About
Ever since a young age I have always been interested in participating in events helping others, so when I was given the assignment of a passion project, I decided to make my own. Throughout my life, I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel to many places, in doing so I have seen and met people of many different backgrounds. I have known the issues that plague people since a young age, and I've been given opportunities to solve them as well. I see people who are less fortunate than me every day in my area, I want to help them by providing them with the sustenance they need, while still leaving room for growth.
MISSION
"At Nourish Together Food Pantry, we are dedicated to providing for and nourishing our community through compassion and collaboration. Our mission is to alleviate hunger by providing nutritious and essential food items to individuals and families in need. We strive to create a supportive environment where every member of our community can access the sustenance they require. We aim to create a sense of belonging, resilience, and hope, empowering individuals to build brighter futures for themselves and their loved ones."
WE AIM TO HELP:
- Families/Individuals who cannot afford groceries
- Families/Individuals who lack regular access to food
- Families/Individuals who are under financial strain
"The opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice." - Bryan Stevenson.
MY STEPS OF ACTION
- Planning: I began my project. I figured out who my target audience was and how I wanted to help them. I began looking for people to interview.
- The interview: I drafted out questions for Maria Jose Cappa, the executive director at CEPIA. I then later called her on the phone and carried out the interview.
- Building a website: At this point in my project, I was done with interviewing, but not actually carrying out my project, so this is when I began to edit my website.
- Preparing for the event and sourcing donations: At this time, I will begin to prepare for the event by beginning to collect donations of canned food for the event. I will also figure out my venue for this event.
- Debut event: I will host this event for the first time. After the event, I will figure out what was a success and what wasn't. I will use this information and immediately begin to plan the next one.
- Continuing: I plan to continue doing these pop-up food pantries once every month or so.
MY INTERVIEW & PODCAST
I interviewed Maria Jose Cappa, the executive director at CEPIA for advice on my project. I asked her the following questions:
- What inspired you to pursue social work and become the director of CEPIA?
- What advice would you give to someone like me based on your experience?
- Can you tell me a difficulty you've experienced throughout your career?
CEPIA is a local organization that aims to help children, teens, and families that face the challenges of poverty. In my interview I ask Maria Jose Cappa her thoughts on my project and she tells me how she got to where she is today. If you want to hear the rest, click the button down below.