Kate Howe
Managing Director
Kate Howe joined the Indy Hunger Network as Managing Director in 2016. Kate has a B.A. in Biology from Macalester College, an M.S. in Ecology from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Washington. Before joining the Indy Hunger Network, Kate spent ten years with the Midwest Invasive Plant Network, another collective impact organization that was housed by The Nature Conservancy and Purdue University. She became interested in food insecurity through serving as a volunteer and board member for the Mid-North Food Pantry. After seeing the challenges of poverty and food insecurity up close, she became passionate about working to improve the hunger relief system for people in need of food assistance.
Mary Hayes
VISTA Coordinator
Mary Hayes is Indy Hunger Network’s VISTA Coordinator, a role that allows her to recruit, coach, and steward a cadre of dedicated individuals who have chosen to spend a year working on food security projects in Indianapolis. Her interest in food and food security came from hearing her father’s stories about the Great Depression, gardening with him for many years, and working in natural resources education. She believes a healthy environment, sustainable agriculture, and food security are inextricably linked, and that advocating for one is advocating for all three. Outside of IHN, Mary also works at a nature center and an environmental consulting firm. She has a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Indiana University.
Megan Songer
Cooking Matters Program Manager
Megan Songer is the Cooking Matters Program Manager for Indy Hunger Network. She graduated from IUPUI in 2016 with her bachelor’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis on Community Health. In her last year of college, she was a wellness intern at a camp for children from low-income families, where she realized how much Marion County struggles with food insecurity. Her favorite memory was having the children try smoothies; many of the children had never tried the fresh fruits and asked for more. That experience led her to join the Indy Hunger Network in April 2017 as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Cooking Matters program, and she now oversees that program as a full-time staff member. Megan enjoys teaching others the importance of cooking a healthy, nutritious meal on a budget.
Kate Howe
Managing Director
Kate Howe joined the Indy Hunger Network as Managing Director in 2016. Kate has a B.A. in Biology from Macalester College, an M.S. in Ecology from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Washington. Before joining the Indy Hunger Network, Kate spent ten years with the Midwest Invasive Plant Network, another collective impact organization that was housed by The Nature Conservancy and Purdue University. She became interested in food insecurity through serving as a volunteer and board member for the Mid-North Food Pantry. After seeing the challenges of poverty and food insecurity up close, she became passionate about working to improve the hunger relief system for people in need of food assistance.
Mary Hayes
VISTA Coordinator
Mary Hayes is Indy Hunger Network’s VISTA Coordinator, a role that allows her to recruit, coach and steward a cadre of dedicated individuals who have chosen to spend a year working on food security projects in Indianapolis. Her interest in food and food security came from hearing her father’s stories about the Great Depression, gardening with him for many years and working in natural resources education. She believes a healthy environment, sustainable agriculture and food security are inextricably linked, and that advocating for one is advocating for all three. Outside of IHN, Mary also works at a nature center and an environmental consulting firm. She has a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Indiana University.
Megan Songer
Cooking Matters Program Manager
Megan Songer is the Cooking Matters Program Manager for Indy Hunger Network. She graduated from IUPUI in 2016 with her bachelor’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis on Community Health. In her last year of college, she was a wellness intern at a camp for children from low-income families, where she realized how much Marion County struggles with food insecurity. Her favorite memory was having the children try smoothies; many of the children had never tried the fresh fruits and asked for more. That experience led her to join the Indy Hunger Network in April 2017 as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Cooking Matters program, and she now oversees that program as a full-time staff member. Megan enjoys teaching others the importance of cooking a healthy, nutritious meal on a budget.
VISTA TEAM MEMBERS
Every year, Indy Hunger Network sponsors AmeriCorps VISTAs to join us in working to fight hunger and poverty in the Greater Indianapolis area.
Azaria Brown
Azaria Brown is the Volunteer Coordinator VISTA for Westminster Neighborhood Services through Indy Hunger Network. She graduated in 2018 from the University of Lynchburg with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Creative Writing, and Secondary Education. During college she led two organizations and organized events, all relating to the arts and social climate. She also participated in several volunteer events centered around the arts and held an internship with a local arts organization that focused on providing free events and programs.
Azaria plans to use the experience she gains as an AmeriCorps VISTA to effectively manage large projects and networks. She also plans to work on her writing portfolio in preparation for graduate school applications. After her VISTA term, Azaria hopes to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction or Screenwriting and bring creative writing workshops to low-income areas.
Adaline Heitz
Adaline Heitz is the Nutrition Programs Coordinator VISTA for the Indy Hunger Network. A native of Southern Indiana, Adaline received her undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville with studies in public health and biology. After serving as an intern at a medical clinic in the Dominican Republic during college, she became interested in how social and lifestyle factors influence health. Adaline has spent the past two years as a Rotary Global Grant Scholar in Trondheim, Norway and recently completed her Master of Science in Public Health, specializing in Global Health. Her thesis research focused on the relationship between micronutrients and risk factors for non-communicable disease. Adaline’s experiences both in the U.S. and abroad have taught her the importance of sustainability, equity, and collaboration in public health efforts. She looks forward to gaining practical experience and engaging with community organizations addressing food insecurity in her home state.
Adaline plans to begin medical school following her year of service with the Indy Hunger Network. As a physician, she wants to serve as a vital connection between the medical and public health systems by focusing on the social determinants of health.
Lisa Joseph
Lisa Joseph is the Volunteer Coordinator and Grant Writer VISTA for the Indy Hunger Network. She is from Easton, Pennsylvania. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Health Behavior Science. In college, Lisa worked with Healthy Hens as a Peer Health Coach where she helped with cooking demonstrations that taught students how to cook healthier foods. After graduating college, Lisa spent a year working for ABA Support Services where she discovered a passion for nutrition and food security. Lisa began searching for a program through AmeriCorps that would not only encourage healthy eating, but also ensure that all individuals have access to healthy foods. Lisa is excited to get more involved in food security work and to help build sustainability in Indianapolis. After her year with the Indy Hunger Network, Lisa hopes to continue her education by pursuing a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Nutrition.
Grace Powers
Grace Powers is the Senior Health and Wellness VISTA at CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions through Indy Hunger Network. She is from Cleveland, Ohio and received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University. In May 2019, Grace graduated with a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Promotion. In the future, she would like to work at a local health department, implementing evidence-based programs to prevent and alleviate the effects of poverty and disease. Through her position at CICOA, Grace plans to learn more about program and volunteer management, as well as the issues facing the aging population in Indianapolis. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing with dogs, and finding new places to eat!
Alex Sindorf
Alex Sindorf is Indy Hunger Network’s Food Systems Coordinator VISTA. While studying for a Bachelor of Science in urban community development in Portland, Oregon, Alex took a class on food ethics and has been involved with farming and other food-related work ever since. After her VISTA term, Alex plans to work in nonprofit programming to address hunger and other food issues.
Robyn Stratford
Robyn Stratford is the Nutrition and Dementia Services Coordinator at CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions through Indy Hunger Network. She was born and raised in Carmel, Indiana, and attended Butler University where she majored in Science, Technology, and Society. She is currently working towards a master’s degree in gerontology and is very excited to complete her degree in December of 2019. Robyn has a passion for working with older people and dementia research and hopes to achieve a better understanding of the correlations between nutrition and dementia. Dementia hits close to home for Robyn because her grandma suffered from the disease. That experience is the root of her passion for dementia research and working with older adults. Robyn has worked in the past with older adults who can’t afford enough food throughout the week, and she is eager to help tackle this issue while also learning about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet to help treat dementia.