By Laurean Love
Staff Writer
Texas Hunger Initiative, a program of Baylor’s School of Social Work, is partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture to host the Together at the Table: Southwest Regional Hunger Summit, which will stretch from today to Thursday.
The summit, which beginning at noon, will last until 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The event will be held in on the second floor of the Bill Daniel Student Center.
The summit will give leaders and practitioners from across the Southwest United States and beyond a chance to share their knowledge about food insecurity.
“The keys to alleviating hunger are organizing communities, creating models that are replicable and scalable, identifying the most efficient ways to distribute food and connecting those who suffer from food insecurity with the resources available to help them — all of which will be addressed during this summit,” Jeremy Everett, director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, said in an October press release. “Presenters, panelists and attendees will learn from each other and then go home and implement these strategies in their local communities.”
One in six households in Texas experience hunger, according to statistics provided by the Texas Hunger Initiative.
The summit will focus on proven methods to fight hunger.
More than 65 speakers and panelists will lead sessions.
Keynote speakers include Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Working Poor,” David Shipler; Craig Gundersen, professor of agricultural consumer and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois; and Harriet Phillips, who works in the office of Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe.
Topics such as food policy, urban agriculture, congregational outreach, community health and senior hunger will be discussed.
Registration is open online. The cost is $75 for the public, although attendance is free for students.
The registration fee includes dinner tonight, light breakfast on Thursday and lunch on Thursday.
Those interested in learning more about the Texas Hunger Initiative can visit www.baylor.edu/texashunger.
