A year and a half ago, Katherine began volunteering during Second Harvest’s food sorts—sorting and packing produce, beans, grains, bread and more for redistribution to people facing hunger. Now, as a Nutrition Ambassador, she’s helping to get the food out of the sort room and onto the plates of people in need.
A health service administration major at Eastern, Katherine’s experience volunteering at free cooking classes and Mobile Market free food distributions has given her a new perspective on how much food impacts people’s health. “Hunger is a really big deal. I just know how hard it is to focus or do what you need to do if you’re hungry. It affects your overall health immensely,” she said. “I know Second Harvest helps a lot of college students, and I can personally see how important that is.”
Along with meeting new people through her volunteering, Katherine has also enjoyed learning new cooking tips and tricks herself. She’s picked up some tools in The Kitchen that have helped her make healthier, more creative meals on her student budget.
Katherine loves that no Mobile Market or cooking class is the same. Still, she says one common thread runs through all of them—the gratitude of the people she’s serving. “There are so many people affected by food insecurity. It’s a really big issue. If Second Harvest weren’t here, it would be so much worse,” she said. “When you’re at Second Harvest, you see so much at a deeper level—how many people Second Harvest really helps.”
Thank you, Katherine, for giving your time and talents to build a healthier community!
