The Vermont Foodbank Hunger Action Conference has become one of New England’s top resources for training and insight focusing on the charitable food system, poverty and the issue of hunger.  More than three hundred Foodbank partner food shelves and meal sites, business leaders, state employees and elected officials, philanthropists, citizens and other service providers will attend this full-day educational event to share their experiences, expand their knowledge base, and open up new possibilities for achieving positive results.

But do you need more convincing?  Here are three reasons you should attend this event on May 7th – we offer a few bonus reasons at the end!

Reason #1:

Featured presenters Dr. Lindsey Godwin and Dr. Matthew Moehle specialize in the application of strengths-based approaches, such as Appreciative Inquiry, to help whole-systems, organizations, teams, and individuals envision and enact better tomorrows. This is different that the usual focus on problems and the “fix” or solution to the “problem.” Their interactive presentation will explore best practices in how to create positive change in any organization, and how we can all come together to innovatively address issues like hunger in our community.

You can watch a brief video, featuring John Hayes, about AI here:

Reason #2:

Doug Davis, Burlington School Food Project director, will be one of our “Shining Examples.”  Davis was recently featured in Seven Days (How Doug Davis Revolutionized the Burlington School Food Program, 4/24/13): “Davis’ program has earned its greatest acclaim for getting local foods into school cafeterias. Burlington’s progress in the farm-to-school movement has made Davis ‘a national celebrity’ in that world, said Shelburne Farms vice president and program director Megan Camp.”

You can read the article here.

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Reason #3:

This year’s conference is designed to get participants talking, sharing and imagining with each other.  Interactive dialogue sessions will explore:

  • How do we ask new questions to help create innovative solutions to complex challenges like hunger in our community?
  • How can our perception of problems or challenges be transformed in order to uncover new possibilities for achieving positive results?
  • How can we envision a fully nourished community and work imaginatively together to make our vision a reality?

These questions are already being discussed on the Facebook event page!

Even more great reasons to attend:

  • Attending network partners will receive 20% off all cooperative buying program orders placed by June 30th, along with being entered into a drawing to win one of five $500 credits for the cooperative buying program. Network partners must be present to win.
  • Hal Colston, Executive Director of SerVermont and founder of the Good News Garage and NeighborKeepers, and Tiffany Bluemle, Executive Director of Vermont Works for Women, will be two of our other “Shining Examples.”
  • Tracey Medeiros, author of The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook, will be at the Conference, signing and selling copies of her latest book, to benefit the Vermont Foodbank.
  • The Hunger Action Conference is a gathering of committed, passionate, intelligent people – all in one place on one day to discuss issues of hunger and poverty!

To learn more, visit the Hunger Action Conference website today!

Online registrations have closed at this time, but we’ll welcome walk-ins the morning of May 7th!  Hope to see you there!