, David mapped out the emergency food distribution agencies in the food bank's 23 parish service area before and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He also worked to recruit new food bank member agencies in order to begin the process of rebuilding the emergency food network.
Hunger Free Community Report: just don't forget about us: The Story of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and their impact on SHFB chronicles the impact of the 2006 storms on the Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and Acadiana, assesses the current need based on population levels and the prevalence of service networks, and includes personal stories from hurricane survivors and emergency food providers.
Policy Site: The National Coalition for the Homeless (Washington, D.C.)
David chronicled hate crimes and civil rights abuses against the homeless as part of the National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project. He helped prepare an interim report on the "20 Meanest Cities," aimed at educating the public about hate crimes. David also worked on the "You Don't Need a Home to Vote" homeless voters’ rights campaign.
Education and Experience: David has a B.A. in Sustainable Development from Kentucky's Berea College where he served as a Bonner Scholar for four years. His extensive service included leading fellow students through service activities and providing training on poverty and hunger issues in the U.S. For his senior capstone project he studied sustainable communities and race relations in Brasil.
 Anyu Fang
Field Placement: California Association of Food Banks and the Sacramento Hunger Commission (Sacramento, CA)
Anyu completed several Food Stamp outreach projects: he created an online strategy guide for outreach workers, wrote the user manual for CAFB's Food Stamp Application and Screening Tool (F.A.S.T), negotiated with counties to implement F.A.S.T., and developed food stamp outreach recommendations for Sacramento County.
Hunger Free Community Report: www.MyFoodStamps.org: A United Outreach Effort in California is a web-based resource for outreach workers, food assistance advocates, and potential food stamp clients in California that includes a comprehensive guide to the food stamp program created in conjunction with Legal Services of Northern California.
Policy Placement: National Immigration Law Center (Washington, D.C.)
Anyu analyzed the rules and practices governing immigrant food stamp participation nationwide to identify barriers to participation. He produced a report focusing on legal immigrants who remain subject to the 5-year participation ban instituted by the 2002 Farm Bill. Anyu also wrote in-depth profiles and stories of food-insecure immigrant families and supported NILC's research on immigrant eligibility issues in other public benefit programs.
Education and Experience: A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Chicago, Anyu majored in Economics and studied in the University's anthropology and political science programs in South Africa and France. He raised awareness about food and housing insecurity through community service with the Giving Tree, and led a coalition of organizations focused on the Darfur genocide. Anyu has interned with Congressman Gregory Meeks, Amnesty International, and the Department of Housing of Fairfax County, Virginia where he analyzed public housing regulations.
 Kaitlin Gravitt
Field Placement: Atlanta Community Food Bank (Atlanta, GA)
Kaitlin worked to increase awareness, accessibility, and participation in the Food Stamp and Earned Income Tax Credit programs in Atlanta. She worked with community partners to create an asset development/EITC and Food Stamp outreach manual and conducted a pilot program for EITC and Food Stamp outreach through multi-benefit screening by organizing collaborative networks in two low-income Atlanta communities.
Hunger Free Community Report: Food Security within Immigrant Communities in Georgia illustrates the challenges immigrants face in accessing emergency food and provides recommendations for Food Bank outreach to the growing immigrant population in Georgia.
Policy Placement: Center for Community Change (Washington, D.C.)
Kaitlin worked with the low-wage worker division to research, develop, and organize a campaign aimed at improving the wages and working conditions of poultry workers in the South. Kaitlin also provided legislative analysis to staff and grassroots organizations on immigration reform and on the impact of telecommunications legislation on Native American communities.
Education and Experience: Kaitlin graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 2005, with a double major in Women's Studies and Psychology. She spent a semester in Italy, studied Spanish in Guatemala, and researched gendered violence in the Rwandan genocide and Darfur. Kaitlin has also worked for the Los Angeles Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and for a civil rights law firm.
 Toni Holness
Field Placement: Medical Legal Partnership for Children, Boston Medical Center (Boston, MA)
Toni joined a team of lawyers and advocates to promote preventive law in the clinical setting and to address the social and environmental factors that affect child health. Toni carried a caseload of clients seen at MLPC's Food Stamp Clinic, screening patients for Food Stamp eligibility, submitting applications on behalf of patients, and assisting them with the entire application process.
Hunger Free Community Report: Running on Empty: Massachusetts Families and the Federal Food Stamp Program documents the challenges faced by food insecure clients participating in the food stamp clinic and the benefits of approaching food stamps from a health perspective.
Policy Placement: Center for Community Change (Washington, DC)
Toni worked with the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) team to draft a report on the fiscal viability of deporting all undocumented immigrants. Toni also conducted outreach to Afro-Caribbean organizations in order to expand the CCC’s Black Brown and Beyond initiative and the Youth Changing A Nation alliance.
Education and Experience: Toni graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005 with a B.A. in Health and Societies and a concentration in International Health. She conducted research for the Philadelphia Food Trust, worked to rectify the dearth of healthy food sources within urban communities, and participated in Mayor John Street's Summer Internship Program where she developed and implemented a fitness initiative curbing current obesity trends in Philadelphia. She has also worked with the Equal Rights Center in Washington, D.C. and completed a fellowship with the Public Service Program at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
 JP Howard
Field Placement: Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans (New Orleans, LA)
J.P. coordinated Food Bank outreach efforts to first responder groups, emergency food providers, and local government officials in the twenty-three parish areas served by the Food Bank. His project was part of the Food Bank's transition from disaster relief to disaster recovery.
Hunger Free Community Report: Putting the Pieces Together: A Component Design for a Community Food Security Center New Orleans Model is a concept paper outlining potential components for a food security center in New Orleans, including nutrition education, legal aid, and a research endowment.
Policy Placement: The National Conference of State Legislatures (Washington, D.C.)
JP tracked state and federal legislation, attended hearings and committee meetings, and wrote educational briefs on a variety of issues, including the 2007 Farm Bill and immigration policy, for dissemination to NCSL’s network. He helped plan and also spoke at a session for NCSL’s annual Spring Forum.
Education and Experience: JP graduated from Howard University in 2006 from the Honors Department with a degree in Political Science. At Howard, JP served as the youngest undergraduate member of the University's Board of Trustees; co-founded an IB mentoring program at a local high school; and worked in the U.S. Senate, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and various non-profit organizations. He has also completed various fellowships and academic programs focusing on policy, law, and civic service.
 Eliberty Jiménez
Field Placement: FoodChange (New York, NY)
Eliberty developed and implemented a community food security assessment of Corona, Queens. She conducted a retail food assessment, analyzed the data, created a GIS food map of the community, and garnered media attention to the lack of healthy and affordable food options in Corona. Eliberty also organized community meetings where she presented her data and mobilized community members to take part in increasing the food security of the local community.
Hunger Free Community Report: The Paradox of Abundance: Access to Healthy Food in Corona, Queens evaluates food quality, accessibility, and availability in bodegas and supermarkets in a diverse community in New York City. A 7-minute educational documentary video accompanying the report illustrates the benefits and challenges facing Corona residents seeking access to nutritious food. Click here to see the video.
Policy Placement: RESULTS Educational Fund (Washington, D.C.)
Eliberty worked as a grassroots organizer to start up new RESULTS groups in the Northeast and to expand RESULTS' activist network. She focused on increasing participation among youth, people of color, and low-income people. Eliberty also facilitated advocacy workshops at the C.O.O.L. Idealist National Conference and the RESULTS International Conference.
Education and Experience: Eliberty earned a B.S. in Policy and Management in 2006 from Carnegie Mellon University where she was a leader in the Spanish and Latin American Student Association. She also worked at an immigration law firm while completing the Public Law Program semester at American University. A resident of the Bronx, NY, Eliberty served as a policy intern for the 9/11 United Services Group, where she conducted outreach to those affected by the World Trade Center attacks.
 Jamillah Jordan
Field Placement: Solid Ground (formerly the Fremont Public Association) (Seattle, WA)
Jamillah conducted the Grocery Gap Project, a pilot study that assessed the availability and cost of healthy foods in two Seattle neighborhoods of distinctly different socio-economic backgrounds, using the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan. Utilizing the principles of community-based participatory research, Jamillah coordinated a series of community discussions and in-depth interviews with residents and local stakeholders to explore the intricate relationship between race, poverty, and food access.
Hunger Free Community Report: The Grocery Gap Project: Race, Hunger and Food Access report examines the relationship between race, poverty, and food access in Seattle. Using the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, the study identifies the availability and cost of healthy foods in Seattle's Rainer Valley and Queen Anne neighborhoods.
Policy Placement: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (Washington, D.C.)
Jamillah worked with the Place Matters Initiative, a project designed to identify and address social determinants of health disparities at the local level. Jamillah created food security and poverty profiles for select counties throughout the nation and developed a training toolkit designed to provide Place Matters teams and their constituents with the necessary resources to understand the local hunger and poverty issues within their communities, and innovative ways to address those problems.
Education and Experience: Jamillah graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Psychology and Community Studies in 2004. She has researched the effects of globalization and free trade on indigenous youth in Chiapas, Mexico and coordinated several teach-ins in California to raise awareness and link the political and economic struggles of indigenous Mexicans to low-income communities of color in the U.S. Jamillah has also served as a community organizer working on environmental and social justice issues in New York City and has authored numerous articles and reports on the environmental health risks associated with poor quality housing in urban communities.
 Amelia Forrest Kaye
Field Placement: Kaua`i Economic Opportunity, Inc. (Lihue, HI)
Amelia worked with the Nutrition Services division to find innovative and effective ways to address issues of food security within the elderly population of Kaua`i. Amelia assessed the nutritional, financial, and transportation needs of her elderly homebound clients and evaluated and implemented improvements to KEO's Meals on Wheels and Congregate Dining programs.
Hunger Free Community Report: Hunger in Paradise? Sustaining Kupuna: An Overview of Elderly Nutrition Services in Kaua'i is a simple, accessible disaster preparedness manual designed specifically for senior citizens in Hawaii and addresses issues of age, ethnicity, and disability. It is accompanied by a case study outlining the food security challenges the low-income elderly face on Kaua'i.
Policy Placement: RESULTS (Washington, D.C.)
Amelia was a Health Policy Fellow and worked to expand access to health care for low-income children and their families. She disseminated research on legislative initiatives, reported on briefings and hearings, generated media campaigns, and developed policy briefs and campaign materials to provide grassroots support to RESULTS volunteers nationwide. Amelia’s efforts involved collaboration and relationship building with partner organizations to develop comprehensive strategies to expand health care coverage for all Americans.
Education and Experience: Originally from Massachusetts, Amelia graduated with Highest Honors and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Spanish. She served as co-president of a mentoring organization, vice-president of a race-relations committee, representative on the library's Board of Directors, and director and actor in several social justice performances. Amelia conducted public policy research in Santiago, Chile and has worked with a non-profit environmental advocacy group, on a presidential campaign, and at an experiential education camp.
 Takhani Kromah
Field Placement: California Association of Food Banks (Sacramento, CA)
Takhani developed materials for community based organizations to expand sponsorship of the federal Summer Food Service and After-School Snack Programs. Takhani collaborated with the California Department of Education, USDA Western Region, California Food Policy Advocates and a handful of the Food Banks' member agencies to collect data on community based sponsors, sites, and participation rates of the nutrition programs. The data and associated audio/visual links are featured on the www.summerlunch.org website that Takhani created.
Hunger Free Community Report: www.summerlunch.org is a comprehensive website designed to increase participation in the summer lunch program in California. It provides outreach materials, resources, community profiles of model programs, and audio visual clips featuring programs and kids across the state.
Policy Placement: Alliance to End Hunger (Washington, D.C.)
Takhani researched and updated profiles of presidential candidates as part of her role in planning the Presidential Forum at Bread for the World's national conference. Takhani also assisted in the redesign of the Alliance’s website and graphics for organizational materials, and drafted briefing memos and press releases related to the Forum.
Education and Experience: Originally from Liberia, Takhani moved to Maryland in 1986. She graduated from Tufts University in 2006 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in African Studies. Highlights of her undergraduate career include a trip to Sierra Leone where she filmed a documentary on amputated war victims titled Voices of Sierra Leone; a semester in Accra, Ghana, where she taught English at a community-led organization; and her return trip to Ghana as a Tufts Active Citizenship Fellow. Takhani has worked as an international policy intern at Bread for the World, and conducted original research on the role of foreign aid to resource rich states in West Africa.
 Megan Lent
Field Placement: Hunger Task Force (Milwaukee, WI)
Megan conducted a preliminary evaluation of Universal Free Breakfast (UFB) served in the classroom, a new meal program offered in 61 Milwaukee Public Schools. Megan interviewed principals and surveyed teachers, food service workers, building engineers, social workers, and school nurses to assess the need, implementation, and impact of the new program.
Hunger Free Community Report: Universal Free Breakfast Initiative in Milwaukee Public Schools: Preliminary Findings 2006-2007 evaluates the Universal Free Breakfast Initiative in elementary schools and provides recommendations for improving and expanding the impact of the program.
Policy Placement: Association of Nutrition Services Agencies (Washington, D.C.)
Megan conducted research on the sources of federal funding for nutrition programs that serve low-income individuals, children, the elderly, and individuals living with life-challenging illnesses. Megan also assisted in the development of an outcomes measures manual that will be used to document the effects of nutrition services on individuals living with critical illnesses.
Education and Experience: Megan graduated from Cornell University with honors in 2006 with a degree in Human Biology, Health and Society. She completed an honors thesis on rural food insecurity, served as a teaching assistant for a human sexuality course, and regularly organized blood drives. Megan was also a member of the Student Advisory Council for Cornell Tradition, a service and leadership fellowship program. Originally from Penn Yan, New York, she spent several summers interning with the local Cornell Cooperative Extension to develop nutrition education curriculum for youth.
 Nicholas Maryns
Field Placement: Solid Ground (formerly the Fremont Public Association) (Seattle, WA)
Nick developed a disaster preparedness and recovery plan for the Seattle Food Committee, a coalition of Seattle's 27 food pantries. He devised a strategic plan of action for the coalition and led initial training and education efforts. Nick also helped establish partnerships for the Seattle Food Committee with local first responder groups and government agencies in order to better align disaster preparedness efforts in Seattle to meet the needs of its most vulnerable communities.
Hunger Free Community Report: Hungering for Disaster Preparedness: Strategies, Resources, and Tips for Food Pantries and their Coalitions is a comprehensive guide to emergency preparedness, including a model agency emergency plan, monthly preparedness activities, and a needs assessment for use in food pantries and coalitions of emergency food providers.
Policy Placement: Food Research and Action Center (Washington, D.C.)
Nick worked on several projects for FRAC, all pertaining to food stamp participation and why people who are eligible for food stamps don’t always receive them. Nick developed a web-based research tool on how local food stamp office practices and customer service impact food stamp participation and also helped update a yearly FRAC publication on food stamp access in twenty-five of the nation’s biggest cities.
Education and Experience: A lifelong resident of Minnesota, Nick graduated summa cum laude from St. Olaf College in 2004 with a degree in Mathematics. In college, Nick built houses in New Orleans with Habitat for Humanity, studied abroad in Hungary, and authored three research papers on various mathematical topics. Nick worked for two years as a teacher in an academic enrichment program for inner-city middle school children where he designed and taught courses in environmental science, game theory, and economic inequality.
 Sindri McDonald
Field Placement: FoodChange (New York, NY)
As the outreach fellow for FoodChange, Sindri connected with direct service providers and community leaders in neighborhoods with high concentrations of eligible immigrants not participating in the Food Stamp Program. Sindri provided training and organized community meetings with more than sixty community leaders and direct service providers, including representatives from local governments and the New York City Council.
Hunger Free Community Report: A Sustainable Model of Outreach for Improved Immigrant Participation in the Food Stamp Program: A Case Study of Western Queens provides a model for food stamp outreach to immigrant communities including resources for setting objectives, identifying a target audience, connecting to local government, and mobilizing community support.
Policy Placement: Catholic Charities USA (Alexandria, VA)
As part of the Social Policy team, Sindri focused on the Farm Bill and its potential impact on the CCUSA member agencies that provide direct services to hungry individuals. Sindri also gathered the stories of service providers across the country, created informational materials highlighting the persistence of hunger in the U.S., and assisted in the organization of a congressional briefing on hunger.
Education and Experience: Sindri graduated from Saint Mary's College of Maryland in 2006 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies. Prior to attending college Sindri received Amnesty International's 2001 Patrick Stewart Human Rights Scholarship and spent six months working on issues of hunger and poverty with the Comunidad of Sant'Egidio in Rome, Italy. During college, Sindri traveled to Chile where she participated in a community-based learning program and taught nutrition and self-esteem workshops for adolescent mothers, and completed a senior honors thesis exploring the work of women's organizations involved in issues of urban poverty.
 Amrit Mehra
Field Placement: Hunger Task Force (Milwaukee, WI)
Amrit conducted an exploratory assessment of school breakfast programming and barriers to participation at the secondary school level in the Milwaukee Public School District. Through various field research methods, Amrit evaluated the perceived causes for both the low breakfast participation and school meal application return rates at 11 select high schools. Amrit also worked on school meal application outreach efforts in target schools to help them qualify for the school district's new Universal Free Breakfast-in-the-Classroom initiative.
Hunger Free Community Report: An Exploratory Assessment of High School Breakfast Programs in Milwaukee Public Schools: 2006-2007 evaluates school breakfast programming in Milwaukee Public High Schools and offers recommendations for improving participation.
Policy Placement: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Washington, D.C.)
As part of the Food Assistance Policy team, Amrit promoted and distributed the Center's new Food Stamp Program documentary, "Making America Stronger," in order to bolster advocacy efforts around the Program. Amrit also researched and prepared a report on state practices concerning food stamp policies.
Education and Experience: Amrit is a 2006 graduate of the University of Chicago with a B.A in Public Policy Studies. On campus, he developed an educational program for youth designed to curb racial profiling and police brutality through the student ACLU chapter. Amrit spent a summer in the Philippines working with the NGO PhilRights to evaluate the national agrarian reform program and the effects of trade on small food producers and farmers. He interned at Work, Welfare and Families to work on policy advocacy efforts, and served as a policy intern for Senator Barack Obama's 2004 political campaign.
 Katharine Mitchell
Field Placement: Alliance for Fair Food (Immokalee, FL)
Kate coordinated outreach efforts to encourage the human rights and public service communities to endorse the Alliance for Fair Food and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' current campaign targeted at McDonald's. To increase awareness around the broader themes related to the campaign effort, Kate wrote research briefs on the history of exploitation in the U.S. agricultural sector and the relationship between U.S. trade policy and the migration of low-income job seekers. Kate also worked to raise funds to build a community center for Immokalee farmworkers.
Hunger Free Community Report: Farmworker Justice: Select Tools for Allies of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers educates people about the working and living conditions of migrant farmworkers in Florida and includes historical timelines, an overview of the path a tomato takes from farm to table, and reflections for people of faith. It is designed to contribute to long-term solutions to the needs of farmworkers.
Policy Placement: House of Representatives Hunger Caucus (Washington, D.C.)
Kate worked to expand the membership of the Hunger Caucus and developed ways to educate Members and their Congressional staff on hunger-related issues. Kate’s projects included organizing activities and briefings related to the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, developing content for the Hunger Caucus site, and highlighting ways for Members to get involved in anti-hunger efforts in their local districts.
Education and Experience: Kate graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in 2004 with a degree in Public Policy Studies, Women's Studies, and Spanish. At Duke, Kate was active in student government, research, service learning, and campus dance organizations. After graduation, she spent a year in Moshi, Tanzania as a Hart Fellow conducting research on children's rights and working for a legal aid organization. Kate has worked in D.C. as a research analyst for an independent media company and as an intern in the Office of Representative James McGovern.
 Jimmy Purvis
Field Placement: Farm to Table (Santa Fe, NM)
Jimmy worked to promote and expand Farm to School programming in New Mexico. In partnership with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, Jimmy assessed the viability of increased purchasing of local food by completing a survey of farmers and food service directors. Jimmy also compiled case studies, white papers, and other resource materials for use in New Mexico.
Hunger Free Community Report: New Mexico Farm to School Directory 2007: A Directory of Farmers, Crops, and Food Service Directors is a tool for farmers and food service directors to increase use of local produce in New Mexico Schools. It includes resources to assist individuals involved in New Mexico's food system to better take advantage of nutritious, fresh, local foods.
Policy Placement: Migrant Legal Action (Washington, D.C.)
Jimmy assessed administrative barriers to increased participation in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program and WIC in migrant communities. Jimmy conducted telephone interviews with local service providers throughout the U.S., and created white papers to inform other advocates about migrant issues.
Education and Experience: Jimmy graduated from Wesleyan University in 2004 with a degree in Religious Studies. He worked as a crew leader at the Marin Conservation Corps, facilitating a crew of eight environmental educators, developing training opportunities, and coordinating AmeriCorps national service days. Jimmy has a sustained interest in agriculture and nutrition; he has served as a gardening and nutrition educator in elementary and middle schools, began an all organic farm stand in a Marin County neighborhood with no grocery store, helped to start an organic farm at Wesleyan, and conducted research in Nepal about the relationship between Himalayan Buddhism and agriculture.
 Sarah Sibley
Field Placement: Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest (Lincoln, NE)
Sarah promoted the Food Stamp Program in Nebraska by gathering county-specific data regarding hunger, poverty, and food stamp participation. Sarah disseminated this data in the form of Food Stamp profiles and County Proclamations for each county to adopt, with the goal of increasing the political will to expand and promote Food Stamps. Forty-one counties in Nebraska, representing over one-third of the state's population, have declared themselves to be "Food Stamp Friendly" counties. Sarah also developed a guide for small and rural farmers market vendors to use in order to begin accepting Food Stamps without wireless equipment.
Hunger Free Community Report: Hidden Hunger: Recognizing Hunger and Maximizing the Food Stamp Program in Nebraska provides county level data on food insecurity and food stamp participation for all 93 counties in Nebraska and includes a county-level proclamation in support of food stamps. Fresh for All: A Guide for Accepting Food Stamps at Farmers Markets outlines steps for vendors to set up manual voucher transactions in farmers markets.
Policy Placement: Sojourners/ Call to Renewal (Washington, D.C.)
Sarah worked to organize the Emerging Leaders Track of the organization’s annual Pentecost conference which was aimed at engaging young advocates and equipping them with the tools necessary to fight poverty in their own communities. Sarah also drafted educational pieces on the Farm Bill and other anti-hunger policies from a faith perspective for distribution to the organization’s network.
Education and Experience: Sarah, a native of the Mississippi Delta, graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2005, completing her B.A. in History and Political Science with a concentration in African-American Studies. At Notre Dame, Sarah studied the role of race and ethnicity in social policy, worked as an economic and community development intern, held numerous leadership roles in the residential community, and completed service in West Virginia. While studying abroad in London, she worked for a British legislator on a proposition to place a water treatment and distribution center in Nchelenge, Zambia.
 Shanique Streete
Field Placement: D.C. Hunger Solutions (Washington, D.C.)
Shanique assessed the impact of the Universal School Breakfast Policy implemented in D.C. Public Schools in 2005. Through a series of interviews with D.C. public school students, parents, and staff, Shanique compiled a story bank to highlight the experiences of those affected by the School Breakfast program and their recommendations for improvement.
Hunger Free Community Report: Free for All: An Evaluation of D.C. Public Schools' Universal Free Breakfast Program illustrates the impact of the Universal Free Breakfast Program in Washington, D.C. and features suggestions from students, faculty, and parents for improving the program and reaching more students.
Policy Placement: National Women's Law Center (Washington, D.C.)
Shanique researched various local and state efforts to strengthen child care, specifically Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) care, and updated information regarding child care and early education for the Center’s online fact sheets and website. She also aided the Center in organizing a meeting of key leaders in FFN care, and the Center’s Progressive Leadership and Action Network retreat.
Education and Experience: Shanique is a 2006 graduate of Tufts University where she majored in English and Women's Studies. At Tufts, Shanique became certified as a Massachusetts rape crisis counselor, volunteered with the Student Sexual Assault Response Assistance, and served as a tutor. She also studied in Ghana for a semester and then returned there to work with an NGO for underprivileged children. Shanique completed a senior honors thesis on images of violence against women and a senior project on Caribbean migration.
 Srinidhi Vijaykumar
Field Placement: Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest (Lincoln, NE)
Srinidhi coordinated with a group of Nebraska sponsors to organize and implement a statewide outreach campaign for the Nebraska Child and Adult Care Food Program Pilot. The pilot's purpose is to increase the number of rural child care providers who serve nutritious meals to children in child care. The outreach initiative included partnerships with school principals, WIC offices, and the Nebraska Department of Education, as well as the production of public service announcement aired on rural radio and TV.
Hunger Free Community Report: "Kids Benefit, You Benefit" The Nebraska Child Care and Adult Food Program Outreach Initiative includes case studies and outreach tools for CACFP providers and clients in rural areas. The project also includes a radio and television public service announcement aired in English and Spanish to publicize the CACFP program.
Policy Placement: Food Research and Action Center (Washington, D.C.)
Srinidhi worked in the child nutrition unit researching barriers to improved meal quality in summer and after school food service programs. Through interviews with state agencies, advocates, and sponsors, Srinidhi documented best practices on vendor contracts and food procurement. She also wrote a series of policy memos on meal quality issues.
Education and Experience: Srinidhi graduated with a degree in history from Stanford University in 2005. At Stanford, she served as a residential counselor, participated in an Alternative Spring Break addressing education issues in California, and taught a high school history seminar about the Cold War. Srinidhi has also completed internships at Miriam's Kitchen where she taught after-breakfast classes to homeless individuals, and in the Office of Congressman Adam Schiff where she worked on a Dalit advocacy project
 Kathleen Wood
Field Placement: Alliance for Fair Food (Immokalee, FL)
Kathleen worked in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), campaigning for fair wages and working conditions and an end to poverty in the agricultural industry. She coordinated education and outreach to people of faith to raise awareness about the roots of farmworker poverty and to stimulate consumer will to transform the corporate food industry in support of farm workers.
Hunger Free Community Report: Farmworker Justice: Select Tools for Allies of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers educates people about the working and living conditions of migrant farmworkers in Florida and includes historical timelines, an overview of the path a tomato takes from farm to table, and reflections for people of faith. It is designed to contribute to long-term solutions to the needs of farmworkers.
Policy Placement: Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (Washington, D.C.)
As a member of the Policy Department, Kathleen participated in efforts to cultivate a faith-based voice for the common good in political decision-making. Kathleen’s projects specifically addressed hunger policy related to the Farm Bill and included organizing national events to encourage church leaders and congregants to become involved in issues of hunger through political advocacy.
Education and Experience: Kathleen received her degree in Political Science and Psychology from Gonzaga University in 2005. She has served as a mentor for at risk youth in public schools, coached Special Olympics, and worked on various projects involving immigration and youth leadership. Originally from Colorado, Kathleen interned for Senator Edward Kennedy in Washington, D.C. and traveled to the Balkans to research conflict resolution and reconstruction efforts in the region. She has also worked in Central America with indigenous cacao farmers and the Olancho Aid Foundation of Honduras, an educational organization with schools for special needs individuals and low income students.
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