Capital Area Food Bank to Host First Ever Hunger and Health Summit at Pew Charitable Trust

Washington, DC, May 16, 2017 -- WASHINGTON, DC, May 18 –The Capital Area Food Bank will bring together thinkers and leaders exploring the powerful connection between food and wellness as it convenes its first ever Health and Hunger Summit this Thursday. The Summit follows on last Thursday’s announcement that the CAFB would be an inaugural nonprofit partner with Michelle Obama’s Partnership for a Healthier America, reconnecting food to health across greater Washington through innovation.

“As public health organizations, America’s food banks have a moral imperative to combat not just hunger, but their companion challenges -- obesity, heart disease, and diabetes,” said Nancy E. Roman, President and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. “We’re simply cannot compound poverty with food inequity; in the 21^st century, food security must mean access to good food that promotes health.”

Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy applauded the CAFB’s work, saying, “The innovative work that you’re doing, trying to make sure that the food is actually healthy and putting together recipes to make it easier for people to use that food—that’s creating a model that hopefully food banks all around the country can use and implement.”

When: Thursday, May 18th, 8:30-11:30 AM

Where: Pew Charitable Trusts, 901 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20004

Who:

Presentations by:

• Dr. Hilary Seligman, Lead Scientist and Senior Medical Advisor for Feeding America and Director of the CDC's Nutrition & Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network
• Nancy E. Roman, Capital Area Food Bank President and CEO
• Lauren Shweder Biel, Executive Director of DC Greens
• Dr. Kavita Patel, Medical Director of Sibley Primary Care and Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution

Event Host Committee:

• Lisa Davis, Senior Director No Kid Hungry Campaign, Share Our Strength
• Declan Kingland, Deputy Director of National Programs, League of United Latin American Citizens
• Michelle McGuire, Vice President & Chief of Staff, Children's National Health System
• Anita Samarth, CEO & Co-Founder, Clinovations Government + Health

How: Registration is closed to the public; media is invited to contact Kirsten Bourne for passes.

Public who were unable to register can stream the Summit live: https://www.facebook.com/CapitalAreaFoodBank/

Further information available: https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/health-hunger-summit/

About the Capital Area Food Bank: The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest organization in the Washington metro area working to solve hunger and its companion problems: chronic undernutrition, heart disease and obesity. By partnering with nearly 450 community organizations in DC, Maryland and Virginia, as well as delivering food directly into hard to reach areas, the CAFB is helping 540,000 people each year get access to good, healthy food.  That’s 12 percent of our region’s mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and grandparents. To learn more, visit: capitalareafoodbank.org, or find the Capital Area Food Bank on Facebook at facebook.com/CapitalAreaFoodBank, and Twitter at @foodbankmetrodc.

Kirsten Bourne
Capital Area Food Bank
2026449861
[email protected]