Volunteers of the Month: Fall Interns
December 21, 2018
CUESA’s Volunteer of the Month program recognizes the dedication and work of some of our most active volunteers. CUESA relies on volunteers to help with education programs, special events, public outreach, and other activities that help fulfill our mission to cultivate a sustainable food system.
Learn more about volunteering and submit an application here. You can also sign up for our next volunteer orientation on January 9, 2019, here!
The close of the fall semester marks another season of bright CUESA interns, who execute important work for CUESA’s educational programs. While volunteers are on the ground supporting our programs, interns are more deeply involved with the inner workings. We’re happy to celebrate our interns as they’ve been key players in helping educate more than 5,000 children, youth, and adults this year!
“Our dedicated team of Foodwise Kids interns helped to inspire a love of cooking and fresh fruits and vegetables for nearly 1,000 young eaters and over 100 family members from 25 school communities this fall!” says Youth Education Manager Tessa Kappe.
“The group includes an inspired environmental studies graduate, a food studies graduate student, a food access and nutrition advocate, and an aspiring doctor,who believes in food as medicine—all looking to make San Francisco a greener, healthier place for everyone. Thank you for your commitment to the good food movement in its many forms.” Meet our fall interns.
Sabrina Andreatta: “Being a CUESA Foodwise Kids intern has allowed me to share my passion for sustainable agriculture and food systems with children in a fun, hands-on way. I enjoyed getting the children excited about eating healthy, sustainably, and in an environmentally friendly way. Introducing children to these topics at a young age can influence their way of eating and thinking of the future, and this program is a great way to do that. I love working with children, and this internship has given me many teaching skills that will help me in my career. I made new friends whom I had the privilege of working with and fun memories with the students. Overall, being a Foodwise Kids intern has been a rewarding experience, and I am so grateful I have been able to be a part of a program working towards a more sustainable future.”
Rachel Garcia: “Interning for Foodwise Kids has been a very positive experience for me, not only in developing my skills as an educator but also showing me how to effectively engage children in learning about the importance of our food system. Teaching children to eat healthy is important but having them be aware of how and where we get our food is just as important, and Foodwise Kids helps in providing that education. It has been a pleasure to work with staff and other interns who are passionate and motivated to do this work!”
Jackie Liu: “I think it is extremely important for people to know where their food comes from, and why it is important to eat foods that are not only nutritious but also sustainable for the environment. Furthermore, I think Foodwise Kids’ focus on educating young children is extremely important since they are the next generation. From this internship, I learned how to encourage kids how to make their own healthy choices and show them how healthy foods can also be yummy! It was overall a great experience because I got to apply what I learn in my nutrition classes at school to make a direct impact with children in San Francisco.”
Stephanie Turner: “I am only beginning to understand how truly integral a healthy food system is to create a healthy community. And I wish that I would have had someone in my life that would have nudged me much sooner toward learning about our food system and the monumental impact it has on all of us. Supporting local farmers who practice organic farming, pay their employees a living wage, and treat animals well during their life; is truly one way to tread a kinder, smaller footprint. I also love food—of course! And the delicious produce that you experience at the farmers market—local, vine-ripened, organic—is incomparable to the produce that you get at many of the supermarkets. Everyone should have access to carrots from Capay Organics or apples from Devoto Garden & Orchards, and if you get to experience this amazingly rich, tasty bounty as a child, it may change your outlook on produce forever!”
“Culinary Programs interns Lili and Leslie have been such a great help to the Market to Table program and more while they have been with us this semester,” says Culinary Programs Manager Carrie Sullivan. “They both work AND go to school, and yet they are here whenever needed, with smiles and positive attitudes! I wish them both great success upon their graduation from the fantastic City College of San Francisco Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies program, and hope they will take away a greater appreciation for the hard work the farmers and other food producers do to provide us with delicious and nutritious food.”
Leslie Guerry: A Culinary Arts Management student, I can choose from a wide range of internship programs in the food service industry. My passion to support local farms and chefs led me to CUESA. I found its programs—like the Food Shed, Foodwise Kids, and Market to Table cooking demonstrations—very intriguing, and they’ve offered me a different perspective in the culinary field. I can look back at my time at CUESA and feel proud of what I have learned and apply it to my career in the culinary industry.
Liliana Ilian: “My CUESA internship was one of my greatest discoveries in the Bay Area culinary world. I learned so much from the staff and all the people associated with CUESA. I got a little taste of where my food comes from and the importance of cultivating a healthy food system. Programs like Market to Table were the most influential to my learning interests. All of my activities—shopping at the market, preparing the demo’s samples for the audience and working with volunteers, chefs, authors and farmers—helped me see the full picture and thought around food. I learned many skills that I know will be fundamental to my career path and my passion. I am thankful to the women and men that make CUESA possible. I will sorely miss them!”
Top photo: Jackie, Stephanie, Liliana, Leslie. Bottom photo: Sabrina, Rachel.
Topics: Volunteers and Interns