Cindy grew up in Gunnison, Colorado, and graduated from Binghamton University with bachelor’s degrees in political science and environmental studies. She also holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado Denver where Cindy pursued an independent thesis researching the intersection between food choice and … Read more
Chesterfield Polkey
Born and raised in Jacksonville, FL, Chesterfield graduated with honors from Macalester College with a degree in sociology and minors in political science, statistics, and French. Through the community service-oriented Bonner Scholars Program, he interned at Neighborhood House, a local social service agency. There, Chesterfield organized multiple lobbying days on … Read more
Able Bodies, Empty Stomachs
Able Bodies, Empty Stomachs provides an analysis of the SNAP ABAWD policy, and includes strategies for advocates to reduce the policy’s impact on low-income communities. Pennsylvania’s experience is presented as a case study.
The Health Center Project: Engaging Health Centers in Allegheny County on Food Security
The Health Center Project is an assessment of the pilot project of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and seven community health centers in Allegheny County. The report evaluates the effectiveness of implementing a food security screening framework for patients … Read more
Fuel 4 School: Universal School Breakfast and Lunch Community Eligibility Provision
Fuel 4 School assesses the impact of Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) on food service in Allegheny County schools. Through focus groups with parents and interviews with school administrators, the report details how CEP enhances the effects of the School Breakfast … Read more
Kalena Thomhave
Originally from Northwest Florida, Kalena graduated from Louisiana State University in 2014 with degrees in political science and English. After college, Kalena served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she worked on economic development through “Bank On Baton Rouge,” a program increasing access to banks and credit … Read more
Wes Gaddie
Wes grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas and received degrees in professional writing and museum studies from Baylor University. After graduating, he served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and the Texas Hunger Initiative in Lubbock, Texas. As a VISTA, he facilitated a photography … Read more
Tina Tran
Tina grew up in North Richland Hills, Texas, and graduated from Stanford University in 2014 with a degree in human biology. She conducted research on the supplemental poverty measure and the Healthy Families (CHIP) program in California through the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality. She helped pilot a student-run … Read more
David Blount
David grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri and graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2013 with degrees in sociology and international studies. After graduation, David completed a year of service with City Year Chicago, an education non-profit dedicated to ending the high school dropout crisis. At Loyola, David led multicultural initiatives … Read more
The Share Table: Engaging Partners Around the Summer Food Service Program in Allegheny County
The Share Table is an assessment of the Summer Food Service Program landscape in Allegheny County. The report sets target growth goals for program expansion and offers strategies to meet those goals.
Fresh Food, Fresh Access
Fresh Food, Fresh Access evaluates the first year of Fresh Access, Just Harvest Education Fund’s EBT at farmers’ markets program at six farmers’ markets in Pittsburgh, using data from a combination of customer and vendor surveys, focus groups, sales figures, … Read more
Adrien Schless-Meier
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Adrien graduated from Reed College in 2012 with a degree in sociology. Her senior thesis analyzed organizational barriers to participation in farmers’ markets among low-income people and people of color in Portland, Oregon. As an AmeriCorps member serving in the Office of Sustainability at Multnomah County, … Read more