Texas Hunger Initiative Launches Umbrella Entity Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty

Baylor’s Texas Hunger Initiative announced the official launch of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty in September. The Collaborative will act as the umbrella entity for Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) as well as interdisciplinary research, Global Hunger and Migration Project and Hunger Data Lab. The launch of the Collaborative brings together efforts to end hunger and food insecurity in Texas and elsewhere.

THI, established in 2009, has grown over time from a small group of people with a passion for food security to a large network of researchers and practitioners operating on a national scale toward innovative hunger and poverty solutions. The Collaborative will include the same committed team led by Jeremy Everett, founder and executive director of THI, and Kathy Krey, assistant research professor and director of research and administration.

The THI team plays a prominent role in Washington, D. C., in the development of achievable solutions to hunger and poverty nationwide and has provided technical assistance to more than 25 states. The expanded reach and growth gave way to an opportunity to reorient THI under the Collaborative to better communicate the THI model and goals. THI will continue to represent the efforts to improve hunger and poverty at the local and state level.

“The Collaborative’s core purpose is to help communities end hunger and its causes by better use of existing resources,” Everett said. “Our core belief is that hunger and poverty are too complex for any sector to comprehensively address alone. The process towards these ends is to gather all actors around the same table to solve problems, encourage innovation and research new ideas so we can build on successful strategies. The Collaborative will work to end hunger and share our proven hunger relief model across geographies and contexts.”

The Collaborative brings resources together to integrate research and practice through sustainable initiatives. The Collaborative team will continue to engage in interdisciplinary hunger and poverty research with local, state, national and global relevance.

The Collaborative’s work supports Illuminate, the University’s strategic plan, and is outlined among the Human Flourishing, Leadership, and Ethics initiative, with Baylor becoming a recognized leader on hunger and poverty research.

“Baylor University is a place where we use our expertise and resources to address systemic problems facing our community, both local and global,” said Baylor Provost Nancy Brickhouse. “We see the newly named Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty as a being at the forefront in our efforts to fulfill this mission and want it to be a catalyst for creative solutions.”

To learn more about the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, visit baylor.edu/hungerandpoverty.