Summer of Service, Summer of VISTA

Growing up in rural Northwest Ohio, I was constantly exposed to healthy, fresh and organic foods.  It was common practice for me to simply go out to the garden and gather the food needed for dinner.  Knowing exactly where my food came from and even who grew it was something that was simply expected, and no one thought anything of it.  When I came to Cleveland for school, I realized that I had taken these experiences for granted.  I realized that eating healthy and organic food is not as easy as it should be for many living in the city.  Serving as a VISTA seems to be a natural extension for my passion for helping others and my views on providing healthy food for others living in poverty.

I will be working with Caitlin Hearn, so I will also be working at the Case Western Reserve University Farm and also for Refugee Response's urban farm at Ohio City.  I will also be spending time helping with Cleveland Crops, a group of urban farms that provides work and training for adults with developmental disabilities.  I am very excited to be helping serve others in the Cleveland community, and I hope that my work as a VISTA will have a lasting impact on some community members.  I hope to instill the passion that I have for healthy foods into others, and I want to help make sure that even though community members may be living in poverty, that they have the same opportunities as those outside of poverty for these resources.