Welcoming Our New Executive Director: Marissa Parisi, MS

Dear Friends,

I am thrilled to be welcomed as the new Executive Director of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger. During my initial meetings with members of the Board of Directors and staff, and research into the organization’s accomplishments over the years, my respect for the organization grew exponentially. The Campaign is a sophisticated team working tirelessly, in collaboration with its many partners and supporters, to ensure children are adequately nourished in schools, child care centers, and at home. I am both honored and excited by the opportunity to help lead the Campaign in continuing to protect all vulnerable Vermonters from the devastating effects of hunger.

Particularly during these troubling economic times, the work of the Campaign is more essential than ever. Vermont can expect an increase in food insecurity throughout the state in 2009 as we enter a time of unprecedented need. Although Vermont receives high rankings in the country in the areas of health and safety, Vermont is ranked 14th highest in the nation for hunger. This should be concerning to all Vermonters, as studies have shown that children who don’t have access to proper nutrition in their formative years experience poorer performance in school, become sick more often, and have more behavioral problems. A number of organizations, programs, and services make up Vermont’s food safety net to ensure all Vermonters have enough nutritious food every day. However, as you know, there are thousands of Vermonters who are slipping through the cracks; along with all of us at the Campaign, I believe we can do better.

Currently, one in ten Vermonters experiences food insecurity and doesn’t have access to high-quality nutritious food on a daily basis. Food insecurity is especially challenging for families in the winter months, when fuel and heating prices spike, and parents find themselves making hard choices to provide the most basic needs for their children. More families are spending down their incomes to pay for housing, transportation, and medical costs, and thus, rely heavily on the federal Food Stamp Program—now known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT—and food shelves as their primary source of food. As the average food stamp benefit is a modest $93/month supplement to most families’ food budgets, increasing access to nutritious school breakfast and lunch programs, offered free or at reduced cost, is also essential for low-income children.

I look forward to the work ahead—to reaching all who need help accessing enough nutritious food; to removing the stigma associated with seeking food assistance; and to helping concerned citizens take action to make sure every Vermonter, young and old, is fed every day. We can all participate in ending hunger in our state and move Vermont into a leadership role within the anti-hunger movement. I look forward to meeting the many, many partners, funders, and volunteers across the state who are engaged in this vital work with the Campaign—and to bringing others who are new to this work on board as well.

The new year brings many hopes and challenges. The Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger is committed to defeating hunger once and for all in Vermont, and I am honored to lead the Campaign in achieving this mission. With increased community awareness and your support, together we can feed every child, every day.

Warm regards,
Marissa Parisi, M.S.