50 Years of Impact: Advocacy in Action
Tags: Advocacy, Community, Food Bank, Food Justice
Advocacy Starts Here.
This Summer, our Advocacy team hosted our very first Elevating Voices Southern Arizona Power Summit, bringing together Feeding America’s Neighbor Advocacy Team along with over 40 neighbors, partner agencies, and volunteers from across our five-county service area.
Throughout the two-day gathering, participants engaged in interactive sessions designed to strengthen their skills in policy, storytelling, leadership, and relationship building, empowering them to become stronger advocates in their communities.
From Learning to Leadership.
Jessica Herbert of the Arizona Food Bank Network opened the summit with Anti-Hunger Advocacy in Times of Change, providing an overview of SNAP, the current political landscape, and the critical role advocacy plays in addressing hunger. Participants explored the idea that “hunger is a policy choice” while gaining a better understanding of the differences between advocacy, lobbying, and civic engagement, and learning practical ways to get involved.
Next, Mika Galilee-Belfer, Immigration Attorney, and Gabriela Perez, CFB Advocacy Coordinator, presented Community Leadership in Action: Finding Your Path in Advocacy, encouraging participants to identify how their unique strengths, experiences, and perspectives can contribute to meaningful advocacy efforts in urban environments.
Navigating Power and Policy.
Suzanne Kammerman, Neighbor Advisory Council Member, and Carlos Valles of the Sahuarita Food Bank led the breakout session Voices That Move Policy: Tools for Local Engagement, equipping participants with practical strategies for engaging in advocacy in rural communities and demonstrating how even small actions can create meaningful change.
Claudio Rodriguez, CFB Deputy Chief of Community Development, then guided attendees through Power Mapping: Power, People, and Policy, exploring the key players, experts, and decision-makers in food policy. Through thoughtful discussion, participants reflected on moments when they felt both powerful and powerless about decisions that affected their lives and the people around them.
Every Voice Matters.
Day two began with the Building Community and Sustaining Hope panel, moderated by Grace Saavedra, CFB Las Milpitas Plot Coordinator. Panelists Francisca Cruz, Neighbor Advisory Council Member; Aaron Cardona, CFB Board Member and farmer; and Liane Hernandez of The OpEd Project shared insights on mobilizing communities for long-term advocacy initiatives and social causes, and emphasized the importance of fostering a sense of shared purpose.
The summit concluded with Sharpen Your Story: Amplify Your Impact, led by Frank Velasquez of 4 Da Hood. As he reminded participants, “Your most powerful tool is your story, your values, your experiences, your voice.” Through an engaging and interactive session, attendees reconnected with their authentic stories and gained the confidence, courage, and skills to share them in ways that inspire action and create lasting impact.
Interested in discovering how you can get more involved and use your voice?