NERAHN: Northeast Regional Anti-Hunger Network

Organizational Profiles & Contact Information

Project Bread - The Walk for Hunger

Project Bread is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to alleviate, prevent, and ultimately end hunger in Massachusetts. Project Bread serves as Massachusetts’ primary anti-hunger organization. The agency’s goals are to make emergency food accessible to people who would otherwise go hungry; educate, mobilize, and empower people through the Walk for Hunger and other avenues of action; research and develop innovative solutions to end hunger; and advocate, in partnership with others, freedom from hunger across the Commonwealth.

Project Bread’s objectives are to:

1. Assure access to emergency food for hungry families, elders, and individuals by providing funding for 400 emergency food programs throughout Massachusetts, operating the FoodSource Hotline, and transporting food to soup kitchens and food pantries through the Food Drive For the Hungry program.

2. Fully enroll eligible Massachusetts families in federal nutrition programs, including the Food Stamp Program, the School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, and the Summer Food Service Program.

3. Improve child nutrition at school and in summer programs through partnerships with the private sector, public health officials, nonprofits, pediatricians, educators, parents, and political and community leaders.

4. Develop innovative hunger prevention programs in partnership with nonprofit organizations, schools, community health centers, and public agencies.

5. Conduct program evaluations and use results to bring programs to scale across the state.

Hunger Action Network of New York State

The Hunger Action Network is a statewide anti-hunger organization whose goal is to end hunger and its root causes, including poverty, in New York State. Founded in 1982, the Hunger Action Network has over two decades of experience in providing technical assistance to emergency food programs (EFPs) and other community groups. Under the leadership of its Executive Director, the Hunger Action Network addresses the immediate needs of the hungry by increasing the amount of nutritious food distributed to hungry New Yorkers through over 3,000 EFPs and increasing participation in the federal nutrition programs. The Hunger Action Network’s Community Food and Nutrition Project assists local residents in creating community gardens, connects with farmers to distribute crops that would otherwise go to waste to low-income families and individuals, and raises public consciousness about the prevalence of hunger and potential solutions for overcoming it.

The Nutrition Consortium of New York State

The Nutrition Consortium of New York State, Inc., formed in 1985, is a statewide, private, nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating hunger for residents of New York State. In pursuit of this mission, the Nutrition Consortium works to expand participation in the Food Stamp Program, School Breakfast Program, and Summer Food Service Program through program development, administration, and advocacy.

A statewide and nationally recognized leader on the issue of hunger, the Nutrition Consortium works collaboratively with a variety of state, regional, and national partners. The Nutrition Consortium advocates on state and federal legislation and works with local, state, and federal officials to foster policies that increase access to food and participation in nutrition assistance programs.

Vermont Campaign to End Child Hunger (VTCECH)

Incorporated in 1993, VTCECH is a nonprofit, member-supported organization that develops programs and advocates policies to prevent hunger and promote good nutrition for Vermont’s families. VTCECH is governed by a 10-member board of directors and a 6-member advisory board. VTCECH’s current programs include the School Meals Program, which expands the availability of school breakfast and lunch programs to help children succeed in school; the Summer Meal and Enrichment Program; Food Stamp Outreach and Education to increase participation for all eligible children and families; the Cooking for Life Program which teaches families, teens, and youth how to purchase and prepare nutritious meals; the Child and Adult Care Food Program which increases access to child care food programs to ensure that infants and young children receive the nutrition they need to grow and develop; and Education and Advocacy for policies that enhance nutrition programs.

End Hunger Connecticut! Inc (EHC!)

EHC!, is a statewide, non-profit membership organization, whose mission is to raise awareness surrounding the issue of hunger, promote funding for and access to nutrition assistance programs, and speak out to help eliminate the root causes of hunger. EHC! focuses on outreach and advocacy and actively collaborates with local members, primarily emergency food pantries and soup kitchens, to increase their awareness and involvement in advocacy efforts.

Created by the state’s anti-hunger leaders in 1999, EHC!’s major programs include Hunger Advocacy and Education, the Food Stamp Outreach Initiative, SFSP outreach, and School Breakfast research and outreach. These programs are membership and community driven and are targeted to the highest need areas of the state. As one of the state’s only food stamp outreach contractors, EHC! is successful in assisting thousands of households in obtaining food stamps on a yearly basis. EHC! developed and now maintains the only web-based food stamp pre-screener in the state. Through the use of regional advisory boards, EHC! attempts to build food stamp outreach into the fabric of the community and break down barriers between the Department of Social Services, the agency that administers food stamps, and community organizations that work with food stamp recipients.

Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS)

CAHS works to end poverty and to engage, equip, and empower all families in Connecticut to build a secure future. CAHS values: shared prosperity; equal opportunity; respect for the individual; the transformative power of hope; and personal, institutional, and collective responsibility for the common good.

CAHS brings together other nonprofits and concerned advocates to discuss public policies and share best practices that empower Connecticut's low-income residents to move from poverty to self-sufficiency. CAHS has an Outreach Department that promotes programs that help meet basic needs (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-SNAP, child care subsidies, etc.), provides other nonprofit staff and their clients with financial literacy and budgeting education, and builds coalitions that provide free income tax preparation and link individuals to asset-building strategies such as credit repair, banking, and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).

CAHS was founded in 1910 as the State Conference on Charities and Corrections, which held annual conferences to discuss philosophies and innovations in the growing field of social work. By 1970, CAHS had become more action-oriented, with a full-time professional staff and the goal of ensuring the human services system delivered high-quality effective programs. Understanding that change required broad-based support, CAHS worked to galvanize state policymakers, human services providers, the business sector, religious institutions, labor, and concerned individuals around an agenda backed by credible research.

Over the years, CAHS evolved from a membership-based organization, with a distinct dues/membership structure, to a unique hybrid entity. CAHS continues to have a core group of individual and institutional members, but we now have the competencies needed to form partnerships with government agencies, nonprofits, and individuals alike. Partnerships are facilitated around "family economic success" programs and policies, SNAP, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, and are central to advancing CAHS' mission to end poverty and empower families to build a secure future.

Boston Medical Center

John Cook, Ph.D. at the Boston Medical Center served as the Evaluator. Dr. Cook is an Associate Professor in the Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. He has more than fifteen years experience working to understand and alleviate the causes and consequences of poverty, food insecurity, and hunger in the United States.

Food Research and Action Center

The Food Research Action Center (FRAC) is a leading national organization working to improve public policies to eradicate hunger and under-nutrition in the United States. Founded in 1970 as a public interest law firm, FRAC is a nonprofit and nonpartisan research and public policy center that serves as the hub of an anti-hunger network of thousands of individuals and agencies across the country. FRAC engages in a variety of activities at the national, state, and local levels to form a comprehensive strategy for reducing hunger in this country, including conducting research to document the extent of hunger and its impact on low-income families; reviewing and analyzing major national developments including legislation and regulation that affect food assistance programs; coordinating and supporting a nationwide anti-hunger network of advocates, food banks, policy makers, and others to expand programs including the School Breakfast Program, the SFSP, and WIC; serving as a clearinghouse for national and local organizations seeking information and analyses about hunger and anti-hunger programs; and developing media and public information campaigns to help promote changes in public attitudes and policies.

Northeast Regional Anti-Hunger Network

The Northeast Regional Anti-Hunger Network (NERAHN) takes a leadership role for the five New England states and New York in national policy discussions on the federal nutrition programs, shares lessons learned from many different models for reducing hunger, and provides a forum for members to share information and strategies for maximizing federal nutrition resources. Project Bread is the lead agency for NERAHN.

UPS Project Contacts:

Project Bread - The Walk for Hunger
Noreen Kelly
Director of Community Initiatives
Project Bread – The Walk for Hunger
145 Border Street
East Boston, MA 02128
617-239-2550
Noreen_Kelly@projectbread.org

Hunger Action Network of New York State
Mark Dunlea
Executive Director
Hunger Action Network of New York State
275 State Street
Albany, NY 12210
518-434-7371 x1
Dunleamark@aol.com

Veda Myers
Hunger and Summer Food Program Assistant
Hunger Action Network of New York State
260 W. 36th Street, Suite 504
New York, NY 10018
212-741-8192 x2
vmyers@hungeractionnys.org

Deb Catozzi
Hunger Action Network of New York State
260 W. 36th Street, Suite 504
New York, NY 10018
212-741-8192
dcatozzi@hungeractionnys.org

Nutrition Consortium of New York State
Linda Bopp
Executive Director
Nutrition Consortium of NY State
14 Computer Drive East
Albany, NY 12205
518-436-8757 x15
Linda.Bopp@nutritionconsortium.org

Casey Dinkin
Manager of Communications and Advocacy
Nutrition Consortium of NY State
14 Computer Drive East
Albany, NY 12205
518-436-8757 x22
Casey.Dinkin@nutritionconsortium.org

End Hunger Connecticut!
Lucy Nolan
Executive Director
End Hunger Connecticut!
102 Hungerford Street
Hartford, CT 06106
860-560-2100 x13
lnolan@endhungerct.org

Dawn Crayco
Child Nutrition Advocate
End Hunger Connecticut!
102 Hungerford Street
Hartford, CT 06106
860-560-2100 x14
dcrayco@endhungerct.org

Connecticut Association of Human Services
Tracy Helin
Outreach Director
Connecticut Association of Human Services
110 Bartholomew Avenue, Suite 4030
Hartford, CT 06106-2201
860-951-2212 x236
thelin@cahs.org

Aleja Rosario
Outreach/Summer Food Program Coordinator
Connecticut Association of Human Services
110 Bartholomew Avenue, Suite 4030
Hartford, CT 06106-2201
860-951-2212 x241
arosario@cahs.org

Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger
Joanne Heidkamp
Program Director
Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger
180 Flynn Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
802-865-0255 x110
Jheidkamp@vtnohunger.org

Karen Dolan
Nutrition Programs Manager
Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger
180 Flynn Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
802-865-0255
kdolan@vtnohunger.org

Sarah Kunz
Summer Nutrition Outreach and Policy Specialist
Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger
180 Flynn Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
802-865-0255
skunz@vtnohunger.org

Boston Medical Center
Dr. John Cook
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Division of General Pediatrics
Boston University School of Medicine
88 East Newton Street, Vose Hall 3
Boston, MA 02118
617-414-5129
617-414-3679 fax
617-638-5795 #8772 pager
John.Cook@bmc.org

Food Research and Action Center
Crystal FitzSimons
Director of School and Out-of-School Programs
Food Research and Action Center
1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Suite 540
Washington, D.C. 20009
202-986-2200 x3006
cfitzsimons@frac.org

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Learn More about the UPS Project
UPS Project Background
Results

Read SFSP Best Practice Tools
Identifying and assessing a target community to build a work plan
Building a community coalition to support a work plan
Recruiting sponsors and sites
Conducting outreach
Addressing meal quality