Bill Emerson National
Hunger Fellowship
The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship trains and inspires new leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty in the United States. Fellows gain vital first-hand experience through placements with community-based organizations across the country as well as policy-focused organizations in Washington, D.C. The program bridges gaps between local efforts and national public policy, as fellows support partner organizations with program development, research, evaluation, outreach, organizing, and advocacy projects.
Become an Emerson Fellow
Host an Emerson Fellow
Meet The CURRENT Class
The 31st Class of Emerson Fellows serve from September 2024 to July 2025.
There is no other program that I know of that allows you to build two years of work experience into one and that combines both community and policy work …. Besides the personal gains that I experienced, the leadership capacity that the program developed among fellows is clear in the success of so many of my fellow colleagues of the program. The Emerson Hunger Fellowship gave us the confidence and the tools to become leaders in our fields. Each class of hunger fellows will have a long-lasting impact on combating anti-hunger and poverty in the United States.Erika Inwald, 21st Class Emerson Fellow
Meet Our 2022-2023 Partners
Who Was Bill Emerson?
The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program serves as a living legacy to Bill Emerson (January 1, 1938 – June 22, 1996), a Congressional leader who crossed political lines to bring people together in the fight to end hunger. His tireless, bipartisan work in Congress advanced numerous anti-hunger initiatives, including The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). His steadfast leadership and bipartisan approach in his fifteen years in Congress form the foundation of the Congressional Hunger Center’s anti-hunger work.