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Join us for a virtual summit November 16-20th 2020 for those fighting hunger and food insecurity in West Virginia

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday will feature general sessions, and Wednesday will feature skill-building workshops.

All sessions will be held over ZOOM. Register for the event on our Eventbrite page for access to full agenda with ZOOM links and further instructions.

Agenda

Monday, November 16th

10:00AM - 11:30AM

Beginning to End Hunger: Policy, Institutions and Democracy in the Food System: led by Josh Lohnes with Dr. Jahi Chappel & Dr. Garrett Grady-Loveless

The laws, regulations and institutions that shape food access and nutrition policy are complex yet remain open to both progressive reform and radical transformation. In this keynote session, two scholar-activists at the forefront of the global movement for food sovereignty engage with the West Virginia Food for All Coalition to discuss representative democracy in the food system and the critical role that social movements and policy makers and advocates can play in reshaping the social contract between food producers and consumers to advance the right to food.

Tuesday, November 17th

10:00AM - 11:30AM

Race and Food Access Roundtable: led by Josh Lohnes with Dr. Lauri Andres, Dr. Shanequa Smith, Delegate Danielle Walker, and Dr. Elisa Minoff

Communities of color are disproportionately affected by food insecurity and face barriers to food access rooted in histories of racial injustice. This roundtable discussion will focus on the intersection between policy, race and food access. We will reflect on the racist roots of work requirement tied to public assistance programs and center the voices of community leaders working to advance social justice and racial equity across West Virginia.

Wednesday, November 18th

9:30AM - 10:30AM

How to get the most out of meetings with your lawmakers, a skill building session with members of the WV State Legislature: led by Seth Distefano with Delegate Sammi Brown, Delegate Mark Dean, and Delegate Chad Lovejoy

Join House Hunger Caucus founding member Delegate Chad Lovejoy for an informative session on what makes for a good meeting with your members of the State Legislature. Topics will include what makes for a productive meeting, how to get time during the pandemic and an interactive Q & A session with attendees.

11:00AM - 12:00PM
Building Relationships to Get to the Champion’s Ring: led by Spencer Moss with Councilmember Rosemary Ketchem, Mayor Dr. Anne Cavalier, Delegate Amanda Estep Burton, and Senator J.R. Pitsenbarger

Have you ever needed a champion for your cause — food security, installation of a stop sign, funding for a project? Whatever your cause, when it comes to making policy change, every issues has a champion, and many times those champions rise up out of a relationship. Join a local mayor, city councilmember, a state delegate, and state senator for a panel discussion about what it takes to make relationships with elected officials.

1:00PM - 2:00PM

Skills-Building Workshop: Strategies for Successful Social Media Advocacy: led by Renee Alves with Carling McManus and Hannah Sawyer

Join us for an hour-long session centered on strategies to set your social media advocacy efforts up for success. The session will begin with a brief presentation by Carling McManus of 84 Agency, a Charleston-based communications and consulting firm, to discuss strategies for crafting language that will resonate with constituents and policymakers. Carling’s expertise will be paired with that of Hannah Sawyer, the State Communications Manager of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Safety Net Initiative, who will present on strategies and tools we can use to release our carefully crafted language on social media in ways that will land effectively and move our audiences to action. Presentations will be followed with time for Q&A.

2:30PM - 3:30PM

Working with Government Agencies to Affect Change in Policies and Programs: led by Kristin McCartney with Jackie Hoppee, Amanda Harrison, and Norm Bailey

Have you ever wondered what it would take to get a government agency to change the way they do something? Did you know that the employees at government agencies want programs and policies to work for the people that they serve? Join this interactive panel with guests from the WV Department of Agriculture, Education, and Health and Human Resources as they explore instances of working with organizations and communities to affect change.

4:00PM - 5:00PM

Policy Advocacy How-To: led by Liz Brunello, Rick Wilson, and Lida Shepherd

How can we be as effective as possible getting good policy passed and also stopping bad policy? It doesn’t have to be guess-work: When the problem, politics and policy streams align, a window of opportunity opens!

Thursday, November 19th

10:00AM - 11:30AM

No Hungry Child Left Behind with Jenny Anderson and Cyndi Kirkhart

The COVID-19 pandemic has been good for exactly one thing — showing the holes in our food systems. Food pantries, nonprofits, and schools have been left scrambling to figure our how they will feed their communities. In all of this, several counties have worked to develop feeding plans that fit their communities. Join this panel discussion as members of the Cabell County school system discuss the decisions that they’ve made — successes and failures — regarding feeding their kids.

Friday, November 20th

10:00AM - 11:30AM

Leading With The Truth: with Amy Jo Hutchinson

Join us for a panel discussion with the people this work is about. Meet mothers from across our state who know what food insecurity and food access mean because they've struggled with it. Real talk. Real honest. Real life. Real leaders.

Presenters & Panelists

Click for more info.

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