Meet the World Hunger Interns!

The World Hunger team is thrilled to welcome our new summer interns. They bring so much energy and excitement and will be doing so much to further the work of ELCA World Hunger. They have agreed to introduce themselves in this blog post and we look forward to the insight they will bring in their future posts.

Jessie Fairfax
My name is Jessie and I am a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Florida (Go Gators!) where I am studying Family, Youth, and Community Sciences with minors/specializations in Organizational Leadership for Non-Profits and Leadership. This summer I will be joining Lana and Rachel as an intern on the ELCA World Hunger Team with a focus largely on the events side of the work they are doing.

I am really excited to be jumping in head-first to work with some of the major projects that are already underway (and of course to spend my whole summer in the great city of Chicago!). I am quickly learning a great deal about all of the work that is done here and the chance to spur one another on in this mission to combat world hunger and poverty is truly an honor. Projects for me this summer will include the 2009 National Youth Gathering taking place in New Orleans, LA in July (www.elca.org/gathering), promotion of the 2009 Lutheran Youth Challenge to raise $1 million throughout 2009 (www.elca.org/youthchallenge), functioning as a liaison for 3 ministers from West Virginia who are traveling the country by bike in the 2009 Tour de Revs (find their story at www.tourderevs.org), and working on various projects for the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

Here’s to an exciting and busy summer of working to promote ways that YOU and others can be involved in our mission to fight world hunger.

Lana Lile
Hej hej, hallo, salut, hi!

This is my first blog for Hunger Rumblings so I would like to introduce myself: My name is Lana and I am a recent graduate of California Lutheran University where I majored in Communication and International Studies. This summer I am working as an intern for ELCA World Hunger and will be spending most of my time rallying support through college campuses, Facebook, our new Ning site and the 2009 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans.
I am very excited to be hanging out in Chicago this summer and to be working with such a fabulous and passionate group of people. I am looking forward to the challenge of implementing ideas for recruitment, advocacy, and fundraising. When it comes to feeding people, implementation is everything.

I am also looking forward to this summer as being a time of great learning and action-taking as I become engaged with the struggles of those living without food, clean water, healthcare, or educational opportunities. I once heard a pastor say, “The question is not ‘Where is God?’ the question is ‘Where are God’s people?’” As I begin my internship building the already extensive ELCA World Hunger network, I look forward to encouraging God’s people across the nation to stand up and say… “HERE I AM!”

Rachel Zeman
Hello Friends!

My name is Rachel. I am currently a nursing student at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and very excited to be spending my summer as an intern for ELCA World Hunger at the churchwide offices in Chicago.

Shortly after arriving, I was battered with an extensive ‘to-do’ list by a group of people bubbling over with passion and excitement for the work of ELCA World Hunger. I don’t know if it’s the stack of papers on my desk or the numerous smiles, introductions, and hand shakes that have me overwhelmed, but I do know that it’s the positive attitudes of the staff here and the millions of God’s children that benefit from their hard work that has me looking forward to the tasks ahead.

My work this summer will include continued development of the Hunger Education Toolkits and the evaluation and expansion of the Taking Root curriculum. I will also be researching how hunger and disease intersect, especially malaria and HIV and AIDS. These projects will take me to Yakima, Washington for an Ethics of Eating event and to Bemus Point, New York for a creative retreat to develop ideas for expanding the Hunger Education Toolkit.

I am very excited to be sharing this journey with you.

God’s Peace!