Housing & Food Security

Michelle is majoring in International Studies with a Regional Concentration in Latin America and a Thematic Concentration in International Political Economy, with minors in Economics and Spanish. She plans to get a graduate degree in Global Health.

Michelle currently supports communications at the ZoNE, a partnership of Northeast Spokane residents, schools, and community organizations that improves access to healthy food and affordable housing, as well as educational support through collective action. She handles the website, blog posts, newsletter, and marketing materials, as well as data management and healthy food partnerships.

Abbie is studying Human Services (Specializing in Substance Use Disorder).

She is planning to coordinate with her local Coastal Community Action Program to create a transitional program in Grays Harbor for inmates who have recently been released from prison. It would be the first type of this program in the area.

“I am passionate about this program because I feel it is important that we support these men and women through the difficult transition from prison back into society. I would imagine that it would be hard to stay positive and work a rehabilitation program when you have no food or housing.”

Ty is studying Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling.

He will be helping with Coastal Community Action in Aberdeen, WA to establish and expand their prison reentry program. This project will involve office work, creating relationships with other organizations, and providing housing, food, and other social services.

“I am very passionate about working with inmates. In my community we have a very high recidivism rate and I want to be a part of reducing that number.”

Gloria is studying Health Science and Community Health at Whitworth, with aspirations of working in public health.

She is currently focused on housing and food security projects where she wants to be a “bridge-builder” for people in need of food and housing.

Haley is studying social work at PLU and hopes to address food insecurity on campus through her work at the food pantry.

Anthony is studying Psychology and Spanish at Whitworth University and volunteers at a local non-profit that focuses on providing housing and food security for mothers and children.

“I love the work I do there, and so I want to do research to determine the best ways we as community advocates can help these programs flourish.”

PJ is a psychology major at Pacific Lutheran University. She is currently volunteering at a campus food pantry for staff and students that also serves the surrounding community.