#55 Monica Gonzales, No Kid Hungry

Share Our Strength is an organization rooted in the conviction that hunger is a solvable problem. It is led by Billy and Debby Shore, whose father ran the political office of a congressional member in Pittsburgh and made the everyday realities of constituents a part of the dinner table conversation. Billy and Debby now lead a thriving organization that deploys staff across the country to collaborate with schools, parents, chefs, corporate allies and policy makers to solve our nation's hunger and nutrition challenges. As Monica Gonzales, Associate Director of Government Relations for No Kid Hungry, says, "hunger affects children in urban, rural and suburban communities alike. And it is an indicator of other unmet needs that stem from poverty." Monica draws on her experience as a child who benefited from school-based breakfast programs when she meets with policy makers on Capitol Hill. And she underscores what the data shows: nutritious food, like early exposure to reading, is critical in early childhood development and is a predictor for positive life outcomes. By building bi-partisan support on Capitol Hill, Monica stands up for policies that nurture children and families and she stands with the elected leaders that champion them.