Washington, D.C. – On December 13, C&S Wholesale Grocers announced its support of the 23rd class of Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows, as it celebrated its 12-year partnership with the Congressional Hunger Center to develop national leaders to end hunger in the United States.
Since 2005, C&S Wholesale Grocers has contributed to the Congressional Hunger Center’s mission to develop, inspire, and connect leaders who will create a food secure world. With support from C&S Wholesale Grocers, the Congressional Hunger Center has sponsored fellowships for 247 emerging U.S. anti-hunger leaders over the past decade in partnership with more than 177 local and national nonprofit organizations serving 46 rural and urban communities around the country.
Investment from C&S Wholesale Grocers also allows the Congressional Hunger Center to maintain an online library of nearly 200 publications authored by its Fellows, highlighting research and best practices learned during their placements with anti-hunger organizations across the country.
“We are grateful to have a partner like C&S Wholesale Grocers that recognizes the important roles transformational leaders and vibrant knowledge networks play in creating scalable solutions to end hunger in the United States,” said Shannon Maynard, Executive Director of the Congressional Hunger Center.
“What initially attracted C&S to the Congressional Hunger Center over a decade ago,” noted Gina Goff Senior Director of Community Involvement for C&S, “was that the organization develops a pipeline of highly motivated and bright young leaders in the effort to address hunger. With their training and field work, the Fellows continue to bring new ideas and fresh energy to communities where food insecurity is an issue.”
With the most recent financial contribution from C&S Wholesale Grocers, the 23rd class of Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows will conduct six months of field work in six states at 11 community-based organizations including projects that will:
- Increase participation in school breakfasts in Seattle and King County, Washington, with United Way of King County;
- Test alternative methods of delivering school breakfasts (for example, “Breakfast after the Bell”) in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, California, with Second Harvest Food Bank; and
- Identify barriers to breastfeeding among low-income women in New Orleans, LA, with local nonprofit Market Umbrella.
Fellows then will convene in Washington, D.C. for six months where they will focus on policymaking related to the problems and solutions they addressed at the community level.
About the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program
The Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program is a social justice program that trains, inspires, and sustains leaders. Fellows gain field experience fighting hunger and poverty through placements in community-based organizations across the country, and policy experience through placements in Washington, D.C. The program bridges community-based efforts and national public policy, and Fellows develop as effective leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty.
The Emerson Program supports a diversity of local and national approaches to eliminate hunger, poverty and social inequality, particularly racism. It seeks to craft successful and mutually beneficial partnerships between Fellows and partner organizations while developing a new generation of hunger and poverty leaders. Fellows support partner organizations with program development, research, evaluation, outreach, organizing, and advocacy projects.
About the Congressional Hunger Center
The Congressional Hunger Center (CHC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to make issues of domestic and international hunger a priority to policymakers in the U.S. government, and to raise a new generation of leaders to fight against hunger and poverty.
About C&S Wholesale Grocers
C&S community involvement programs support initiatives to stop hunger and to promote the health and enrichment of communities that are homes to the company’s employees and facilities.
C&S Wholesale Grocers of Keene, N.H. is the largest food wholesaler and according to Forbes magazine, the 9th largest privately held company in the United States. The company distributes food to supermarkets, retail stores and military bases across the country.
Currently, C&S serves about 3,900 stores from more than 50 locations in 12 states. Among our customers are many of America’s best known companies, including Stop & Shop, Giant of Carlisle, Giant of Landover, Shaw’s, Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), Ralphs, Safeway and Target.