Moni! Dzina langa ndine Alexis Zafereo, ndipo ndine katswiri wazakudya ku University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Pakuzungulira kwanga m'dera langa, ndinali ndi chisangalalo chomaliza maola anga ku Galveston County Food Bank kwa masabata onse a 5 mu October 2023 - December 2023. Panthawi yonse yanga ku banki ya chakudya, ndapatsidwa mwayi wophunzitsa anthu kudzera m'mapulojekiti ambiri, kupanga timapepala, ogulitsa, mgwirizano ndi mabungwe ena, ndi zina zambiri. Kukhala m'gulu lazakudya kwakhala kotsegula maso komwe kwandiphunzitsa zambiri komanso zambiri.                                                                            

Sabata yanga yoyamba ku GCFB inali sabata yomaliza ya Okutobala, kotero ndidakhala ndikusangalala. Oyang'anira za kadyedwe kazakudya anali kukonzekera mwambo wosungiramo katundu wa banki yazakudya womwe udakonzedwa kumapeto kwa sabata ikubwerayi kuti zithandizire kukweza ndalama zothandizira bungweli. Aliyense pabanki yazakudya adathandizira kwambiri kuti nyumba yosungiramo zinthu ziziyenda bwino, ndipo gulu lazakudya likhala likugulitsa chakudya kwa anthu pafupifupi 300.

Panthawi imodzimodziyo, banki ya chakudya inali kupanga mgwirizano ndi St. Vincents, Farm ya Amayi ku Table, ndi Farmacy kuti athandize kulimbikitsa kugwiritsa ntchito Snap phindu ndikufalitsa chidziwitso cha kusowa kwa chakudya komwe kukuchitika ku Galveston, TX. Pa nthawi yoyenda gululi likhala likufunafuna mipata yotsatsa banki yazakudya ngati gwero ndikuthandizira kufalitsa chidziwitso.

Mu sabata yachiwiri, ndidatha kuyang'ana koyamba mu imodzi mwama projekiti ogulitsa pakona omwe GCFB yakhala ikugwira ntchito. Cholinga chake chinali kupereka mwayi wopeza zokolola zatsopano kwa anthu omwe amakhala m'chipululu cha chakudya. Gululo linalumikizana ndi eni sitoloyo ndipo linathandiza kukhazikitsa malo amene zokololazo zingagulitsidwe ndi kugulitsidwa. Ndikapita, ndinkatha kukayendera n’kuona madera oti ndiwongolere. Kumapeto kwa sabata ino tidapita ku Seeding Texas ndikuthandiza ogwira ntchito kubzalanso zokolola zawo ndikuchotsa mbewu zomwe sizinali munyengo.

M'sabata yachitatu, tidapereka maphunziro a Diabetes panthawi yogawa m'manja kubanki yazakudya ku Hitchcock TX. Izi zidapangidwa kuti zithandizire anthu omwe ali ndi matenda a shuga kuti azitha kuyang'anira kuchuluka kwa glucose m'magazi awo. Ichi chinali chokumana nacho chaudongo chifukwa tinafika ndi kuphunzitsa anthu ochuluka kwambiri kuposa mmene ndimayembekezera, ndipo popeza kuti anali kungodikirira pamzere m’magalimoto awo, tinatha kuwafikira kwa nthaŵi yaitali pang’ono. Ena amapemphanso mabuku ena kwa achibale awo kunyumba. Unali mwayi waukulu kuchita zinthu zingapo nthawi imodzi kwa anthu ammudzi.

Kwa sabata yanga yachinayi, gulu lazakudya ndi ine tinakonzekera za Moody Mension International Day Fair. Tinagula zakudya ndi ziwiya zamwambowo, kuphika zochuluka, kusindikiza makadi opangira maphikidwe, ndipo tinali ndi zigawo zosiyana zimene zinkaphunzitsa ana kuyeretsa zokolola zawo pamene akupereka maphunziro kwa alonda awo.

Potsirizira pake, mkati mwa mlungu wanga womalizira ndinakhoza kupita ku kalasi ku The Huntington, malo akuluakulu, kumene dipatimenti ya zakudya zopatsa thanzi inapereka maphunziro a “Idyani Thanzi, Khalani Wokangalika” ndikuchita chionetsero chophikira. Paulendo uwu, ndinatha kupanga demo yophika m'kalasi. Umenewu unali mwayi waukulu kwa ine kuchitira umboni popeza kuti m’nthaŵi yanga kuno ndinali wokhoza kupereka zambiri kumbuyo kwa zochitika mwa kukonzekera, kuyeza, kusindikiza mapaketi, ndi kupanga zinthu zofunika m’kalasi. Tsopano ndinatha kuziwona zonse zikugwera ndi kubwera palimodzi.

Kugwira ntchito ndi anthu ammudzi kunali kopindulitsa kwambiri ndipo kunandibweretsera chimwemwe chochuluka. Zinali zokondweretsa kuona kuti pali kukhudzidwa kwakukulu kwa ntchito ya kadyedwe kamene kamakhalapo pa chikhalidwe cha anthu komanso zotsatira zomwe zingatheke pophunzitsa anthu ammudzi. Ambiri mwa omwe tidawafotokozera adalandira bwino zomwe tinkapereka, ndipo zinali zabwino kuwona anthu akuyamikira thanzi lawo. Banki yazakudya idandipatsa malo oti ndizitha kupanga zopatsa thanzi komanso njira yabwino yothandizira. Zinali zodabwitsa zomwe ndikuyembekeza kudzajowinanso tsiku lina.