In 2014, when I was first getting to know the Lebanon area as my new workplace, I remember driving by the low-income housing neighborhoods thinking about those manicured lawn areas and their potential to become self-sustained food sources (i.e. community gardens). Having previously worked in high-poverty schools/ neighborhoods in my career with MNPS and knowing how much my students struggled with food insecurity and access to green spaces, in my head I had connected my heart for helping people out and helping people UP with my love of food, cooking, gardening. At the time, I only had the time and ability to help out with short-term feeding options like Compassionate Hands and food drives, but the vision for something... greater, more sustainable, more systemic... that hasn't left my heart.
Fast forward to two years ago, when Ryan Bennett announced his vision for ending hunger in Wilson County... he didn't know exactly HOW that would happen, but he was bold to put it out there. That resonated back to my own vision as well... I think there is so much potential for teaching people HOW to grow food, cook, feed their families and not be totally dependent on others, and as far as I can tell, the programs don't exist yet to really address sustainable food sources, although our community has shown the will to care for and feed others. Lots of opportunity to add another level of depth to this issue, and I'd like to be involved in those conversations.