Hello!

My name is Stevie Barner, and I am completing my master’s in nutrition and dietetic internship through the University of Texas Medical Branch. The Galveston County Food Bank was my last rotation as a dietetic intern! It has been a hard journey, but I am very grateful that my last rotation was at GCFB so that I can finish out these experiences on a great memory. I was here for a 4-week rotation where I was exposed to many different community outreach opportunities as part of the nutrition department.

In my first week, I participated in a family nutrition education class for parents at Texas City High School. I worked closely with Stephanie Bell, the nutrition educator at GCFB, to learn how to put together a food demo for these classes. I loved how fun and entertaining these classes are. Throughout the class, there were different activities and even a taste test experience to keep participants involved and thinking.

At the end of my first week, I took part in the Halloween event that GCFB puts on each year. I worked with the nutrition department at their booth to provide a build-your-own popcorn bag. We also provided information about nutrition education classes and recipe cards. I even went through the haunted warehouse GCFB creates which was pretty scary!

During my second week, I got to experience what the Health Corner Store Project involves. I love this project, and in the future, I would want to implement a program like this in my community. The two corner stores I visited were amazing! It really felt like a mini grocery store. There was fresh produce, multiple meat options from chicken to beef, eggs, dairy products, and a large selection of dry and canned goods. While we were visiting, we added nutrition education related signage and planned what to bring back next time. Every time Stephanie is looking for new items to implement while engaging with the owners and their customers. I enjoyed the focus on building relationships and becoming a larger part of the surrounding communities. This picture of cilantro is my favorite one I took at the corner store.

In my third week, I had the opportunity to film a recipe video for the cherry chocolate chip cookie recipe I had helped create. I had no previous experience creating videos, so this was a great learning experience. I enjoyed editing the video, and through this experience, I gained a lot of knowledge about how I could possibly make my own recipe videos in the future.

During my fourth and final week, I created some educational social media posts. These can be related to nutrition education or health overall. The idea is to provide straightforward education to get people to think about their health. It could inspire them to make healthier food choices or try something new. Most of the posts are centered around the food of the day to provide some fun facts and health information about that food. For example, one post I created was for maple syrup day. This has been a great project for letting myself be creative.

My time at the Galveston County Food Bank was unforgettable. Candice Alfaro, the nutrition director, and Stephanie Bell, the nutrition educator, create a welcoming and friendly environment. My rotation started right as Maddi, the new nutrition educator, began working in this department. It was so much fun getting to grow together. I wish nothing but the best for this department and everyone who puts in so much work to serve the community here.