Their feet are on the ground! Fourteen Baylor undergraduate and graduate students landed in Washington, D.C., yesterday to begin the Hunger in America mission trip, sponsored by Baylor Missions and the Texas Hunger Initiative (THI). Representing a diverse range of majors, these students will spend the week learning about the scope, causes and impact of hunger in the United States—meeting with representatives from the USDA and the White House, visiting with their legislators at Capitol Hill, volunteering at DC Central Kitchen and more! Follow their experiences on THI’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We’re please to introduce you to…
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Shannon Black | Senior, International Studies major | Round Rock, Texas
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: I became interested in the Hunger in America trip through exposure to social issues, such as hunger and nutrition, through my studies at Baylor.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I am looking forward to meeting with our representatives and other influential individuals to engage in dialogue about issues that are impacting Americans across the country. I am excited to learn about and advocate for hunger policy reform and poverty awareness.
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Joben David | Graduate student, MSW Program | Waco, Texas
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: Policy is integral to enacting change in a democracy. D.C. is the cerebrum of policy formation.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I look forward to tracing the roots of policies and systems and the way they effect what our community eats everyday.
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Justine Dietz | Senior, Social Work major | Springfield, Illinois
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: I was interested in this trip because I wanted to see how advocacy and the government played a role in the fight against hunger in America. The thought of meeting with government and organization officials and having a voice with them sounded so great to me.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I’m looking forward to seeing how my major and policy reform go together. I’m excited to see if policy and macro social work is something I’m interested in.
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Rachel Gillespie | Graduate student, MDIV/MSW Program | Knoxville, Tennessee
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: I decided to go on this trip because I wanted to learn more about advocacy and a Christian response to hunger in America and how political decisions are made.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I’m most excited to meet Melissa Rogers, the Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives.
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Brent Golden | Junior, International business and economics | Denver City, Texas
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: I heard about the trip through the Texas Hunger Initiative, working in the Central office. It sounded really exciting. I want to be in politics or be involved in that kind of stuff, and so the trip sounded like awesome opportunity to get involved in that while I’m here at Baylor.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I think I’m most looking forward to the trip to the USDA. I worked a little bit with USDA regulations during high school, and so I’m interested in learning more about where the source of funding comes from and how these programs are implemented.
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Haley Imhoff | Senior, Nutrition Science major | Seguin, Texas
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: I was interested in being a part of the Hunger in America trip because a major passion of mine is to help those who do not have the ability to access nutrient-dense food. I would like to learn more about how to advocate for those facing hunger in America and apply it to how I serve others within the community I live in.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I am looking forward to visiting and interacting with the major nonprofit organizations, like Share Our Strength and DC Central Kitchen, to learn how they have become so successful in serving the impoverished community. I am also interested in learning more about USDA’s child nutrition program because I would like to work with children, possibly in a school setting in the future. I am excited to enjoy and explore the area of Washington D.C. as well.
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Lydia Spann | Junior, Public Relations major | Antananarivo, Madagascar (originally from Texas, grew up in Madagascar)
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: I wanted to be a part of the Hunger in America trip for the chance to see what it looks like to advocate for issues like hunger on a large scale. I am a big-picture person, so being able to learn about and be exposed to policies that have the potential to end hunger through partnerships with other organizations is so exciting to me.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I am excited to see D.C. and explore what it has to offer with our team. I’m looking forward to being able to sit in on meetings and work that THI is doing and see how the big scale work plays out on a day-to-day basis.
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Shelby Sudano | Junior, Social Work major | Danbury, Texas
Q: What made you interested in attending the Hunger in America trip?
A: I got to learn about this trip in one of my classes, and it really sparked my interest. Hunger is an important issue, and I want to have a better understanding of the whole spectrum.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: This will be my first time in Washington, D.C., so I’m incredibly excited about seeing the city! Additionally, it will be interesting to learn first-hand the political process.
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Sarah Theobald | Senior, International Studies major | Beaumont, Texas
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: As I have gradually been exposed to the issues of severe poverty and food insecurity in our city and across our nation, my passion for fighting these issues has continued to abound. Upon learning about THI and this trip, I thought it would be an incredibly interesting opportunity to learn from leaders and join the advocacy efforts for anti-hunger awareness and policy reform.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I look forward to growing in wisdom and actively engaging in solutions combating the injustice of hunger in America.
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Theresa Vu | Junior, Biochemistry major | Houston, Texas
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: Coming to Waco exposed me to a different standard of living. Volunteering with kids in Waco, I have learned how prevalent hunger in America is especially among kids. The kids would get a special treat of fruit for dessert, but very rarely. Their joy of seeing fruit made me realize how blessed we are that we take something as small as fruit for granted. Going on this trip will allow me to help make a change with hunger that could affect my kids.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I am looking forward to going to the USDA and seeing what the government is doing in order to aid the end of childhood hunger.
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Will Ward | Graduate student, MDIV/MSW Program | Clinton, AR
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: I love politics, I always have. I love engaging in macro solutions to micro problems. At least, I have always thought I liked those things. This trip will give me a chance to do, first hand, some of the things I have always hoped to do. I am looking forward to not only receiving advocacy training, but to actually be able to go on the Hill and meet with congressmen to actually advocate for hunger policies. This is where theology and theory about this kind of engagement meets the practice of actually getting out there and doing it.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I am looking forward to The Hill visits. I am not the best at speaking and interacting with people I do not know, but this will stretch me to do things that will help others in the future.
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Katie Yarbro | Junior, Social Work major | Klamath Falls, OR
Q: What made you interested in participating in the Hunger in America trip?
A: I recently learned that Waco is a food desert in desperate need. It hurts me so deeply to know that people near me have to skip meals on a regular basis, including children. Food insecurity is something that can be relieved and I am interested in learning how to do that on a bigger scale.
Q: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
A: I am most looking forward to serving differently than I would on any other mission trip and growing in knowledge.