The Vermont Foodbank is the largest hunger relief organization in the state and its mission is to gather and share quality food and nurture partnerships so that no one in Vermont will go hungry. Its core function is to provide food items, prepared meals, and increasingly, fresh produce, to individuals and 225 network partners statewide - including food shelves, meal sites, childcare centers, senior centers, and emergency shelters.
The passion that fuels the Vermont Foodbank’s mission comes from the diverse perspectives and skills of its 225 network partners from across Vermont. For the past eight years, the Foodbank’s annual Hunger Action Conference (HAC) has brought together this network, in addition to other non-profits, state of Vermont partners and the general public, to creatively address the problem of hunger in our state.
The Hunger Action Conference is a full-day educational event that provides 300 plus attendees from the non-profit and charitable food worlds with training regarding poverty and hunger, food systems, health, best practices and more, to help them better impact those most in need in their communities. The event includes a speaking program, several choices of workshops, a sit down lunch, and a networking marketplace.
The Hunger Action Conference is held each year for several reasons: to facilitate community building and an organized approach around addressing hunger in Vermont; to focus on the audience (staff and volunteers of community food shelves, congregate meal sites, and other human service nonprofits and state agencies) and their needs; and to inspire the audience to take action. Ultimately, the purpose is to raise awareness about the issue of hunger and provide our network and others around the state the necessary tools to better address the issue in their communities. One of the Foodbank’s goals is to help build the capacity of our network and provide opportunities for learning and sharing; this conference helps us to realize that goal.
This year’s conference theme is “Nurturing Partnerships; Nourishing Change”. The Vermont Foodbank is seeking presenters, panels, and workshops with a focus on the root causes of hunger and addressing poverty; the role small organizations can play to address the root causes of hunger and poverty or work on policy issues that address poverty; the needs, barriers and issues facing people living in poverty; how communities and organizations can strengthen the work they are doing; and how communities are partnering and collaborating to increase their impact.
Workshops are expected to last 75-90 minutes. Any handouts/supplemental materials necessary for the workshop are to be provided by the presenter 10 days prior to the conference. The Vermont Foodbank will provide the appropriate number of photocopies at no charge to the presenter.
Proposal Deadline: January 11, 2016
Submissions: Proposal submission must include all of the information requested. Proposals need to be submitted by midnight on Monday, January 11, 2016.