CAFB Staff field trip to MAZON: This is Hunger

On a cold, grey day in January, CAFB staff bundled into cars and headed out to San Francisco to attend the MAZON: This is Hunger Exhibit. The exhibit just wrapped up their cross-country tour, having been on the road for the past six months. The tour aimed to “illuminate the profound prevalence of hunger in America, encourage us to raise our voices on behalf of the 42.2 million Americans who struggle with hunger every day, and ignite our community’s commitment to end hunger once and for all.”

Attendees of the tour experience a two-part interactive presentation all within a 53-foot-long double expanded semi-truck. In the first portion, attendees are asked to sit at a table and “meet” real people with personal stories of hunger. Photos are projected on boards at the head of the table with audio playing overhead. Children, elderly, veterans, and families share their experiences and the impact that hunger has had on their quality of life.

After the multi-media portion, photos and statistics are projected on walls encouraging people to explore the space. Attendees puzzle over how to feed a family of four healthy meals solely using the SNAP program, read statistics about hunger affecting children and senior citizens and are encouraged to tweet photos with statistics to policymakers. The exhibit resonated with staff and reinforced their commitment to end hunger in California.