Volunteer Spotlight: Stephanie Sharp

I recently invited one of our volunteers, Stephanie Sharp, to tell me a little bit about why she volunteers for us and here's what she had to say:

"I started volunteering with Northwest Harvest over a year ago when I decided to pursue a masters degree in nutrition. I had heard about Northwest Harvest on the news and had even received the newsletter in the mail a few times. I thought it might be a good place to start volunteering. Besides, it looked like fun. The newsletter showed pictures of smiling volunteers surrounded by food. Who wouldn’t want to get involved?! Within a week of filling out the volunteer form, I was in downtown Seattle volunteering at the Cherry Street Food Bank passing out artichokes and attempting to explain to people how to cook them. (Do you steam them? Chop them? Bake them? Who knows…)

But underlying my desire to volunteer with Northwest Harvest was a strong belief that food is something we here in America have in excess. It seemed just plain wrong to me that there were people out there, especially in this area, who have been left off the “food chain” – people who are hungry and without the resources needed to have lunch or make dinner. It seemed to me if we as a community could make a commitment to “pitch in,” we could meet this basic need. That’s why I was drawn to the mission of Northwest Harvest. They inspire local people to give a little extra, and then harness those donations to make getting a meal a reality for a lot of people.

Because what I’ve seen at the food bank are people who are just trying to make it. They’re people who have recently lost their jobs or had their hours or benefits cut. They’re single parents or individuals who are suddenly sick and can’t work or pay for medical care. I’ve been humbled to meet many people my age (25 years old) who are simply unable to compete for work because of the high unemployment rate. I’ve learned that hunger does not discriminate. But the wonderful thing about Northwest Harvest is they don’t discriminate either. They don’t turn anyone away. And so many people are outwardly thankful to us volunteers; some will go as far as to encourage us by saying things like “Thank you for being here. You have no idea how much this place helps!” Those comments definitely inspire me to continue giving my time.

But while Northwest Harvest is working diligently to combat hunger in Washington State, I think much of the transformation has occurred inside me. I’ve learned that I really have a lot more than I think I do. It’s humbling to visit a food bank and realize not everyone enjoys the same luxuries…things like having a can opener or a microwave come to mind. But the flip side of that growing sense of humility is the amazing empowerment that comes with knowing that, with Northwest Harvest, I do have something to offer to my community – even if it’s just a few hours of my time and some uncooked artichokes."

Hunger Relief Advocate Nancy Amidei at Hunger Action Day

 

Those who've been following my blog about Hunger Action Day know how inspired I was by participating last week. Nancy Amidei, a well-known advocate in the hunger community for more than 40 years, was a guest speaker. I had never heard Nancy speak in person. It takes a special talent to get and hold the attention of so many people but Nancy did just that.

She spoke about how vital-and how easy-it is to let your voice be heard.  She is very knowledgable, passionate and engaging, so much so that words can't capture her gifts. 

Now....who's got YOUR butter?

Hunger Action Day -- Guest Speaker Rep. Eric Pettigrew

During a short break at Hunger Action Day last Friday, Representative Eric Pettigrew spoke to the gathering of hunger advocates encouraging us to stay the course and tell our legislators what we expected of them. I was really inspired by his message and wanted to share it with you -- watch the short video clip and let me know what you think! 

Although a short message it was still encouraging to have him speak to us and know that we are heard by our leaders.

Hunger Action Day -- Follow up

Hunger Action Day wrapped up last Friday after some 150 hunger advocates met with legislators and senators from across Washington. Our mission was fairly straightforward in that we were asking our legislators to not cut funding to vital hunger programs such as school-subsidized meals. There were many other hunger related topics up for discussion but each of us focused on the topic we considered most vital.

I met with staff from Senator Val Stevens' office as well as Representative Kirk Pearson. They both represent District 39, of which I am a constituent. 

I met first with Rep. Pearson and one other advocate. I had never met with a representative of mine, let alone been in their office, and my nerves were on edge for sure. But it didn't take long for things to get a lot more comfortable. It turns out Rep. Pearson and I live less than a mile from each other and although it was more than 10 years ago, we both used to work at the same camp in Gold Bar -Camp Huston.

Although seemingly insignificant, these topics broke the ice and from there it was a pleasant discussion around school meals, our Northwest Harvest salmon patty project and the food banks of Snohomish County. Rep. Pearson was very open and honest with us, which is a great thing to be able to say about our elected officials.

Later, I met in Senator Stevens' office with two other advocates and most of the conversation revolved around school breakfast and lunches. Some 42% of kids in the state of Washington qualify for free or reduced cost school lunches so this is definitely an area our legislators cannot afford to cut. While the meeting was with an aide of Senator Stevens, it still seemed positive and our message was received openly.

The day was mentally exhausting but it was a great experience. I was so impressed that so many advocates -- people like you and me -- took the time to out of their day to stand up and speak for what they know is right. It is not always an easy thing to do. I'm also thankful that although we might not agree with our elected officials all the time at least we have the ability and duty to let them know what we believe in.

Hunger Action Day 2010

On Friday, I was in Olympia for Hunger Action Day along with some 150 other anti-hunger and nutrition activists from across the state of Washington. We were there to meet with our legislators and senators and share our insight and stories with them. This year's state budget is brutal and our elected officials have some very difficult decisions facing them. 

The group of 150 activists is by far the largest number of participants to decend upon the capital. In fact, our meeting room wasn't big enough for all of us! We started the day going over the agenda together and then we broke up into groups to learn about advocacy depending on our comfort level.  Most of us are beginners and while we may have emailed or called our representatives before, not too many of us have taken the time to meet with them. 

Our agenda had four major points:

1. protect the funding already in place for hunger related programs
2. give an additional $250,000 to fund Washington's summer food programs for kids
3. preserve support for food banks and tribal food programs
4. support prompt and accurate access to the Basic Food Program

There is a lot of information on each topic and each of us picked one or two subjects to talk about during our meetings. I had three meetings set with my legislators and will update this blog and share my stories shortly.

So far my initial impression is how easy it is to get active. Make your voice heard to make change!

The Stranger!

Check out this week's edition of The Stranger. Every year, this Seattle weekly auctions off its cover with all the proceeds going to charity. This year philanthropist Marcus Hum bought the rights to the cover and we are thrilled that he picked Northwest Harvest to be the beneficiary of his generosity.

The cover depicts the Northwest Harvest sandwich brigade in action. Every Monday and Wednesday morning, 10-15 incredibly loyal and passionate volunteers gather in the old parish hall of Trinity Episcopal Church and make sandwiches for distribution that day. Each day they make anywhere from 1,300-1,700 sandwiches -- today, in fact, we made 1,717 turkey and pastrami sandwiches for our clients who don't have access to kitchen facilities or who prefer to take a no-cook meal instead of groceries.