Heading out tomorrow morning...

[T-Dubs]

As an Emmerson Fellow, my son has been assigned to the 'Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger', and will be based Burlington for 5 months. (Parental boast over)
http://www.hungercenter.org/national/national.htm

I leave tomorrow to deliver his furniture and books and figure as long as I'm there...

Monday I plan to start south on the Long Trail from Journey's End. My wife tells me to be back before Halloween, so I have a pretty good window to get this done. However, at my age, this could be a 4 day trip rather than a 4 week adventure.

I'll let you know. At least one other WB participant is going to be there as well. He's starting from the south. We're hoping to meet someplace near the middle for a beer or two. There was some suggestion of skipping the hike altogether for a 3 week beer-binge but cooler heads prevailed--so far.

TWS

[minnesotasmith]

As an Emmerson Fellow, my son has been assigned to the 'Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger', and will be based Burlington for 5 months.

I read two pages of the site, and didn't see anything about HOW being a part of that would directly help reduce children being hungry.

1) Will he grow food for kids?
2) Will he deliver food to kids?
3) Will he work at a paid job, and use his wages to buy food for kids?
4) Will he try to convince some parents to spend money on buying food for their children, instead of whatever else they currently spend money on?

I'm genuinely interested. (Hopefully it doesn't involve forcing "donors" in any way, such as by accepting taxes or any other connection to government.)

[doggiebag]

Monday I plan to start south on the Long Trail from Journey's End. My wife tells me to be back before Halloween, so I have a pretty good window to get this done. However, at my age, this could be a 4 day trip rather than a 4 week adventure.

TWS

Just start slow and enjoy the adventure. Have a great hike.

[Jack Tarlin]

Geez, Smitty, lighten up.

If you look at some of the profiles of some of the young people who've been involved with this program, you'll find out exactly what sort of things they do.

Please leave politics out of this thread. Wish the guy well on his hike and leave it at that.

Dubs, if you get to Hanover, let me know.

[Blissful]

Hope you have a great trip, no matter how long or short it is. Just enjoy.

[T-Dubs]

I read two pages of the site, and didn't see anything about HOW being a part of that would directly help reduce children being hungry.

1) Will he grow food for kids?
2) Will he deliver food to kids?
3) Will he work at a paid job, and use his wages to buy food for kids?
4) Will he try to convince some parents to spend money on buying food for their children, instead of whatever else they currently spend money on?

I'm genuinely interested. (Hopefully it doesn't involve forcing "donors" in any way, such as by accepting taxes or any other connection to government.)

Mark will work with the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger for 6 months, learning the program, finding successes and challenges at the local level. Then he moves to DC for 5 months to work with a nonprofit organization, studying policy matters. The Emerson Fellowship is a Nationally Competitive Award that selects young adults who want to dedicate their efforts to combat the issue of hunger in the US.

There is no forced tax involved. The entire program is funded through contributions from corporations. (So there must be some type of tax BREAK involved, as is the usual case with corporate largess. That is opinion, unsupported by any personal insight as to the specifics of the tax structuring of corporate supporting Congressional Fellowship programs in general)

TWS
http://www.vtnohunger.org/info/home.php

[Summit]

As an Emmerson Fellow, my son has been assigned to the 'Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger', and will be based Burlington for 5 months. (Parental boast over)
http://www.hungercenter.org/national/national.htm

I leave tomorrow to deliver his furniture and books and figure as long as I'm there...

Monday I plan to start south on the Long Trail from Journey's End. My wife tells me to be back before Halloween, so I have a pretty good window to get this done. However, at my age, this could be a 4 day trip rather than a 4 week adventure.

I'll let you know. At least one other WB participant is going to be there as well. He's starting from the south. We're hoping to meet someplace near the middle for a beer or two. There was some suggestion of skipping the hike altogether for a 3 week beer-binge but cooler heads prevailed--so far.

TWS

That's awesome! I know you're proud of him. He must have a big heart and in the right place. I pray for God's grace on his future and your hike. I hope you surprise yourself in how far you go and how well you do. Ease into it and gradually work up in daily mileage!

[Joanne Heidkamp]

Hi Folks:

I couldn't resit weighing in as both an AT and LT section hiker, and as the Program Director of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, where T-Dubs son Mark will be starting his stint as an Emerson Fellow next week. I've never met T-DUBs or Mark, it was just coincidence that I saw the post. My AT history: Mt Greylock to the Kennebec River the summer I turned 16, with my sister Rosie (15) and my brother Tony (17). (We had to plan the Kennebec crossing around the schedule of the log drive.) Lots of sections subsequently, with my husband Paul, who is also an end-to-end skier on the Catamount Trail, and an avid cyclist on Quebec's Route Vert.

Yes - our work, and the work Mark will be doing - addresses hunger through various means, including providing low income parents and kids with hands on skills to purchase and prepare nutritious meals on a tight budget; helping schools and child care centers implement meal programs that not only nourish kids and help them succeed in school, but also help them establish life-long healthy eating habits that can reduce risk of obesity and chronic illness. Not everybody has the good fortune to learn this at home. I could go on, but as someone pointed out, this is a hiking forum. Visit us on the web at www.vtnohunger.org.