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WhyHunger is pleased to announce Noreen Springstead as its new executive director. A 23 year veteran of WhyHunger, Springstead brings a combination of marketing, fundraising, program management, operations and executive experience to the position. With two decades of steadfast commitment to the mission of WhyHunger, Springstead is poised to lead the 40 year old organization to new heights in the years to come.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am thrilled to officially welcome Noreen into her new role as executive director," said Board Chair Brian McMorrow. "Her wealth of experience, passion, demonstrated leadership and vision for the future of WhyHunger drove her to the top of a national search and we could not be more delighted for her continued stewardship of the organization's success in her new position."
Inspired by the stories she heard of her Irish grandparent's struggles around food access and equality, Springstead joined WhyHunger in 1992 drawn to the organization's commitment to social justice and a shared belief in nutritious food as a human right. She rose from an administrative assistant to managing director of WhyHunger. Along the way, Springstead directed program services to develop, support and replicate innovative grassroots solutions and established the fundraising and marketing department, guiding its growth over the years. Additionally, she has led the cultivation of high-level corporate partnerships and built long-term relationships with notable artists, management and record labels resulting in millions of dollars in support to WhyHunger and their community based partners.
"It is an honor and privilege to step into the role of executive director of WhyHunger, an organization whose mission I have committed my life to," said Executive Director Noreen Springstead. "From the very beginning, it was not a sense of charity but rather a demand for social justice and the right to nutritious food for all that has propelled me personally and moved WhyHunger's work forward. Now, as we celebrate 40 years and embark on the next leg in WhyHunger's journey with a vision that is clearer than ever, the time is right for this growing movement for food justice to flourish."
Co-founder Bill Ayres is transitioning from his role as executive director and will remain with the organization as its ambassador. As the organization celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2015, Ayres will focus heavily on fundraising, with an emphasis on leading the Nourishing Tomorrow legacy campaign, and policy work.
"For 23 years, Noreen has been my partner in bringing the vision and mission of WhyHunger to life," said Co-Founder and Ambassador Bill Ayres. "She has my complete trust and confidence at the helm of the organization and there is no one else I would wish to take on this important role. I look forward to supporting her and the work of WhyHunger as co-founder and ambassador for years to come."
As executive director, Springstead will continue to strengthen the organization's focus on ensuring nutritious food as a human right by supporting sustainable, community-led solutions to hunger that are steeped in social, political and economic justice.
Springstead is a graduate of Rutgers University with a BA in Political Science and completed an Executive Education Certification Program given by the Harvard Kennedy School. She has served on the board of numerous community and civic organizations.
To learn more about Nourishing Tomorrow, please visit the new website.
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WhyHunger is honored to join the Advisory Committee for Hunger Is, a new joint charitable program from the Safeway Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) designed to raise awareness, engage volunteers and raise funds in support of eradicating childhood hunger in America.
Hunger Is kicked off this past spring with a month-long fundraiser in 1,300 Safeway stores across the country, raising more than $4.6 million in the first month with the help of online donations. Since the kickoff, $1.3 million in charitable grants have been awarded to 198 deserving organizations, including many WhyHunger partners. Managers of participating stores provided grant nominations, choosing food banks and anti-hunger organizations serving their local communities and neighborhoods. The Advisory Committee made recommendations and offered guidance for the approval of the grants by the Safeway Foundation and EIF, and grant awards ranged from $2,000 to $63,000. Read more here.
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Race & Ethnicity Matter: Understanding Childhood Obesity through the Lens of Health Equity & Justice
Leadership for Healthy Communities is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation designed to support local and state government leaders in their efforts to reduce childhood obesity through public policies that promote active living, healthy eating and access to healthy foods and beverages. They are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, January 27th, 2015 from 3 - 4 p.m. EST to hear from experts about how inequities in social, economic and environmental justice impact health and the policy and systems changes that are needed to ensure all kids are able to live long, healthy lives.
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Right to Food and Nutrition Watch
A recent report from Right to Food and Nutrition Watch Consortium concludes that food insecurity and human rights violations continue despite international frameworks codifying the human right to food and new global policies and programs to ensure it - through community-based agriculture, community control of natural resources, and local and regional food systems. The report, Ten Years of the Right to Food Guidelines: Gains, Concerns and Struggles, argues that despite these efforts to protect and advance the human right to food, corporate interests consistently block the implementation of these new policies.
The consolidated power of the food and beverage industry has contributed to the global problems of both obesity and malnutrition, and these same private enterprises are grabbing precious natural resources from small-scale and family farmers and fishers, drastically undermining community food sovereignty, or the right of people to determine their own food and agriculture policies.
The Right to Food and Nutrition Watch is an annual publication to "monitor and advance the progressive realization of the right to adequate food and nutrition at global, regional, national and local levels and give visibility to peoples' struggles and resistance on the ground." Read more here.
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4 Innovative Community Food Projects Empowering Low-Income Residents
There are many community food organizations working hard to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Through urban farms, school gardens, school lunch programs and more, these groups are alleviating food insecurity and building food justice in America. WhyHunger, which supports community-based organizations that seek solutions to underlying causes of hunger and connect people with quality food, has been documenting these community members' stories through its project, Community Voices.
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2015 Summer Meals Webinar Series
The USDA hosts a summer meals webinar series with experts, partners and special speakers who will provide resources, technical guidance and best practices that can make your Summer Meals Program a success. Topics include engaging tribal organizations and tackling transportation challenges. Register here.
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SNAP Resources
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington D.C.-based public policy think tank, released a SNAP chart book and a new report on state waiver expiration. The chart book highlights some key characteristics of the more than 46 million people using SNAP as well as useful graphics, trends and data on program administration and use. The report reviews the 3 month time limit policy, its impact, the affected population and key issues for consideration as the time limit comes back into effect in many parts of the country. The loss of benefits will likely increase hardship for approximately 1 million unemployed childless adults who rely upon SNAP to meet their basic nutritional needs.
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Crowdfunding with Barnraiser
Barnraiser seeks to empower the food movement with the use of crowdfunding. Their mission is to put a billion dollars into the hands of food innovators as they reshape a healthy food world. There are many different innovators from healthy and artisanal foods to community kitchens and organic farms. With the support of the community, Barnraiser wants to change the way we meet these trendsetters in the food and farming world. Learn more here.
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Please verify that your organization's profile is accurate in the database. To update your record,
database@whyhunger.org. If your organization is not in the database, please join us here.
Our Hotline number has changed to 1-800-5-HUNGRY. Please update your records and find outreach materials here. |
Nourishing Change is meant to encourage conversation and dialogue about transforming communities, community food security and the emergency food system. We want to hear from you! Email us at nourish@whyhunger.org
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Nourish Network for the Right to Food
WhyHunger
505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 2100
New York, New York 10018
212-629-8850
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Contributors: Betty Fermin, Katrina Moore and Jessica Powers.
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