Emerson Fellow
Heather Axford
10th Class, 2003-2004
Heather is a 2003 graduate of Vassar College with a major in History, and spent a semester studying at the Instituto Cultural in Oaxaca, Mexico. She served on the Executive Committee of Vassar College Hunger Action for three years, spent two summers working with the Poughkeepsie Farm Project and the Eleanor Roosevelt Center Community Programs through the Vassar Community Fellows Program, and served as Vassar’s Hunger and Homelessness Community Action Coordinator.
Field placement: Florida Impact
Tallahassee, Florida
In order to increase participation in the Summer Food Service Program, Heather coordinated community outreach and led meetings of community leaders in northern Florida counties not yet providing adequate Summer Food Service Program meals to eligible children. She was also trained in current Food Stamp Program regulations and prescreening software, and assisted in the expansion of the Florida Food Resource Helpline, a project designed to facilitate the Food Stamp Program application process for low-income adults and families across the state.
Policy placement: Food Research & Action Center
Washington, D.C.
Heather worked on three Food Stamp related research projects at FRAC: a “best practices” guide to the Employment and Training Program, a report on the Food Stamp Program in the Southeast region focusing on the state options set forth in the 2002 Farm Bill, and a report on language access barriers for immigrants.