The 8th Annual Kentucky Hunger Dialogue, hosted by Centre Collge and EngageKY, will take place November 7th, 2025. This dynamic event will serve as a hub for interdisciplinary collaborations, bringing together students, representatives from colleges and universities, anti-hunger advocates, community leaders, and food justice activists from across Kentucky.
The event welcomes both college and high school students to foster networking and knowledge sharing, focusing on innovative strategies to address the pressing issue of food security within the state.
The annual Kentucky Hunger Dialogue serves as a platform for impactful conversations, idea exchange, and the development of collaborative solutions to combat food insecurity. Through the convergence of students, non-profit organizations, educators, and engaged community members, the event promotes the fusion of diverse perspectives and expertise, aiming to alleviate food insecurity.
| 8:45am – 9:30am | Registration/Breakfast | |
| 9:30am – 10:30am | Welcome and Keynote Panel | |
| 10:30am – 10:45am | Break | |
| 10:45am – 11:35am | Breakout Workshops “Food is our Common Ground: Addressing Local Hunger Together Deepens Understanding and Builds Community” Berea CELTS Staff and Student Leaders “Roots of Resilience: Farmers at the Core of a Strong Food System” Hannah Gibbs and Kathlyn Terry Baker Appalachian Sustainable Development “Breaking Bread: Addressing Food Insecurity through Equity, Partnerships, and Belonging” Destini Baker and Autumn Campbell Kentucky State University | |
| 11:40am – 12:30pm | Breakout Workshops “The Pay-What-You-Can Model” Jennifer Earle Grace Cafe – Grace on the Go “Bridging the SNAP Gap Among Kentucky College Students” Chelsey Brock Feeding Kentucky “Story Seeds: Writing Postcards to Policymakers” Abby Huffman EngageKY | |
| 12:30pm – 1:30pm | Lunch | |
| 1:30pm – 2:30pm | Group Hunger Alleviation Project | |
| 2:30pm – 3:00pm | Reflection and Closing |
Keynote Panel:
 Mike Halligan President and CEO God’s Pantry |  Eric Gibson Director Kentucky Emergency Management | |
Workshop Facilitators:
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Workshop Descriptions:
“Food is our Common Ground: Addressing Local Hunger Together Deepens Understanding and Builds Community”
Berea CELTS (Center for Excellence in Learning through Service) Staff and Student Leaders
The staff and students of Berea College CELTS will be sharing about their ongoing work to collaborate with community-based organizations to address hunger in our community. CELTS hosts an annual series of events designed to bring the CELTS community together to address hunger. Members of the CELTS community look forward to sharing about our work and to hearing about efforts made by others. Through sharing and reflection, we’ll all develop new insights that will strengthen our work to address hunger moving forward.
“Roots of Resilience: Farmers at the Core of a Strong Food System”
Hannah Gibbs and Kathlyn Terry Baker
Appalachian Sustainable Development
ASD has worked in southwest Virginia, eastern Kentucky, east Tennessee, and other areas of Central Appalachia for the last thirty years to support farmers with critical infrastructure and economic opportunity. This workshop is designed to shine light on the backbones of the food system–farmers, food hubs, and rural communities so that participants are able to engage with the complex approach required for real solutions. This workshop will provide space for students, educators, and other partners to share their own experiences and knowledge in a framing designed to consider the problem of food insecurity in the face of environmental and economic disaster from start to finish. Our best solutions for for community crises come from the voices of people impacted and this workshop is designed to be built on the knowledge, lived experience, and expertise of both presenters and attendees.
“Breaking Bread: Addressing Food Insecurity through Equity, Partnerships, and Belonging”
Destini Baker and Autumn Campbell
Kentucky State University
This session examines food insecurity at HBCUs, focusing on how trauma, poverty, and first-generation status impact student needs and food pantry use. Participants will explore stigma reduction, culturally relevant strategies, and town-gown partnerships.
“The Pay-What-You-Can Model”
Jennifer Earle
Grace Cafe – Grace on the Go
Grace on the Go is a mobile food trailer in Danville, KY. We offer a daily changing healthy menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, and specials. We offer gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. The main difference between Grace and other restaurants is how you pay for your meal. Participants will learn more about the importance of the pay-what-you-can movement, how to build a community with our guests while running a food trailer, and be introduced to research on how eating healthy at community cafes is improving our guests health nationwide.
“Bridging the SNAP Gap Among Kentucky College Students”
Chelsey Brock
Feeding Kentucky
1 in 3 college students experience food insecurity, yet 59% of eligible college students do not receive SNAP benefits. Why are these benefits being left on the table when the need is clear? This presentation will examine the factors that contribute to the SNAP gap among college students, and the steps to take to begin bridging that gap. To further tie in with the theme of the conference, information about Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) and how it can help after a disaster will be also be included.
“Story Seeds: Writing Postcards to Policymakers”
Abby Huffman
EngageKY
This session will bring together diverse participants—students, educators, and community members—to share experiences and create advocacy postcards for policymakers. By combining creativity with civic engagement, this session will empower attendees to build empathy, raise awareness, and contribute to lasting solutions that align with KHD’s mission of collaboration and innovation in addressing hunger across Kentucky.
To register a group, please make sure to create a spreadsheet with the following information for your attendees: full name, email address, any dietary restrictions/needs, and any disability needs for the attendee. A spreadsheet template can be found here.
Deadline to register: October 30, 2025
Cost to attend: Free to attend thanks to funds from AmeriCorps!
Deadline to register: October 30, 2025
Cost to attend: Free to attend thanks to funds from AmeriCorps!