Alliance To End Hunger

NATIONAL ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

THE ALLIANCE TO END HUNGER IS APPLYING TO BE AN AMERICORPS VISTA SPONSOR FOR NINE VISTAS AND ONE VISTA LEADER FOR A THREE-YEAR PROJECT. THE ALLIANCE TO END HUNGER?S HUNGER FREE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO PARTNER WITH AMERICORPS VISTA TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITIES OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO REDUCE POVERTY AND HUNGER IN THEIR LOCALITIES. THE ALLIANCE WILL RECRUIT NINE VISTAS TO WORK IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. TO BUILD THE CAPACITIES OF PRIMARILY EMERGING AND NEWLY ESTABLISHED HUNGER FREE COMMUNITY (HFC) NETWORKS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF POOR AND FOOD-INSECURE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. ONE VISTA LEADER WILL BE BASED AT THE ALLIANCE TO END HUNGER. HFCS ARE BROAD-BASED, MULTI-SECTOR COALITIONS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO ENDING HUNGER IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THESE COALITIONS?TYPICALLY COMPRISED OF LOCAL NONPROFITS, FAITH GROUPS, BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES?RANGE IN GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE AND COMPOSITION BUT AT THEIR CORE SHARE A BELIEF THAT TO END HUNGER A BROAD RANGE OF COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS MUST UNITE BEHIND A COMMON VISION AND STRATEGY. THE ALLIANCE IS A NATIONAL MODEL FOR HFCS AND OUR HFC INITIATIVE PROVIDES A FORUM FOR COMMUNICATION, RESOURCE SHARING, TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. AS SUCH, THE ALLIANCE CAN SUPPORT HFCS IN THEIR WORK TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HUNGER IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, IDENTIFY AND REACH UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, BRING UNCONVENTIONAL PARTNERS TO THE TABLE, CLOSE SERVICE GAPS AMONG PROGRAMS, CREATE HIGH IMPACT PROGRAMMING AND IDENTIFY NEW RESOURCES. AMERICORPS VISTAS WILL BE INTEGRAL TO THIS WORK AND CAN PROVIDE MEANINGFUL CAPACITY BUILDING SERVICES. IN THE FIRST YEAR, THE VISTAS WILL FOCUS ON BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THESE PROJECTS, INCREASING PARTNERSHIPS, ENGAGING LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS AND CREATING THEIR HUNGER FREE COMMUNITY PLANS. BUILDING THE CAPACITIES OF HFCS WILL MAKE A LASTING IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF HUNGRY PEOPLE. THE ALLIANCE TO END HUNGER?S HUNGER FREE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE CAN SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS, LEADING TO: ? DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF HUNGER IN OUR COMMUNITIES ? ENGAGEMENT OF A BROAD RANGE OF COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS ? COLLECTIVE APPROACHES TO PROBLEM SOLVING ? GREATER CAPACITY AND BETTER COORDINATION OF PROGRAMS TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY AND HUNGER THE ALLIANCE HAS A STRONG TRACK RECORD OF WORKING WITH MANY SUCH COALITIONS OVER THE YEARS MAKING US A STRONG CANDIDATE FOR THE AMERICORPS VISTA PROGRAM.