Cultivating Leaders, Nourishing Communities

Nazun (formerly Challah for Hunger)

Featuring: Rebecca Bar, Executive Director and Rabbi Lily Solochek, Director of Programs and Education

Food insecurity is prevalent throughout the United States. According to the USDA over 10% of American families were food insecure in 2019 and it is estimated that this has doubled since the onset of Covid. This is also a problem on our nation’s college campuses. According to the Hope Survey from fall 2020, 38 percent of students in two-year colleges and 29 percent of students at four-year colleges reported experiencing food insecurity. These statistics are disturbing.  Nazun is doing the important work to help end campus food insecurity and educate leaders in social justice advocacy. Episode 54 of the podcast is a conversation with with Nazun’s leadership. It is eye-opening and at the same time, it gives hope. 

About Nazon (from their website)
Mission + Vision

Nazun develops leaders and builds communities of people eager to take action to end campus hunger, and to work collectively to solve other urgent social challenges.

One in three college students experiences food insecurity; they don’t know where their next meal might come from and don’t have the resources, time or money to afford access to nutritious food. We are on a mission to ensure that no student ever has to choose between eating or an education. We work to destigmatize — and empower people to act against — the highly prevalent problem of food insecurity on college campuses.

Our work reduces the likelihood that college students will have to choose between eating or their education, and it also builds the next generation of confident leaders capable of contributing to solving the world’s most urgent social challenges.

The three pillars of Nazun are infused into all our projects: Advocacy, Community, and Philanthropy. 

Their Programs:
1. Campus Chapters: The Focus: Campus Hunger- Through Nazun’s program, our student leaders address the issue of campus food insecurity on a campus, state, and national level through our three pillars of philanthropy, advocacy, and community building. Our Cohort, a select group of student leaders, annually creates and implements campaigns and interventions on their campuses to address the issue of campus food insecurity.
2. Advocacy - The #FUELHigherEd program is advocating for fundamental, universal, equitable, long-term state and federal solutions to campus hunger and #FUELHigherEd by working toward

1. Fundamental Change 
2. Universal Access 
3. Equal Opportunity
4. Long Term Solution 

3. This program is the next step in building our movement by galvanizing our network of 100+ local and national organizations behind this campaign.
4. Community Programs 
5. Through a Nazun Community Program, you and your community can gather to build connections through baking challah, learn about and advocate against hunger in your local area and on college campuses, and engage in philanthropy to support the work of Nazun and local anti-hunger nonprofits in your neighborhood.

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