Emerson Fellow
Molly Pifko
29th Class, 2022-2023
Originally from Lynnfield, Massachusetts, Molly Pifko recently graduated with a B.A. in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic. As an undergraduate, she used this interdisciplinary major to combine interests in politics, environmental law and policy, US history, and communication. These interests have led her to spend the last four years working and volunteering for progressive candidates, working as a writing tutor, peer mentor, and legal research assistant at the college, and interning in her local congressional office. Molly’s passion for food justice was fostered at an early age through her temple’s anti-hunger work, and as an Emerson fellow, she is excited to continue learning about how both public policy and community support can be used to take on hunger and the systems of economic, environmental, and political injustice which perpetuate it.
Field placement: Hunger Free Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Molly is working with Hunger Free Oklahoma in Tulsa, supporting their programs team in ongoing community engagement work. She is contributing to the research and planning of a lived experience cohort that will center the advocacy and expertise of Oklahomans who have experienced or are experiencing food insecurity. She is also engaging with coalitions and partners and identifying opportunities to enhance HFO's tools, resources, and public-facing data.
Policy placement: American Public Human Services Association
Washington, D.C.
Molly Pifko is working with American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), where she is supporting communications and research for the 2023 Farm Bill and helping to grow APHSA’s new focused area of work on environmental justice. As conversations ramp up around the 2023 Farm Bill, Molly is leading the creation of APHSA's farm bill blog series, “Making the Sauce: Ingredients for People-Powered Policymaking," which will highlight diverse perspectives on the impact of SNAP policy and APHSA's recommended policy changes. She is also supporting APHSA's efforts to enhance the role of human services in pursuing environmental justice and building more resilient support systems for communities facing severe weather events and/or chronic environmental harm.