by Nat Mudd

 

My VISTA service consists of two projects. The first is using BCHP’s Hunger Free Community Coalition Toolkit as a model to organize the work to address student food insecurity at Baylor University. Second, I am helping build a coalition from the ground up in Bell County, also using the steps outlined in the HFCC Toolkit. With a background in social work, serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA has allowed me to further my professional development and open the door for macro level work. Working alongside a community has enabled me to put my community practice skills to use and question the systems and institutions that frequently are barriers to equitable access to resources. Researching, planning, facilitating, organizing, evaluating, and partnering have all been transferable from my undergrad experience to serving as a VISTA.

Walking alongside a hunger coalition in its early stages has been very rewarding to witness a community rally around the issue of food insecurity. Stakeholders want to create sustainable solutions to ensure that not only does everyone in the community have a seat at the table, but also a healthy meal.

The conversation of hunger and poverty has been dominated by those without lived experience. In my work with coalitions, I’ve learned that it’s not enough to invite people into the conversation of food insecurity. It’s crucial to center this conversation around people with lived experience but doing so in a way that is empowering and non-tokenizing. True change cannot come without elevating and listening to marginalized voices.

Because hunger disproportionately impacts black, indigenous, and other people of color, I would like to see more people from those communities being involved in the process of alleviating hunger. From farming to policy making, there is not enough representation of the people being impacted the most, and coalition work is no exception. Coalitions should be composed of a diverse group of people and be reflective of their communities. Long term, I would like to see the work of coalitions decrease the power differential in our society by creating equitable spaces, and I know this will be done when people are no longer having to sacrifice food for paying the expense of other needs.

 

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Nat Mudd is an Americorps VISTA serving in the Heart of Texas Region of Baylor’s Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty.