Here is a magazine style feature project that I did regarding both the increase in food insecure households in Colorado as well as nationwide. Preliminary research included combing over data from the USDA’s annual Food Insecurity In U.S. Households Report, and the Colorado Health Institute’s biennial Health Access Survey. While both reports were instrumental in helping me to understand some of the underlying factors behind the significant increase in food insecurity, my interviews with Erin Mohney and Jen Johnson were even more illuminating. As the director of Food Bank of the Rockies, Mohney has great insight into the challenges that face organizations trying to curb the severity of food insecurity. Jen Johnson is one of the founders of Rams Against Hunger, which runs multiple programs helping food insecure students and faculty at Colorado State University, and has multiple food pantries located on campus for those in need. The story of RAH and how far it’s come since its initial conception helped me figure out how to end this story on a hopeful note. 

 

Early on, I had considered using a template on something like Canva, but as things started to come together I realized that I wanted more control than what working within the bounds of a pre-existing template could offer me. I ultimately decided to use Adobe Indesign, which was a program that I had never used before up until that point. I liked the idea of using a magazine format because of the visual elements that I could include to enhance the story. The artwork and infographics were done by me mostly using Adobe Illustrator, with some made using InDesign itself. The photos are all taken from Adobe Stock.