Allison Forrer Email & Phone Number

Colorado, United States

Oversaw all aspects of creating relevant, updated, and compliant education content that served Cooking Matters program efforts to reach parents and caregivers of young children. Content and assets use design-thinking to ensure products reflect user needs.

Managed a network of more than 150 program partners, managing partner access to support and training systems, streamlining program evaluation.

Managed a team of 4 to support growth from a limited 30-partner model to broaden access to partnership and competitive grants.

Managed AmeriCorps federal grant award to maintain compliant and successful Cooking Matters AmeriCorps program.

Chicago, Il

Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters empowers families at risk of hunger with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make healthy and affordable meals. Through hands-on classes taught by volunteer culinary and nutrition experts, course participants learn how to select nutritious and low-cost ingredients and prepare them in ways that provide the best nourishment possible to their families.

Worked with the eight member food banks that served Illinois to develop and expand SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Outreach Programs.Analyzed current data, information and research regarding SNAP participation throughout IllinoisResearched and analyzed current SNAP Outreach Programs to identify best practices in order to help implement successful outreach services to under-served communities.

Tracked and analyzed the initiation and progress of relevant hunger and nutrition legislation, including the Child Nutrition Reauthorization, and worked with the Policy Department staff to reach out to elected officials.Drafted research summaries and memos on local Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program policy analysis and poverty and hunger trends.

Researched available grant-writing information to create a compendium of high-quality resources and design a specially tailored workshop for CLOCC's community-based partners.Worked with the Corporate Relations Manager to initiate planning and research for a fall city-wide public service campaign to promote CLOCC's 5-4-3-2-1 Go! message.

Organized all facets of local nutrition education and cooking skills program, including volunteer recruitment and training, community partnerships, budget management, class logistics, and scheduling to provide classes to more than 300 families at risk for hunger each year.Wrote grants to secure over $50,000 in funding; authored public relations stories and marketing pieces, and collaborated with national staff to make significant curricula and recipe revisions.

Provided consistently high levels of customer service for upscale bistro by leading staff, managing reservations and events, and tracking inventories; voted "Best Restaurant North of Boston".

Wrote and edited weekly newsletter on new cookbooks and seasonal culinary topics, reaching over 100,000 subscribers.

Pioneered new managerial role within 6 months, running all front-of-house operations and managing 15 staff members to serve fresh products made in-house to 450 customers daily for award-winning café featured in publications such as Food and Wine and Gourmet Magazine.

Bachelor Of Arts, History

Education record

Master, Public Policy

Public Policy Practicum with the Greater Chicago Food Depository; Courses in Program Evaluation, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Financial.

Education record

Education record