Kelly Lowery: Why I’m Attending Food ACCESS 2024

Hello!  My name is Kelly Lowery. I am the Administrator of the Community Action Partnership of Kern Food Bank in Bakersfield, Calif. I am really looking forward to attending the CAFB’s Food ACCESS conference May 16-17 in Sacramento. I was new to food banking when the last conference was held in 2022. I found that first conference to be one of the best resources I’ve had for learning, networking, and growing in my role and work in addressing food insecurity in Kern County.

The main sessions were motivational as well as informative. For me personally though, a real game-changer was the breakout sessions. There were so many to choose from that it gave me the opportunity to curate the schedule around what I needed most. There is another critical element to the Food ACCESS that cannot be overstated. Networking. There is something about gathering together with hundreds of others from food banks (and the broader anti-hunger community) all over California who share in the heart and passion behind the work we all do that is particularly inspiring. Whether it is the large group main sessions, the breakouts, the resource tables, or the networking, I promise that you will get something great from this year’s Food ACCESS 2024.

Today, many of the challenges that we face are different than they were two years ago. With resources decreasing while the need continues to grow, many of us are left wondering how we are going to do more with less. While this challenge can seem overwhelming at times, I am confident that when we come together and share our challenges, our successes, our experiences, and our ideas, we can find a way forward together to fully address food insecurity in California. Yes, I said fully. We’re food bankers. We’re dreamers and doers, planners and practitioners. We’re food bankers. Together, we can do anything.

I look forward to seeing you May 16-17 at Food ACCESS in Sacramento!