16th Class, 2009-2010
Field Placement: Center for Health Equity (Louisville, KY)
Kate worked with this city government agency to increase healthy food options for Louisville residents. She built a repository for all research and grassroots initiatives addressing food security in the city to inform the work of the city-wide Food in Neighborhoods Committee. She also worked with low-income communities to assess barriers to accessing healthy foods, and supported initiatives that eliminate the barriers, such as the “Healthy in a Hurry” corner store initiative.
Hunger Free Community Report:
The State of Food: A Snapshot of Food Access in Louisville is a literature review of food access and food policy in Louisville that examines where disparities in food access persist, analyzes initiatives and research already underway, and provides suggestions for what still needs to be done. It is the first annual report of the citywide Food In Neighborhoods Committee.
Policy Placement: Center for Community Change (Washington, DC)
Kate worked on the Campaign for Community Values to support initiatives relating to health care, access to jobs, and immigration. She researched and monitored legislation and provided educational updates and summaries to grassroots partner organizations and the CCC policy team.
Pre-Fellowship Education and Experience:
Originally from Connecticut, Kate graduated in 2007 from New York University with a degree in gender and sexuality studies. She served as a Presidential Scholar and wrote a thesis on homeless services for transgender New Yorkers. She also volunteered with Queers for Economic Justice and interned with the Brennan Center for Justice where she worked to improve access to public benefits. After college, she worked as an advocate at the Urban Justice Center’s Homelessness Outreach and Prevention Project, and as a Route Leader on a cross-country bike trip to raise awareness about affordable housing.