02/08/2023: The Hunger Cliff (A Virtual Food Insecurity Discussion)

TPSS Co-op is excited to announce our first event of the year; a food insecurity discussion entitled ‘The Hunger Cliff’. As governmental food assistance programs taper down their pandemic benefits, more families within our local food system will be left without proper nourishment. We’re interested in finding ways to navigate this transition – how can those with less food assistance live healthily and bountifully? As a means of exploration, we invited speakers from Crossroads Community Food Network, Maryland Hunger Solutions, and the Montgomery County Food Council to share how food assistance programs and our local economy converge. TPSS will provide information regarding our USDA GusNIP grant, explaining how our Fresh Checks initiative has expanded access to fresh fruits and vegetables throughout our community.  This is an amazing opportunity to learn how local organizations support those in need, and to give feedback on what could be done better.  Our intention is to generate productive conversation and provide food-access information, and we hope that you will join us.

To register for this event, click here.

Our Featured Speakers

Allison Schnitzer (she/her), Food Access Initiatives Director, Montgomery County Food Council
Allison is the Food Access Initiatives Director at the Montgomery County Food Council. Her efforts include managing the Council’s SNAP Outreach Program, coordinating the Benefits Outreach and Enrollment Workgroup, and supporting the Food Security Community
Advisory Board.
 
JD Robinson (he/him), Anti-Hunger Project Coordinator – SNAP, Maryland Hunger Solutions
JD joined Maryland Hunger Solutions, an initiative of FRAC, as an Outreach Intern in 2018, and is currently an Anti-Hunger Program Coordinator – SNAP. In this role, he leads policy efforts to improve access and quality of the SNAP program in Maryland. Additionally, he works to increase participation and access to the SNAP program for all Marylanders by coordinating outreach efforts with staff and volunteers. He also engages local partners and organizations in training and educating their staff on SNAP and food insecurity issues.
 
Lauren Goldberg (she/her), Executive Director, Crossroads Community Food Network
Lauren brings wide-ranging development and organizational management experience from the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Lauren’s work is focused on people-centered program design, community and network organizing, and building systems for transforming our foodways informed by an environmental justice lens. Lauren holds a BA in International Relations and an MS in Food Policy.