Freddi is currently assigned to Brooklyn Rescue Mission in Bed-Stuy where she is responsible for coordinating various programs at the organization. This is Freddi’s second term of service in the Anti-Hunger and Empowerment Corps. Prior to becoming and AmeriCorps member, Freddi worked in the not-for-profit world and on Wall St. She is the mother of a 30 year old son and lives with four animal companions. Freddi is a graduate of Brooklyn Friends School and continued her education at a Quaker college in Wilmington, OH where she studied Sociology and Political Science.

Elisabetta serves as part of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger’s Benefits Access team in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Harlem, where she helps low-income New Yorkers apply for and receive public benefits. Her primary role is to facilitate food stamp enrollment, but she also assists her clients with other aspects of hunger prevention, and is currently working on a guide to economic self-sufficiency, which will include job training support, nutrition guidance, and financial advice.

Elisabetta graduated from the University of San Diego in 2009 with a B.A. in Biology and Spanish, and minors in Italian and Peace & Justice Studies. Her research focused on ending global hunger through sustainability. In the future, she plans to continue to focus on international food security issues and sustainable development.

Charlene is spending her term of service assisting with NYCCAH’s Community Supported Agriculture program which is part of the Farm Fresh Initiative. A 2007 graduate of Ohio State University, Charlene also studied Sustainable Development at Columbia University. She is passionate about the intersection between environmental conservation and human development. Through her international work experiences in China and Peru, Charlene came to realize that change comes at a community level, and food is a most intimate way of relating people to their environment, which led her to become involved with CSAs.

Ismaldi is currently assigned to The River Fund in Richmond Hill in Queens. She is a 2008 graduate of Barnard College with degrees in Economics and Psychology. After her term of service in AmeriCorps, Ismaldi would like to continue working with low-income communities and is interested in joining Peace Corps.

Margaret Dunham, born and reared in Washington DC, graduated from New York University in 2008 with a Bachelor's Degree in Politics and a minor in Law & Society. After college, she worked with the Manhattan Borough President's Office advocating for the rights of differently-abled New Yorkers. While there, she joined the fight for food justice in New York City and supported that office's efforts to bring sustainable, nutritious food to city residents. She came to NYCCAH and AmeriCorps with a strong public policy background and a desire to study all aspects of urban hunger. Margaret looks forward to creating lasting solutions to hunger as an advocate working with both the government and non-profit groups.

Sam is a Floridian by birth, but a Californian by choice. He grew up in Fresno and attended UC Berkeley until graduating in 2006. He then came to New York to work as an NYC Urban Fellow at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where he first became interested in pursuing a career in public health. At the Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger he is exploring issues of food access and nutrition in low income communities. His main duties include overseeing the volunteer recruitment and retention program, writing grants, and implementing several programs like two Victory Gardens. In between he lived in the Bay Area and worked as a researcher for a writer. His dream is to write about health issues, speak Spanish fluently, and swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco.

Winnie is currently enjoying her AmeriCorps year of service at the Lighthouse Mission in Coney Island, Brooklyn. She divides her time between volunteer coordination, direct service with the food pantry, clerical duties for meetings and a food co-op program Angel Food Ministries, and grant writing.

Born and raised in Brooklyn with her summers at Astroland and on the beach, Winnie recently graduated from the Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College with a double major in Anthropology and Religious Studies in 2009.

Samantha is serving her term with Word of Life International. WOL’s services include: a client choice pantry, soup kitchen, youth enrichment programs and HIV/AIDS educational seminars. She is helping this organization by grant writing, community organization networking, coordinating programs and recruiting volunteers. Samantha has a Degree in Business Administration and hopes to one day receive her MSW. She has a passion for community outreach and community development. She is dedicated and committed to continue to provide services to underserved individuals who face hunger and homelessness and those in disadvantaged circumstances. With passion, commitment and hard work she is on the front lines in the fight against poverty.

Kristen Langelier has been managing Calvary/St. George's food pantry for over 18 months. In October 2009, NYCCAH accepted her church's food pantry and soup kitchen as a sub-site for the AmeriCorps Program . One month later, AmeriCorps brought Kristen on as a member and assigned her to continue her efforts to develop a self-sustaining and growing anti-hunger program in New York City.

Kristen, a native of the Boston/Cape Code area, graduated with an MBA from University of Manchester.

Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Sarah graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2009 with a double-major in Critical Social Thought and Spanish. While studying at Mt. Holyoke, Sarah was involved in social justice activism, organizing campaigns around fair labor, socially responsible investment, and anti-racism. Sarah loves cooking, growing, eating, and talking about food, and her concentration in the Critical Social Thought major focused on issues of hunger and malnutrition in the neo-liberal context. In her spare time, Sarah likes to dance and explore her new home in Brooklyn, New York.

Maia is the coordinator of NYCCAH’s CSA in Central Brooklyn. She graduated from the New School in 2008 with a BS in Science, Technology & Society, with a focus on urban environmental policy. Maia worked as a project assistant and public educator on the Science Barge with New York Sun Works and Brightfarm Systems. She was also a site-coordinator at the d.b.a. Paisley Farm CSA last summer and recently completed an internship with the Urban Green Council in their policy and education department. In addition to her work at NYCCAH, Maia is an event manager at Jimmy's No. 43 in the East Village, a craft beer bar and farmer's market restaurant, where she organizes and publicizes CSA, farmer, beer, and food policy events.

As part of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger’s Benefit Access team, Valeria works to help low income New Yorkers apply for and receive public benefits in Queens and Manhattan. Her primary role is to facilitate Food Stamp enrollment, but she also refers clients to help them to find information about different public benefits. Valeria also does pre-screening interviews to review if people are eligible to receive food stamps in different organizations.

Valeria grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina and worked and volunteered in non profits in New York and in her native city. Valeria studied Communications in the Universidad de Buenos Aires and she is currently pursuing a B.A. in Human Services at City College of New York. Valeria has a passion for helping people in need and she thinks that we are all responsible for helping disadvantaged people.

Rasna Sethi is a member of the Benefits Access team in the New York City Coalition Against Hunger’s main office. Her primary responsibility is to follow up and advocate for issues that come up with food stamps applications that the department submits electronically for clients through a Paperless Office System (POS). The system is established at different sites throughout the city to make the program more accessible for clients.

As a recent graduate from Rutgers University with a degree in Communications and Economics, Rasna has a growing interest in economic growth and development issues and hopes to pursue graduate research in the field and someday work with a microfinance initiative.

Rachel is spending her AmeriCorps year at The Father's Heart Ministries in the East Village where she coordinates soup kitchen and food pantry volunteers and assists with fundraising and outreach efforts. Currently living in Massapequa Park, NY, she graduated from Colgate University in May 2009 with a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology.

Caroline serves as UPC Ridgewood in Queens where she is responsible for recruiting and managing volunteers for the food pantry. Born and raised in New York, Caroline graduated from Oral Roberts University with a BS in Business. She is a lover of different cultures and has a passion for fighting against social injustices, which led her to join the AmeriCorps Program.

Ellen is spending her term of service at Our Lady of Sorrows on the Lower East Side. She is responsible for coordinating volunteer activities and assists with fundraising. Ellen, a native of New York City, graduated from NYU with a BA in Art History & Fine Arts and The New School with an MS in Management.

Drew works with NYCCAH’s Benefits Access department as the Street Sheet Specialist. In this role, he is responsible for updating and distributing the annual Street Sheet printings. Drew graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2009 with a BS in Finance. Outside of his service, he organizes trips to New Orleans and Huoma, LA for disaster relief.