Infographic with the title "Collaborating For Food Security" surrounding the Vermont Foodbank logo. Text following reads "We believe hunger is solvable. We're collaborating to achieve a food-secure Vermont." The next text reads "Vermont Foodbank advocates for policy solutions with organizations and community members at the state, regional, and national levels." This is followed by icons representing a map of the state of Vermont, a map of New England, and a map of the United States. The next line features a group of seven cartoon-style characters holding a banner that reads "Food For All." Text alongside this illustration reads "Legislators, community leaders, and everyday people-many of whom have lived experience of hunger–are working with us for a food-secure Vermont." On the next line text reads "This collaboration is what fuels our vision: Everyone in Vermont has equitable access to enough nourishing food to thrive." This text is accompanied by cartoon illustrations of a pair of hands holding a fork and knife over a plate of chicken, salad and potatoes, a pair of hands holding a sandwich, and a pair of hands holding a piece of bread and a spoon over a bowl of soup.
Infographic with the title "Collaborating For Food Security" surrounding the Vermont Foodbank logo. Text following reads "We believe hunger is solvable. We're collaborating to achieve a food-secure Vermont." The next text reads "Vermont Foodbank advocates for policy solutions with organizations and community members at the state, regional, and national levels." This is followed by icons representing a map of the state of Vermont, a map of New England, and a map of the United States. The next line features a group of seven cartoon-style characters holding a banner that reads "Food For All." Text alongside this illustration reads "Legislators, community leaders, and everyday people-many of whom have lived experience of hunger–are working with us for a food-secure Vermont." On the next line text reads "This collaboration is what fuels our vision: Everyone in Vermont has equitable access to enough nourishing food to thrive." This text is accompanied by cartoon illustrations of a pair of hands holding a fork and knife over a plate of chicken, salad and potatoes, a pair of hands holding a sandwich, and a pair of hands holding a piece of bread and a spoon over a bowl of soup.

As the Foodbank works with partners to share quality food and help eligible neighbors connect to longer-term grocery help, we are also working collectively to build a food-secure future.

Our vision is for everyone in Vermont to have equitable access to enough nourishing food to thrive. Getting there takes more than the daily work of distributing food. We also need to change systems and policies through collaborative advocacy and coalition efforts. The Foodbank has a full-time staff role dedicated to this work, but we can’t do it alone. Here are some of the people and organizations we partner with, and what we are working to achieve:

  • We partner with community members with lived experience of hunger and with our network of food access partners to ensure that their voices, stories, and expertise are heard by legislators and centered in decision-making.
  • We co-lead the Vermont Food Security Coalition, which focuses on moving forward the priorities laid out in the Vermont Food Security Roadmap to 2035. These include things like strengthening 3SquaresVT access, establishing a disaster response fund, and supporting farms in making fresh, local foods accessible to more community members. The coalition members working alongside the Foodbank include: Feeding the Valley Alliance, Hunger Free Vermont, Intervale Center, the Land Access and Opportunity Board, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund.
  • We advocate with partners in Vermont, the New England region, and as part of the national Feeding America network to protect and expand funding for nutrition programs and make benefits easier to access.
  • We advocate alongside legislators who are championing food security legislation or funding, to help build broad support for these changes.

What does this work look like in practice?

It can mean organizing a day of action for a specific program or priority, such as the annual 3SquaresVT Awareness Day, where community advocates and partners come together to educate Vermont legislators on the importance of protecting and enhancing this program (3SquaresVT is Vermont’s name for the federal SNAP program).

It can mean holding advocacy trainings so that community members can become comfortable navigating the Vermont State House and speaking up as advocates. It can mean supporting neighbors in testifying to a legislative committee—whether in person, online, or in writing.

And, it can mean bringing legislators to partner sites so they can learn more about the everyday work and challenges of food access.

Progress is not always linear and there are many bumps in the journey toward a food-secure future. But together, we’re changing narratives and beliefs about food access, building stronger support for proven solutions, and paving the way for bigger changes. You can read more about the outcomes of the 2026 Legislative Session on our blog.

Download this infographic as an accessible PDF.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series, where we’ll share more about how we’re working to lift up community voices and support community-led solutions around Vermont.

A title that reads One-on-One Help with 3SquaresVT surrounding a Vermont Foodbank logo and a cartoon drawing of an EBT card.One-On-One Help with 3SquaresVT
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