Mariana Chilton, PhD, was appointed to the National Commission on Hunger today.
As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 (H.R.3547), the National Commission on Hunger focuses on developing new innovative methods to help solve the looming concern of hunger in the U.S. The commission will establish partnerships with non-profits, faith-based organizations and the business sector to help find solutions to this pressing issue.
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada appointed Chilton, as well as Las Vegas City Councilman Ricki Barlow and Cherie Jamason, director of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, to the ten-member commission.
“I am pleased Dr. Chilton will represent Pennsylvania on the National Commission on Hunger,” said Senator Casey in a statement. “Hunger is unfortunately a reality for many Pennsylvanians, especially for our seniors and children. I am confident that this commission will produce solutions that will help to end hunger in America.”
“I am honored to be appointed to the National Commission on Hunger by Senator Reid,” Chilton said. “My professional career has been devoted to making sure that the health impacts of hunger are addressed in food assistance programs, and also to ensuring that families who know poverty first hand can participate in developing solutions to hunger. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Commission, and to guiding the nation towards solutions that will have a lasting, positive impact on the health and wellbeing of America’s families and on the US economy.”
“Bob [Casey] has been a champion for ending hunger. He recommended Dr. Chilton to this important commission and I know she will provide a valuable perspective,” said Senator Reid. “Anyone can experience hunger, as we have learned during recent tough economic times. But we know hunger disproportionally affects children and seniors. This is a problem we can solve through community partnerships and I am confident the findings of this commission will bring us closer to a solution.”
Chilton, an associate professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health, has years of experience advocating for nutrition and community health policies. She is the director of the school’s Center for Hunger-Free Communities and co-principal investigator of Children’s HealthWatch. Chilton founded Witnesses to Hunger, a research project that partners with mothers and caregivers. She has advocated for child nutrition policies in front of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives and has received numerous awards from organizations, including the American Public Health Association.