FRAC Chat

Across the U.S., more than 40 million Americans live in households that struggle against hunger, with poverty and racial inequities often being root causes. FRAC recently spoke with Dr. Kofi Essel, Community Pediatrician, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and Health Equity & Hunger Champion at Children’s National Health System and the George Washington School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., about the importance of looking at and addressing hunger through a racial and economic lens.

The 2019 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference (AHPC) may be over, but the insights shared throughout the conference still feel fresh and resonant, especially as anti-hunger advocates across the nation continue to fight old and new threats to proven nutrition programs that address food insecurity, while looking to grow efforts to reduce hunger. Such insights were offered by the #hungerpc19 plenary speakers: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE); the Honorable Stephen K. Benjamin; and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Ph.D., Diane Yentel, LaQuita Honeysucker, and Matt Knott.

Weren’t able to attend this year’s conference and experience the plenary lineup in person? No worries — we have you covered! See below for full-length videos of the 2019 AHPC plenary speakers.

To celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King, FRAC staff reflected on why they decided to pursue careers that embody Dr. King’s social justice philosophy that includes ending food insecurity and poverty. Below are some of their responses.

To address food insecurity and poverty in Maryland, more than 150 Marylanders came together for the eighth annual Maryland Food Access and Nutrition Network (MFANN) Fighting Hunger in Maryland conference in Annapolis on October 9. As the only statewide anti-hunger conference, MFANN Fighting Hunger in Maryland connects leaders from state and local agencies, nonprofits, schools, and advocacy organizations to inform, engage, and inspire action to reduce hunger and promote equity in food access and nutrition in Maryland.

FRAC has joined with a diverse group of national organizations to launch the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign to expand affordable housing options for America’s most vulnerable communities.