Aswereflecton2025,I’mremindedofatruthweseevalidatedagainandagainin communitiesacrossthecountry:hunger and poverty end where collaboration begins Thisyear,theBaylorCollaborativeonHungerandPovertywitnessedextraordinary examplesofthepowerofsharedleadership fromruralAlaskanvillagesstrengthening children’saccesstomeals,toTexascommunitieslaunchingnewhungercoalitions,to studentsandAmeriCorpsmembersdiscoveringtheircallingsasfuturechangemakers.
Increasing Participation in Summer Meals Across Texas: Thisyear,the Hunger Collaborativecontinueditscampaigntoincreaseparticipationinsummermeal sitesacrossTexasinpartnershipwiththe Texas Department of Agriculture and the Moody Foundation Throughtargetedoutreachtoover 1,500 program operators and county officials,plusprovidingsupporttosummermealevents inschooldistrictsacrossTexas,theHungerCollaborativeaimstostrengthen infrastructureandincreasevisibilityforsummermeals.
Launching Data Tools to Maximize Meal Access for Kids: The Hunger Collaborativeexpandeditsdatafootprintwiththelaunchoftheupdated School Meals Dashboard—nowofferingdistrict- andcampus-levelinsights.Thisnew versionincludesapowerfulfeaturethathighlightswhichdistrictsareeligiblefor theCommunityEligibilityProvision(CEP),helpingcommunitiesmoreeasily identifyopportunitiestomaximizemealaccessforkids.
Supporting Summer Meals for Kids Across Rural Alaska: Since2020,theHunger CollaborativeandAlaska’sDepartmentofEducationandEarlyDevelopment havepartneredtoprovidesummermealstochildreninsomeofAlaska’shardest toreachareas.Now,astheHungerCollaborativecompletesitssecondyearof providingsupporttotheStateofAlaskaasitlaunchesthisprojectonitsown, Meals-to-You Alaskadistributed overone million meals tochildrenacross thestate.TheHungerCollaborativestafftraveledtoAnchorageandKotzebueto meetpartnersandfamilies,gainingdeeperinsightintotheprogram’simpactand reach.
Engaging Policymakers to End Summer Hunger: Thisyear,theHungerCollaborativeengagedpolicymakersinAustin andWashington,D.C.todiscusseffortstoendsummerhungerforchildreninurbanandruralAmerica.Joinedbythe HungerCollaborative’sBoardofAdvocatesinMarch,theseeffortsledtothesuccessfulincorporationoffederal appropriationslanguageencouragingUSDA’sFoodandNutritionService(FNS)toprovidefundingtohelpsummer mealprovidersexpandmealoptionsinruralareas.
Alleviating Senior Hunger Through Outreach and Education: TheHungerCollaborative’spilotprogram—Eating Well is a SNAP!—helpsolderadultsunderstandandaccesstheSupplementalNutritionAssistanceProgram(SNAP).In2025, thisprogramexpandedintomoreTexascounties,withparticipantsreportingtheprogramhelpedthembetter understandhowSNAPisaresourceforthem.
The most impactful part of the… [Hunger Free Communities Certificate] Course was learning how to combine data-driven strategies with community engagement to create sustainable, equity-focused hunger solutions.”
In January, with support fromEpiscopal Health Foundation,Amarillo Area Foundation,andMethodist Healthcare Ministries,thefirsttraining cohortslaunchedinAmarillo, Nacogdoches, Galveston,andWest Texas Thesecohortscompletedfourofthesixprogramelementsbyforming communityleadershipcouncils,completingtheHungerFreeCommunities CertificateCourse,andparticipatinginTogetherattheTableandthe Washington,DCFoodSecurityPolicyWorkshop
The [Hunger Free Communities Two-Year Intensive] has been a transformative learning experience that deepened my understanding of community-led approaches to hunger and poverty alleviation
Graduate Partnerships with the Garland School of Social Work and Truett Seminary InpartnershipwithBaylorUniversity’sDianaGarlandSchoolofSocialWork,theBaylorHungerCollaborativehostedfive graduateinternspursuingtheirMSWandpartneredwithGSSWfacultytoleadProgramEvaluationforPractice Improvement.Additionally,theHungerCollaborativeisexcitedtoannouncethelaunchofanewdegreeprogramwiththe SchoolofSocialWork:theonline Master of Arts in Social, Nonprofit, and Public Leadership.Thisdegreeprogram cultivatesearlytomid-careerprofessionalstomakealasting,meaningfulimpactinsocialandpublicservicesectors
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Nowinitsfifthyear,inpartnershipwithTruettSeminary’s Master of Arts in Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice, theHungerCollaborativeofferedanexperiential-learning IntersectionofTheology,FoodJustice,andPublicPolicy class in Washington, D.C. in May. During the class, studentsspentaweekinWashington,D.C.meetingwith keypolicyleadersandprogramstakeholders
TheBaylorCollaborativeonHungerandPovertyunitescommunities,schools,nonprofits,andgovernment partnerstodrivebold,scalablesolutionstoendhunger.Throughapowerfulcollectiveimpactapproach,it expands access to nutritious meals, tests and evaluates innovative models to end hunger, and sparks partnershipsthatcreatelastingchange FromTexastocommunitiesaroundtheworld,theBaylorHunger Collaborativeistransformingideasintoactiontoensureeveryonehasaccesstothefoodtheyneed.
