Global Advocates Podcast: Sammie Paul

Hi there, Christine here, Western and Midwestern Campus Fellow for UNA-USA. Welcome to episode two of the Global Advocates Podcast, the series created by the United Nations Association USA campus fellows where we speak with organizations and young activists and to learn from their advocacy journeys. In today’s episode we are joined by Sammie Paul, from MEANS Database which is nonprofit that serves as an online platform connecting those with excess food to emergency food providers and food banks within their vicinity. They were founded in 2015 in the D.C. area however has since expanded across all 50 states in the United States, and they have been critical emergency food providers especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sammie Paul is the Executive Director at MEANS Database, and has worked with MEANS for more than five years, starting as an Outreach Volunteer and wearing many hats as she continues to work with MEANS to grow and expand its impact nationally. She has a history of service with public health nonprofits both in the United States with SOS Children’s Villages and abroad with Lea Toto in Nairobi, Kenya. She is passionate about food security, community engagement, and public health policy. Sammie is currently located in NYC, and in her free time loves going to concerts and taking advantage of the restaurant scene.

In this episode I spoke with her more about what MEANS does as an organization, the challenges they have faced, along with her experience as someone that has spent most of her career in the nonprofit space. I hope you are as inspired by her words as I was during the conversation. If you are able to please also consider supporting MEANS work in anyway you can.

Some links to check out:

MEANS Database Instagram

MEANS Database Website

Feature on CNN Heroes

Listen to the Global Advocates Podcast here (coming soon to Spotify!)