September

I have really enjoyed learning about the mechanisms of different diseases and drugs so far in this program. It has been such an incredible honor to learn from PhDs and Doctors of medicine. I am always anxious to tell my friends and loved ones what I am learning, and it is so exciting!

This past month, I volunteered for a total 12 hours between August 30th and September 13th at the Lowernine Food Pantry. 

I've been volunteering at this food pantry for over a year now. I love this place because it truly feels like community. It can get messy and inefficient, but there's always good music and kind, hard-working people. There's so many regulars who come for food and who volunteer. I always love to catch-up with the manager (Naish) and his fiance (Berlin). Over the summer, Berlin was actually leading a program to teach young Black girls from all over the country about food systems and climate change. They were all so lovely and helpful, and this past Saturday was bittersweet since it was their last week with Lowernine. 

Since I've been going for as long as I have, I was taught to sign people in and so, these past two Saturdays, that's what I did. That means I take people's ID's, or names, and enter them into the system so we can track the number of people served. This past week it was about 170, not counting the number of people in each household. For each person who comes to the food bank, they enter what looks at first glance like a residential house, but the entryway is filled with metal racks of food. Volunteers at different stations throughout the space will guide the guest through the space, packing a cardboard box with canned and dry goods, fruit, dairy products, and frozen meats. What we provide changes, some parts of the year we have tons of produce, or sometimes we have tons of baked goods, it all depends. What's consistent is the great people and good energy. 

It's always the highlight of my week.