Cate Hensley
About Cate Hensley
Cate Hensley serves as the Coordinator of Advocacy and Community Engagement at Operation Food Search, where she focuses on food insecurity and related issues. She has a background in social work and has held various roles in community engagement and advocacy, including positions at the Jewish Council for Youth Services and DePauw University.
Current Role at Operation Food Search
Cate Hensley serves as the Coordinator of Advocacy and Community Engagement at Operation Food Search, a position she has held since 2021. In this role, she coordinates outreach efforts aimed at health policy and healthcare stakeholders to promote food-is-medicine policy initiatives. She collaborates with various programs and departments within Operation Food Search, including Fresh Rx, Communications, Agency Relations, Community Nutrition, and Child Nutrition Programs, to advance projects related to food insecurity.
Previous Experience at Jewish Council for Youth Services
Before her current role, Cate Hensley worked as the Assistant Director of Camp STAR Summer Treatment Program for ADHD and related disorders at the Jewish Council for Youth Services from 2017 to 2019. This position involved overseeing camp operations and supporting children with ADHD and related disorders at the George W. Lutz Family Center.
Educational Background
Cate Hensley obtained her Master of Social Work (MSW) from Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied Mental Health from 2019 to 2021. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and English from DePauw University, which she completed from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, she completed her high school education at Niles North High School from 2008 to 2012.
Community Engagement and Advocacy Initiatives
In her advocacy role, Cate Hensley has planned and facilitated community meetings to enhance relationship building among advocates addressing food insecurity in Missouri. She has mobilized advocates for various initiatives, including social media campaigns and legislative testimony, and has developed materials for the Food Is Medicine Missouri Coalition meetings. Her work focuses on educating and engaging service providers, food pantry managers, and community members on food insecurity and food-is-medicine strategies.
Past Roles and Internships
Cate Hensley has held various positions that contributed to her expertise in community engagement and advocacy. She worked as a Retail Salesperson at Nordstrom from 2014 to 2015 and as a Properties Master at DePauw University from 2013 to 2014. Additionally, she served as a Women's Center Student Intern and a Green Dot Bystander Intervention Program Student Intern at DePauw University, gaining experience in student support and intervention programs.