March 15, 2021
The National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference (AHPC) is going virtual this year, from March 16–18, and you don’t want to miss the largest gathering of anti-hunger advocates ever! AHPC is co-hosted by FRAC and Feeding America in cooperation with the National CACFP Forum.
If you’ve attended in the past, you may have been torn trying to choose one among six workshops offered during the same time slot. This year, you won’t have to choose because most of the sessions will be recorded and available to attendees after the conference. As an attendee, you will have access to more than 30 hours of workshop content filled with best practices, resources, and insights from experts on how to address hunger and on what we’ve learned during COVID-19.
Excited yet? FRAC is, and we’ve asked some of our staff to share a session they plan on attending and why.
Susan Beaudoin, senior special projects and initiatives associate, is excited to view from the comfort of her couch Wednesday’s session We are not “Something Else”: Food Access and Security in Native American Communities, on March 17, from 1:00–2:15 p.m. Eastern. “Native American communities are so often erased or lumped in ‘other’ categories when it comes to mainstream media conversations and data collection, including food insecurity data,” said Beaudoin. “I’m eager to learn more about efforts underway in Native American communities to change this and ways anti-hunger advocates can support this work.”
Lauren Badger, senior government relations associate, had a hard time narrowing down her recommendation to just one workshop. She landed on the session Exploring the Impact of Food Insecurity during COVID: Where to Access Federal Nutrition Program Data and How to Use it, on March 16, from 1:oo–2:15 p.m. Eastern. “As a data wonk, I want to make sure my advocacy is backed by an up-to-date understanding of the breadth and depth of food insecurity and poverty and the important response of the federal nutrition programs,” said Badger.
Engaged 24/7 in ensuring that the media is highlighting the disastrous impact of COVID-19 on hunger and the critical role of the federal nutrition programs, Jordan Baker, FRAC’s communications manager, looks forward to taking a moment to learn and reflect at the conference. She plans on attending the session Addressing Hunger and Social Needs at the Doctor’s Office, on March 16, from 1:00–2:15 p.m. Eastern). Baker notes, “I know that ending hunger requires a multi-sector response, so I am interested in learning how doctors are working to connect patients with food and nutrition resources using the FRAC and American Academy of Pediatrics toolkit Screen and Intervene: A Toolkit to Address Food Insecurity.”
Julia Gross, who works as an anti-hunger program associate at Maryland Hunger Solutions (an initiative of FRAC) and is a seasoned conference attendee, always prioritizes sessions on child nutrition programs. “These sessions inspire me with innovative ideas and new resources that I can take home to improve my work in connecting children in Maryland to nutrition programs.” Julia plans on attending COVID-19: Pathways to Expanding the Child Nutrition Programs, on March 17, from 2:35–3:50 p.m. Eastern.
Before she came to FRAC, Melissa Jensen first attended the conference when she worked at Utahns Against Hunger. “This year, I am definitely attending SNAP Matters: What You Need to Know,” said Jensen who now works at D.C. Hunger Solutions as an anti-hunger program and policy analyst for SNAP and special populations. “The conference has always motivated me to keep working to improve SNAP and push for smart policies that not only provide money for people to buy food, but also improve their nutrition, health, and well-being.”
Which workshop will you choose? Check out the full list of 2021 AHPC workshops, and register here today!
