
Team Members
- Jessica Owens-Young
- Jane Palmer
- Adam LaRose
Research Project Description
This project aims to assess the long-term impacts of the Capital Area Food Bank's (CAFB) Client Leadership Council (CLC), which is a 10-month policy advocacy and leadership development program designed to build policy advocacy capacity among CAFB clients. We plan to evaluate how CLC participants use the skills, knowledge, and capabilities they gained from their program experience to advocate for policy changes that address structural racism and improve health and well-being within their communities. Through our participatory, action-oriented research, we will also assess what CLC alumni may need after program completion to more fully support their community-based policy advocacy efforts, foster peer-to-peer learning and network building, and inform future CLC program and curriculum changes.
Team Members

Jessica Owens-Young
Jessica Owens-Young is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Studies whose work focuses on structural racism, maternal and infant health, socioeconomic inequities, and the public health workforce.

Jane Palmer
Jane Palmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology whose work focuses on community-based participatory research, anti-oppressive research methods, and gender-based violence.

Adam LaRose
Adam LaRose is the Director of Advocacy & Public Policy for the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) where he oversees the governmental strategy and CAFB's Client Leadership Council in the District of Columbia, two counties in Maryland, and Northern Virginia.