Nora Leccese

Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Nora graduated from the University of Colorado in 2014, with a degree in economics and a focus on community leadership. Nora helped found Boulder Food Rescue, a national organization that uses bicycle power to redistribute produce that would otherwise go to waste from grocery stores to homeless, food insecure, and low income individuals. She has conducted research on worker owned cooperatives in Argentina and was a lead organizer in a campaign to divest Colorado University from the fossil fuel industry. She was an Americorps UCAN Serve Education Award Recipient for completion of 1200 hours community service.

Field placement: Center for an Agricultural Economy

Hardwick, Vermont

Nora assessed how local food infrastructure such as cold storage and processing facilities might better serve the needs of emergency food organizations (e.g. food banks, pantries, and congregate meal sites), with the goal of increasing access to fresh food for low-income Vermonters. She researched innovative models for regional farm surplus management and created the roadmap for a partnership to maximize the amount of fresh produce Vermont can source, process, and distribute through the charitable food system.

Policy placement: Office of Public Witness, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Washington, D.C.

Nora worked with the Office of the Public Witness to educate and activate Presbyterians about root causes of poverty. She designed curriculum and educational resources on three primary areas of focus: access to education, mass incarceration, and economic inequality.

Publications