Client Leadership Council - Capital Area Food Bank
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To amplify the voices of the people it serves, the Capital Area Food Bank convenes a Client Leadership Council (CLC) each year.

Between 20-30 people who live in the food bank’s service area and who are experiencing food insecurity receive advocacy training through the Client Leadership Council. This 10-month training program supports their growth as advocates for themselves and their communities, and it enables them to effectively serve as agents of change.

 

The purpose of the CLC

Simply put, decision-making with the greatest consequences for our clients and historically underrepresented communities frequently exclude their own voices. The CLC is an opportunity for our clients to use the power of their lived experiences to change that, shaping public policy and the food bank’s programs. 

What’s going on today doesn’t have to go on tomorrow. Sometimes you have to get people to look outside of the box to understand that opportunity is available.

Shonnie Jones CLC Class of 2020-2021

Throughout the training cycle, CLC members take classes designed to: 

  • Provide information about hunger across the region, how the food bank operates, and the programs that run in their communities.
  • Contribute to an understanding of policy and power structures;
  • Build proficiency in the areas of public speaking, coalition building, and harnessing the power of sharing lived experience;
  • Empower members to utilize their advocacy skills to create change 

The composition of the CLC aims to reflect the diversity of the food bank’s service area. Participants live across the region in all four quadrants of the nation’s capitalnorthern Virginia, and Prince George’s and Montgomery counties in Maryland. Classes also reflect the varied ethnicities, racesgenders, ages, lived experiences, and needs of our clients throughout greater Washington. 

We provide each member with a monthly living wage stipend for the time invested in the program, including any transportation costs. CLC members are asked to attend monthly calls and at least three in-person convenings. 

Applications & Nominations for the Client Leadership Council

The application and nomination period for our 5th annual CLC class (2024-2025) is now closed.

Click here to learn more.

Meet the CLC

Corena Watkins​

Demeke Shiferaw​

Doris Casablanca​

Eneshal Miller​

Ericka Morro​

Felicia Minick​

Gilda Lopez​

Jonathan Gibbs​

Joshua Burris​

Juana Cruz Martinez​

Kim Lehmkuhl​

Kisha McDougald​

Laila McLaughlin​

Lenina Bland​

Mariam Zainab​

Mary Simons​

Nathaniel Jenkins​

Nicole Turner​

Osha Gant​

Pamela Espinoza​

​Prokoshia Long-Opher​

Tahjae Pitts​

Tamicka Jackson​

Tammie Jones​

Thomas Cox​

Tiajuana Perryman​

Tomika Williams​

Tselmuun Sandag​

Yasmeen Abdul Latif​

Tani Abdu

Mirian Andrade

Nyeelah Briscoe

Marilyn Brooks

Shawnte Brown

Carla Claure

Alicia Doe

Doretha Harrison

Annie Henderson

Ja’Tae Joyner

Cynthia Lomax

Lakiva Mcghee

Robert Moffitt

Ebonique Nicholson

Temidayo Ojo

Carmen Perea

Rachelle Price

Cherice Shannon

Heather Thomas

Lee Van Orden

Felicia Walton

Bernadette (Renee) Warren

Shanita Weeden

Chante Westfield

Shavanah Ali

Niya Beagle

Neijan Boyd

Carla Claure

Gaynell Conley

Wanda Dudley

Lamiaa Farrag

Beverly Flanagan

Sean Fleming

Helene Katz

Lazarus Ladson

Cheryl Lambert

Cesar Laragaibort

Chelsi Lewis

Delores Matthews

Joycene Moore

Bianca Nwahiri

Christopher Ortega

Andra Powell Henderson

Connie Price

Latisha Reid

Zulma Santos

Krystal Tapavalu

Salanda Thomas

Rebecca Williams