Events

 

The 2021 Virtual Summit on Idaho Hunger and Food Security
Thursday, October 21st 9am – 4pm MDT

What has the pandemic revealed about Idaho’s food security?

About this event

The Summit on Hunger and Food Insecurity is a bi-annual summit that gathers the state’s faith leaders, charitable emergency food providers, state and local government, health providers, advocacy groups, business and industry and community members gathered together to learn about hunger and food insecurity. Participants of the Hunger Summit get the opportunity to work in different tracks and learn about the related efforts that are going on throughout the state and how we can collectively improve upon them.

At the end of this one day event, each track will together craft next steps and action items that will be reviewed and reported on during the following Summit on Hunger and Food Insecurity. Additionally, the Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force writes a report detailing previous actions that have been taken around the state and what we will do to alleviate hunger in Idaho in the future.

The Summit will:

Bring Together leaders from business, government, agriculture, non-profit agencies, schools, tribal organizations, faith communities, & Idahoans who have experienced hunger
Celebrate Success of previous Summit on Hunger & Food Security
Educate & Raise Awareness of hunger & food insecurity in Idaho
Present Best Practices in anti-hunger & food security programs & policies
Learn How to make a difference in your community
Identify ‘Next Steps’ in program & policy solutions for Idaho

The conference will include a presentation from a national keynote speaker, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean, Friedman School of Nutrition, Tufts University

Dr. Mozaffarian will discuss the current challenges of poor nutrition in the US, including the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the advances in science and policy solutions to create a nutritious, sustainable, and equitable food system for all.  Read his bio here.

The keynote will be followed by a panel of Idaho experts in nutrition and food security focused on four key areas:
Childhood Nutrition: Rebecca Elmore | President, Idaho School Nutrition Association 
Health Partnerships: Angie Gribble | Director of Community Health, St. Luke’s Health System
Multicultural Food Security: Dolores Vega | Resource & Advocacy Supervisor, The Hunger Coalition
Senior Hunger: Grant Jones | CEO, Metro Meals on Wheels 

Attendees will then break into workshop tracks that align with the four focus areas listed above to discuss lessons learned, explore current challenges, learn about best practices, and ultimately create the next steps and action plan for the state of Idaho.  You will choose one workshop track to participate in for the afternoon.

I. Childhood Nutrition: Learn how the pandemic has affected access to healthy, nutritious meals for children throughout Idaho, with a particular focus on how schools are uniquely positioned to respond and provide much needed support to families struggling with food insecurity.

II. Senior Hunger: Understand how the pandemic has exacerbated hunger and social isolation for Idaho’s senior population, and how community organizations have worked to implement creative solutions to address this historic lack of access. 

III. Multicultural Food Security: Explore how the pandemic has affected food security within Idaho’s Hispanic communities, and discuss unique approaches to reducing the skyrocketing rates of nutrition and food insecurity.

IV. Health Partnerships: Learn how the health system has leveraged community partnerships to address nutrition and food security during a time of unprecedented need. 

REGISTER TO ATTEND

Scholarships are available for qualifying individuals. For more information, please reach out to info@idahohunger.org.

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