I'm Here!
Hello! My name is JoEllen Pederson, and I am the newest member of the JCPA Washington office. I would just like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, the program I am apart of, and what I am working on at JCPA.
First things first, I am a Virginia native who recently graduated from Berea College (which is located in Kentucky) with a degree in Sociology. I am now 7 months into a year long program called the Bill Emerson Congressional Hunger Fellows Program. The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship, a project of the Congressional Hunger Center, is a unique leadership development opportunity for individuals seeking to make a difference in the struggle to eliminate hunger and poverty.
Each year 20 participants are selected for this twelve-month program. Fellows are placed for six months with urban and rural community-based organizations all over the country involved in fighting hunger at the local level, such as food banks, economic development agencies, local advocacy groups and faith-based organizations. They then move to Washington, DC to complete the year with six months of work at national organizations involved in the anti-hunger and poverty movement, including national advocacy organizations, think tanks, and federal agencies. Through this unique program, the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program develops effective leaders with a deep understanding of hunger and poverty at both the local and national level that enables them to find innovative solutions and create the political will to end hunger.
For the first 6 months of the program I worked at Connecticut Food Bank. There, I completed an independent research project with the goal of using their resources more efficiently. Now, I am very excited to be working with Melissa on the poverty campaign at JCPA.
I will be primarily working on two projects at JCPA. First, I will be working on the issue clusters that will consist of conference calls to local JCRCs on healthcare, hunger, affordable housing, and education. I will also be working with Melissa on planning a mission to New Orleans with a focus on race, poverty, and climate change.
I know I am very fortunate to be working at JCPA and I look forward to meeting many of you all throughout the next few months. Also, if anyone knows of a recent or upcoming college graduate who they think would be interested in becoming an Emerson Hunger Fellow, please let me know. We are always looking for people join the program.
