Eric Ares

Originally from Los Angeles, Eric graduated from Boston College in 2005 with a degree in History and Theology.  Eric has worked with the Global Justice Project and with the Haley House, a social service center that fights hunger and homelessness in Boston.  While studying abroad in El Salvador, he interned at a child development center and a soy cooperative project.  After graduating, Eric moved to Colorado where he managed the homeless outreach program at a community health clinic and worked as an overnight coordinator for a transitional housing shelter program.

Field placement: Atlanta Community Food Bank

Atlanta, Georgia

Eric helped assist and educate low to moderate-income families about tax credits for working families and other benefits.  Specifically, Eric worked to increase awareness, accessibility, and participation in the Food Stamp and Earned Income Tax Credit programs in Atlanta.  He collaborated with various community partners to create an EITC/Asset Development community coalition, promoted the Advance EITC among local business, and conducted multi-benefit pilot programs in two Atlanta communities.

Policy placement: National Homelessness Law Center

Washington, D.C.

Eric’s projects focused on homeless people’s access to food and nutrition.  He analyzed federal policies to improve access to food stamps, wrote a white paper on food insecurity within the homeless community, and updated and disseminated NLCHP materials on food programs for the homeless.  Eric also contributed to a cross-program report on best practices to alleviate homelessness, and collaborated with staff on a report about homelessness 20 years after the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Publications