Emerson Fellow
Maggie Tsai
24th Class, 2017-2018
Field placement: The Reinvestment Fund
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Maggie completed her field work at Reinvestment Fund, a Philadelphia-based federally-certified community development financial institution that integrates data, policy, and strategic investments to improve quality of life in low-income neighborhoods. She interviewed childcare providers, sponsors, and state agencies to identify best-practices for technical assistance and meal procurement in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program in New Jersey. She contributed her findings in a report on barriers and facilitators to successful meal procurement in these programs. In addition, Maggie also researched and interviewed stakeholders to identify promising food access initiatives in rural and Indian Country communities to guide the development of a targeted financial assistance program.
Policy placement: New America Foundation
Washington, DC
As a member of the Family Centered Social Policy Team, Maggie supported several projects related to financial inclusion and social policy. She conducted research for a report on financial inclusion and supported the dissemination of a mapping tool to highlight community investment and disinvestment in Chicago. She also conducted research on the resilience of nontraditional families.
Hunger Free Community Report
"Beyond the Grocery Gap: Strategies to Support Rural and Indian Country Communities through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative" is an environmental scan of healthy food access projects in Indian Country and rural communities. The report offers recommendations to guide the development of targeted financial assistance to support these projects.