Hi! My name is Molly Silverman, and I am a dietetic intern at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). I completed a 4-week rotation with Galveston County Food Bank (GCFB) from late August to early September 2024. This served as one of my community-based rotations, fulfilling supervised practice requirements on my way to becoming a registered dietitian.

Since I began studying nutrition, I’ve been passionate about working to improve public health through equitable distribution of health resources and increased access to safe, nutritious foods. Throughout my rotation with GCFB, I’ve gotten to learn about and take part in the Nutrition Department’s outreach projects including the Healthy Corner Store Project, nutrition education classes at Texas City High School, and partnerships with Galveston’s Own Farmers Market and The Picnic Basket Student Food Pantry at UTMB.

During my first week, I was able to visit two stores partnered with GCFB for the Healthy Corner Store Project. Through this project, GCFB provides participating stores with marketing materials to advertise acceptance of SNAP benefits and to promote nutritious food options within the stores. Stephanie, one of the Nutrition Educators, and I visited these stores to touch base with the store owners and monitor the quality of marketing materials currently displayed.

In my second week, most of my time was spent measuring and packaging seasonings to be included in the Nutrition Department’s meal kits that will be distributed to the community. These kits will include handouts for diabetes education and prevention as well as nutritious recipe cards and the corresponding ingredients.

I was able to observe and assist
nutrition education classes in my third and fourth weeks. These were the first two sessions in the Cooking Matters course for high schoolers at Texas City High School. This course is aimed at getting students excited about nutrition by teaching them about MyPlate recommendations and introducing them to new foods. Each class involves a both a lecture and a cooking demonstration. I had the opportunity to be involved with both sides, assisting in the planning and execution of lectures and leading one of the cooking demonstrations.

I’ve loved my experience with GCFB. Getting to interact with members of the community, decorate recipe boards, and design educational handouts/social media posts has been both fun and fulfilling. Every staff member’s passion for providing Galveston County with nutritious foods and health education is evident in how hard they work and the success of their outreach programs. I’m so grateful for my time here, I will never forget this experience!