Erin McAleer is the President and CEO of Project Bread, Massachusetts’ only statewide food security organization, connecting people and communities to reliable sources of food. McAleer uses her background in health and human services and public policy to address food insecurity in Massachusetts through systemic and scalable strategies.

Key Takeaways:

• Lived experience is critical in solving food insecurity issues and policies need to be driven by those most impacted, shifting away from the traditional top-down approach. Don’t prioritize immediate payoffs, consider long-term systemic solutions, and strive to execute on both fronts.
• Establish a council of experts full of people with lived experience of the need that your organization aims to address. Solutions must be guided by the community that the organization serves with a process or system that ensures inclusivity and collective involvement.
• Shift your focus to the people that you serve. Use storytelling to raise awareness, promote donor engagement, and educate your audience about how they could serve. Eliminate the cost and stigma barriers against access to needed resources for the community you serve.
• Leverage your skills, experiences, and expertise to make a difference. Seek a meaningful life by striving towards your higher calling. Look into the pain points that you’ve experienced in your life and find a way to serve that need in the world for others.

“Lived experience is the most expertise that you can provide to solve this problem.”

“Solutions always come from the community.”

“The disconnect between donors and reality is that bridge that we are trying to make through storytelling.”

- Erin McAleer

Reach out to Erin McAleer at:

Website: www.projectbread.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-mcaleer-22b21012/

Project Bread LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-bread/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectbread/

Twitter: www.x.com/projectbread

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Connect with Maryanne Dersch: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect