Mayor Alyia Gaskins Appointed Vice Chair of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger
[Contact: Hannah Robinson at 520-222-2808 or hrobinson@hodgespart.com]
RICHMOND, Va. (Jan. 20, 2025) – Mayor Alyia Gaskins has been appointed as the incoming vice chair of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, a national coalition of more than 550 mayors working in partnership with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign to ensure every child has access to the healthy food they need to thrive.
As vice chair, Mayor Gaskins will help lead a coalition of more than 550 mayors nationwide in advancing policies and priorities that support children’s nutrition, including increasing participation in school and summer meal programs, advocating for the protection and enhancement of federal nutrition programs such as SNAP and WIC, and elevating local innovation and partnerships to help end childhood hunger.
“Having experienced food insecurity firsthand as a child, I am deeply committed to ensuring that kids in Alexandria and beyond have the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Mayor Alyia Gaskins. “I am honored to serve as vice chair of the Mayors Alliance and to work alongside Chair Mayor Rickenmann and mayors across the country to combat child hunger. Together, we will continue advocating for equitable food systems and partnerships that meaningfully support families and the communities they call home.”
As Vice Chair of the Mayors Alliance, Mayor Gaskins will receive a $10,000 grant from Share Our Strength to strengthen Alexandria’s food access efforts.
“Addressing food insecurity in a lasting way requires committed leadership to drive meaningful, actionable change,” said Sarah Steely, Director of No Kid Hungry Virginia. “Mayor Gaskins brings an important personal perspective to the Mayors Alliance that will no doubt strengthen its impact. We are grateful for her advocacy, and we look forward to partnering with her to shape policies that advance nutrition access across Virginia and nationwide.”
Mayor Gaskins’ leadership in this role reflects Alexandria’s ongoing commitment to addressing food insecurity and strengthening support for children and families. She is joined on the Alliance by 10 other Virginia Mayors: Juandiego Wade (Charlottesville), Derrick Wood (Dumfries), Deanna Reed (Harrisonburg), Phillip Jones (Newport News), Samuel Parham (Petersburg), David Horton (Radford), Danny Avula (Richmond), Joseph L. Cobb (Roanoke), Robert M. Dyer (Virginia Beach), Les Veach (Winchester).
For more information about the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, visit mayorshungeralliance.org.
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About The Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger
Launched in 2022, the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger is a nonpartisan coalition harnessing the individual and collective leadership of mayors from cities across the country to drive meaningful action at the local, state, and national levels. Through advocacy and collaboration with communities and policymakers, mayors are helping to expand access to nutritious meals, strengthen vital nutrition programs, and raise awareness of childhood hunger as a solvable challenge.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.
