Matthew is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a degree in Religious Studies. In Milwaukee, he volunteered with anti-hunger organizations and as a tutor/mentor for urban youth. As a full-time student athlete in California, he organized campus food drives and continued his work with youth. He also worked on organic agriculture while finishing his undergraduate degree in New Zealand in 2004, and served with the Milwaukee Hunger Task Force on the summer food program.
Field placement: Washington Food Coalition
Seattle, Washington
Matthew conducted needs assessments in select communities throughout Washington State, identifying barriers to food security and developing community driven strategies to increase access to critical anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs. He also worked to create individualized hunger profiles for select districts throughout Washington that included district hunger and poverty statistics.
Policy placement: School Nutrition Association
Alexandria, Virginia
Matthew worked with SNA on a nationwide survey to evaluate how indirect cost rates are applied and implemented between school districts and school nutrition programs. From the information gleaned in this study, he developed a set of recommendations that would ensure a fair and equitable process for determining and implementing indirect cost rates. By addressing the widely inconsistent formulas for determining indirect costs, school nutrition programs operating under the National School Lunch Program could maximize their federal per meal reimbursement to offer the most nutritious meals to students in financial need.