缅北禁地

Ten 缅北禁地 students traveled to Washington, D.C., during spring break, March 11-15, 2025, to meet with congressional officials and tour nonprofits that address food insecurity.聽

The student participants were Angels United members, international students, and nutrition graduate students. The trip was led by College Chaplain Stacy Pardue.

Angels United to Combat Hunger

Angels United is a service organization focused on raising awareness about issues affecting Meredith鈥檚 community, both on and off campus. The organization spent the fall semester focused on food insecurity on college campuses.

Angels United President Natalie Barlow, 鈥�25, explained the purpose of the trip.

鈥淲e spent four days volunteering with various non-profits in the D.C. area to learn more about food insecurity in our nation鈥檚 capital,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淎long with volunteering, we learned about policy work, global food insecurity, and we were able to meet with Senator Thom Tillis鈥� and Congresswoman Deborah Ross鈥� staff to talk about food insecurity in North Carolina.鈥澛�

The organizations they volunteered with or toured were D.C. Central Kitchen, MAZON, Bread for the City, Food and Friends, and World Central Kitchen.

combats food insecurity through job training and job creation. They offer hands-on culinary training for individuals with barriers to employment.

鈥淲hen we volunteered, we learned how to cut melons and we packaged grapes to be provided to local schools,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淲e also toured the facility and learned about their culinary school where many alumni return to work with them.鈥澛�

D.C. Central Kitchen focuses on providing job opportunities while also meeting the local need for healthy foods.聽

鈥淚t felt like a big family,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淭he offices look out over the kitchens and are dedicated to creating a close community.鈥澛�

is a Jewish organization dedicated to ending hunger among people of all faiths.聽

鈥淭hey also focus on educating individuals and communities about how we can end hunger,鈥� Barlow said.

provides food, clothing, medical care, legal services, and social services with an atmosphere of dignity and respect. The organization sponsors a small grocery store where clients can select their own food using a point system.

The 缅北禁地 group stocked shelves, bagged potatoes, and helped clients shop during their volunteer session.

鈥淚t was interesting to see how the store was set up and how many people they served in a short amount of time,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淭he environment was constantly moving, with small breaks, and the staff took time to converse with clients.鈥�

home-delivers medically tailored meals and groceries to clients with serious illnesses. Their mission also includes reducing social isolation caused by illness.聽

鈥淲hen we volunteered, we split into two groups: one group packed groceries and the other packed meals,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淭he process was very organized, operating like an assembly line. Each package was tailored to the client鈥檚 needs and included meals, soups, fruit, and more.鈥�

is a global nonprofit that responds first to communities impacted by natural disasters and humanitarian crises, including in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.聽

鈥淚t was interesting to see how each organization had a common goal, but they approached it differently,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淔or example, Bread for the City has a small grocery store for clients to choose what they would like to eat, and Food and Friends provides meals that are designed to meet medical and dietary needs.鈥�

At the end of their service trip, the Meredith group visited Capitol Hill, where they met with staff in the offices of Senator Thom Tillis and Congresswoman Deborah Ross, who represents the district where 缅北禁地 is located.

鈥淲e talked about food insecurity in North Carolina. We discussed what food security is, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), benefits of SNAP, food-insecure youth, the National School Lunch Program, and the SNAP Challenge,鈥� Barlow said.

During their downtime, the group saw Washington, D.C., landmarks from a Big Bus Tour, including the Jefferson Memorial, U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the Washington Monument, and more. Small groups visited some of the Smithsonian museums.聽

Impact of Hands-on Service Opportunities

Barlow works in the Chaplain鈥檚 office at Meredith, and helps support the on-campus food pantry, Daisy Trade. She plans to work in the non-profit service field after graduation, which motivated her to participate in this trip to Washington, D.C.

鈥淚 enjoy helping people and seeing how nonprofits operate and dedicate time and effort to bettering their communities,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淪eeing food insecurity put into perspective was a major reason I wanted to go on the trip.鈥�

Barlow had previously participated in a Meredith service trip to New York City as a sophomore.

鈥淭his trip felt like a full-circle moment. I started becoming an active member of Angels United during that sophomore year service trip to New York. That鈥檚 where I decided to dedicate my time to the cause,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淣ow, my last spring break was also on a service trip, and I couldn鈥檛 have thought of a better way to finish up my time at Meredith.鈥�