The Kathy Underhill Scholarship Award
The Kathy Underhill Scholarship Award highlights exceptional work in the food access field with advocacy, policy, or community engagement through the lens of health equity. Kathy Underhill,
Hunger Free Colorado’s founding CEO, is a nationally recognized leader and policy expert in solving hunger. Roberto Meza, the co-founder of Emerald Gardens Microgreens in Bennett, CO, is the award’s second recipient.
The award comes with a $1000 scholarship for professional development related to the awardee’s career and work within food access. Roberto was selected from a strong group of nominees.
This year’s selection committee includes Hunger Free Colorado board members, community advocates, and the award namesake. Watch this video highlighting the six finalists.
The Winner: Roberto Meza
“As a person, Roberto exemplifies the qualities of a good leader,” said Fatuma Emmad, last year’s award recipient and co-founder of FrontLine Farming. “He has the capacity to think of the needs of those most oppressed by our food system and to tirelessly advocate for them. And he always begins his work with the question of how to make sure that the distribution of resources we create for healthy nutritious foods serves our POC communities.”
Roberto also leads food sourcing efforts and collaborations at the East Denver Food Hub and
Lost City Market. He is part of the leadership of the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council and
Mile High Farmers Union. And Roberto also works with Hunger Free Colorado as a regional food coordinator through the Farm to Food Pantry initiative.
Roberto is hoping we emerge from the struggles and pain of 2020. “We can build more resilience, more relationships, and be fortified to take on new challenges,” he said. “We’re at a moment where we need to develop a new set of optics and new languages. We must be fearless in implementing our values of kindness, sincerity, and solidarity.”
About Hunger Free Colorado
Hunger Free Colorado, a statewide nonprofit organization, connects people to food resources to meet existing needs and drives policy, systems and social change to end hunger.
Learn about last year’s Kathy Underhill Scholarship Award recipient here!