The fifth class of our Client Leadership Council (CLC) began its journey with their first in-person introductory session. The CLC program brings together individuals with lived experience of food insecurity equipping them with advocacy training so they can use their voices to advocate for policies that impact their communities.
Starting with this year’s cohort, the program has been renamed in honor of one of the food bank’s founders: Father Eugene Brake. Father Brake dedicated his life to justice and social change through advocacy, action and service and it’s only fitting that our CLC is named after him. Each year, the CLC supports its members on a 10-month journey designed to help them grow as advocates for themselves and their communities and empowering them to serve as agents of change.
This Year’s CLC Class by the Numbers:
24 members from across the DMV 
- 9 DC residents
- 8 Maryland residents
- 7 Virginia resides
- 19 years old- youngest member
- 75 years old- oldest member
- 6 immigrants from Africa and Latin America
- 2 college students
- 1 grandfamily
This year’s class brings diverse perspectives, from college students to single parents, but they are all united by a shared goal to expand access to nutritious food across their communities.
“I love to be an advocate for the voiceless.”
– Titilayo Samuel, current CLC class member
Throughout the 10-month program, CLC members will use their unique experiences to develop advocacy skills, learning to effectively champion policy improvements. They will attend monthly training sessions and use their skills by testifying at legislative hearings, lobbying elected officials, and participating in media interviews. Neighbor and Community organizer, Meera
Kumar, who will be working closely with the CLC is excited to see the journey of the members as they learn to use their lived experiences to create change.
“I am looking forward to seeing how each of these individuals grow and develop their advocacy agendas as they go through the 10-month training program,” Meera says. “I am hoping that through the CLC, the Capital Area Food Bank can work to support the voices of individuals with lived experience and have them actualize the power that they have in sharing their stories. I am excited to see who these individuals become by the end of the program and what kind of work they get up to in their efforts to make a difference in the world.”
We’re excited to get to know this class better and to see the impact they’ll have on the community as they carry forward Father Brake’s legacy.