For several years, a network of community and campus gardens from across the Central PA region came together at an annual conference called Sowing Change to share knowledge and strengthen efforts aimed to expand sustainable growing practices and food security in the area. This effort was led by staff at Bucknell and Susquehanna Universities as well as Union-Snyder CAA. As such, attendance at the annual conference was historically dominated by members of higher education institutions with limited participation from members of the broader community.  

 

In 2020, the group made a transition away from the conference-only model to form the Union-Snyder Hunger Coalition, led by CAA and our three-year AmeriCorps VISTA project. This transition was intended to create a shift in focus to one that is community-centered rather than university-centered. Nevertheless, the Union-Snyder Hunger Coalition will continue to rely on the foundations of the Sowing Change group to build a coalition of organizations and individuals who are committed to increasing food security in the region.  

 

The expected overarching activities of the Hunger Coalition will be to: 

 

• Identify and address gaps in service and redundancies across the region’s food access programs  

• Share resources to support and promote anti-hunger programs and streamline information for food insecure populations 

• Develop food solutions that are sustainable for the community and the environment  

​

Learn more about the Union-Snyder Hunger Coalition by contacting Rachel Herman, Sustainable Food Solutions VISTA, at rherman@union-snydercaa.org. A website dedicated to the coalition will be live, coming soon.

​