Vermont Foodbank's 4th Annual Hunger Conference Brings National Expert on Hunger to Vermont
For Immediate Release
April 15, 2010
Media Contact: Judy Stermer, Vermont Foodbank
802-477-4108
Vermont Foodbank's 4th Annual Hunger Conference Brings National Expert on Hunger to Vermont
Joel Berg to Discuss How Health Reform and Obama’s Pledge
Could End Soaring Hunger in Vermont and the U.S.
Burlington, VT—The Vermont Foodbank’s fourth annual hunger conference, on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, is open to the public for the first time this year. Traditionally, conference attendance was reserved for Foodbank network partners and service providers at food shelves, meals sites, shelters, senior centers and after-school programs. “We felt this was the right moment to open the conference to the general public,” said Emily Shipman, conference organizer. “There is a lot of momentum around the issue of hunger right now, both in Washington and at home in Vermont. We wanted to harness that energy—what better time to get the whole community involved?”
Attendees at this year’s conference, held at the Sheraton Burlington, will have a rare opportunity to hear from Joel Berg, a national expert on hunger and poverty in the United States. Berg is the executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America? Joel will discuss how health care reform and other governmental policy proposals, such as the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, could help Vermont’s hungry families move from food insecurity to self-sufficiency. Afternoon workshops with Berg and other anti-hunger leaders from Vermont and beyond will also be offered.
“The Foodbank is thrilled to have an exceptional group of presenters and speakers talking about an issue that is affecting more than 20,000 of our children and 12.1% of our Vermont population,” said John Sayles, Vermont Foodbank CEO. “We want folks to leave the conference with more than just an understanding of the issue of hunger. Our hope is that attendees leave feeling both inspired and prepared to take action.”
Anyone interested in attending the conference is asked to register—day of registration will not include lunch. Registration fee includes lunch, keynote, and afternoon workshops. Registration available online at www.vtfoodbank.org.
When: 11:00 to 11:30AM—REGISTRATION
11:30AM to 12:30PM—LUNCH and KEYNOTE SPEAKER
12:30 to 1:15PM—ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
1:30 to 2:45PM—WORKSHOPS
2:45 to 3:15PM—BREAK
3:15 to 4:30PM—WORKSHOP
4:30 to 5:00PM—CLOSING REMARKS
Where: Sheraton Burlington Hotel
870 Williston Road
