Share Our Strength: Conference of Leaders

On a bright November morning in Washington D.C.’s Common Good City Farm, I walked through the fields with glee. Spicy mint, petite carrots, green tomatoes, and pumpkins, oh my! As I was put to work clipping bright greens with a pair of garden shears, I thought of the satisfying taste of Southern-style collard greens with smoky ham hock or tender Swiss chard sautéed with pine nuts and raisins. I’ve always been fortunate enough to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, but as I found out that sunny day in the garden, many people are not. Common Good City Farm is an urban farm and education center growing food for low-income residents in Washington, DC and providing educational opportunities for all people that help increase food security, improved health, and environmental sustainability. As the farm’s co-founder, Liz Falk spoke about their mission, I began to realize the importance and implications of access to fresh produce and nutrition education.

That morning wasn’t the first time I had thought about significant role that nutrition plays in our communities’ health. I am a volunteer and advisory board member for the non-profit organization Operation Frontline, whose mission is to teach those with limited resources to make healthy food choices. Operation Frontline is a program of Share Our Strength, whose mission is to end childhood hunger through nutrition education and increased access to food resources by 2015. Annually, Share Our Strength holds its’ Conference of Leaders to bring together hunger advocates, government representatives, volunteers, and industry sponsors to discuss efforts across the nation to end childhood hunger. I was lucky enough to be chosen through an essay contest to attend the conference in Washington D.C., this past November 6-9.

Working in the farm to pick vegetables was one of the more hands-on ways I learned about hunger issues that weekend, but I heard from many people who are working on the frontlines to end hunger everyday. I listened to professionals speak on a variety of topics including changing the way kids eat at schools, how to increase access to produce through urban farming, the hunger-obesity paradox, and many more. I met low income moms struggling to feed their children and stay off the streets. I heard elementary school teachers narrate stories of students who couldn’t focus long enough to learn anything because of their growling tummies.

I was appalled to find out that there is more than enough food produced in this country to feed everyone living in it, and the fact that children go hungry is completely unnecessary. Over 12 million kids, that’s one 1 in 6, is at risk of going hungry. Nutrient deficiencies sustained during childhood have severe health consequences. In the short term, they can result in weaker immune systems, aggressive behavior, and impaired academic performance. In the long term, they can result in cognitive delays, heart disease, and diabetes. The success of whole communities is at stake when the nutrition of their children is compromised.

Coming home from such a powerful experience was difficult. It’s hard to sit still, knowing there is so much work to be done. I was overwhelmed with emotion, anger, and excitement, knowing I had to be a part of a solution so desperately needed. However, my passion for community work and nutrition education has been reignited and I feel ready to get my hands dirty.