Sawubona! ? Igama lami nginguSarah Bigham, futhi ngingumfundi wezokudla e-University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Ngize e-Galveston County Food Bank ngokushintshanisa kwami ​​​​nomphakathi okungamasonto angu-4 ngoJulayi 2022. Isikhathi sami nebhange lokudla sasiyinto ethobisayo. Kwakuyisikhathi esicebisayo esangivumela ukuba ngenze izindlela zokupheka, ngenze amavidiyo okukhombisa ukudla, ngifundise amakilasi, ngidale ama-handouts, futhi ngihlole umthelela wokudla okunomsoco emphakathini njengomfundisi wokudla okunempilo. Okungukuthi, ngathola ukubona izindawo ezihlukahlukene zomphakathi ezisebenzisana neBhange Lokudla, ngifunda ngezinqubomgomo nezinhlelo zokusiza ngokudla, futhi ngabona umthelela wokusabalalisa ulwazi lokudla okunempilo emaqenjini amaningi eminyaka yobudala.

Ngesonto lami lokuqala, ngasebenza no-Aemen (Nutrition Educator) ukuze ngifunde ngezinhlelo zosizo zikahulumeni, ezihlanganisa i-SNAP kanye ne-Healthy Eating Research (HER), kanye nekharikhulamu yabo. Ngifunde ngomthelela wabo othize ebhange lokudla. Isibonelo, basebenzela ukwakha i-pantry ekhethiwe ngokudla okubhalwe luhlaza, obomvu, noma ophuzi. Okuluhlaza kusho ukudla njalo, okuphuzi kusho ukudla ngezikhathi ezithile, kanti okubomvu kusho ukukhawulela. Lokhu kwaziwa ngokuthi indlela ye-SWAP stoplight. Ngiphinde ngafunda mayelana nokusebenzisana kwabo ne-Seeding Galveston kanye nephrojekthi yesitolo esisekhoneni lapho besebenzela khona ukwenza ukudla okunempilo kufinyeleleke kakhudlwana.

Kwadingeka ngihambe noKaree (uMdidiyeli Wezemfundo Yezokudla ngaleso sikhathi) ukuze ngiyobuka eMoody Methodist Day School lapho ngathola khona ukubona ukuthi basebenzisa kanjani Ikharikhulamu ye-Organwise Guys esekelwe ebufakazini, esebenzisa abalingisi bezitho zekhathuni ukufundisa umsoco ezinganeni. Ikilasi lalihlanganisa isifo sikashukela, futhi kwangihlaba umxhwele ukubona ukuthi izingane zazinolwazi kangakanani ngamanyikwe. Ekupheleni kwesonto, ngabona u-Alexis (Umqondisi Wemfundo Yokudla Okunomsoco) kanti uLana (Umsizi Wezokudla) efundisa ikilasi leZinhlangano Ezisiza NgamaKhatholika, elalihlanganisa okusanhlamvu ngomboniso we-hummus nama-chips okusanhlamvu okuzenzela.

Ngiphinde ngathola ukusiza eGalveston's Own Farmers Market. Sibonise indlela yokwenza ama-veggie chips futhi sanikeza amaflaya okuthi ungayinciphisa kanjani i-sodium ekudleni. Senza ama-veggie chips kusuka ku-beet, izaqathe, ubhatata kanye ne-zucchini. Sazenza ngezinongo ezifana nempuphu kagalikhi nopelepele omnyama ukuze sengeze ukunambitheka ngaphandle kokusebenzisa usawoti.

Ngasebenza no-Alexis, u-Charli (Umfundisi Wokudla Okunempilo), kanye no-Lana ingxenye esele yokushintshana kwami. Ngesonto lami lesibili, ngaqala ukusebenza nezingane eMoody Methodist Day School eGalveston. U-Alexis uhole ingxoxo ku-MyPlate, futhi ngahola umsebenzi lapho izingane kufanele zikhombe kahle ukuthi ukudla bekusesigabeni esifanele se-MyPlate. Isibonelo, ukudla okunezinombolo ezinhlanu kuzovela ngaphansi kwesigaba semifino, kodwa okubili ngeke kube yimifino. Izingane kwakudingeka zihlonze kahle ezingalungile ngokubonisa iminwe yazo. Kwakungokokuqala ngifundisa izingane, futhi ngathola ukuthi ukufundisa izingane kuyinto engiyithandayo. Bekuvuza ukubabona beveza ulwazi lwabo nentshisekelo yabo ekudleni okunempilo.

Kamuva ngesonto, saya eSeeding Galveston nasesitolo esisekhoneni. Lapha, ngizibonele mathupha ukuthi ubudlelwano kanye nezinguquko zemvelo kuthinta kanjani umsoco. Izimpawu ezicabheni nokuhlelwa kwesitolo kwangigqamisa. Akuvamile ukubona izitolo zasemakhoneni zikhuthaza izithelo nemifino emisha endaweni, kodwa lokhu kube ushintsho oluhle kakhulu lokufakaza. Okwenziwa yibhange lokudla ngokusebenzisana kwabo ukwenza izinketho ezinempilo zitholakale kakhudlwana kuyingxenye yalokho engangikuthanda ukukuthola.

Ngesonto lami lesithathu, ngagxila emsebenzini wokusiza umphakathi wamaKatolika. Ibhange lokudla lifundisa ikilasi lapho, futhi baqala uchungechunge olusha ngo-August. Kulokhu, ababambiqhaza bazothola ibhokisi elinazo zonke izithako ezidingekayo ukwenza izindlela zokupheka esizikhombisayo ekilasini. Ngichithe isonto ngidala amaresiphi, ngiwenza futhi ngiwathwebula, futhi ngenza amavidiyo engizowabeka esiteshini se-YouTube njengosizo olubonakalayo ekwenzeni iresiphi. Bekungokokuqala ngihlela amavidiyo, kodwa ngakha ikhono lami lokusungula lapha, futhi bekunelisa ukuthola ukudla okuthengekayo, okufinyelelekayo, okulula okungenziwa abantu ngesabelomali esisamnandi kakhulu!

Osesithombeni yimi eduze kwebhodi lebhodi engaliklama ngesonto lami lokugcina. Ihambe ne-handout engiyidale ku-SNAP ne-WIC emakethe yabalimi. Ngemva kokuhlola umphakathi nokubona i-Galveston's Own Farmers Market, ngabona ukuthi ababaningi abantu abazi ukuthi bangasebenzisa i-SNAP emakethe, ingasaphathwa eyokuthola izinzuzo zabo ziphindwe kabili. Bengifuna ukusabalalisa ulwazi emphakathini walapha ukuze ukwazi ukusizakala ngezinzuzo zabo futhi basebenzise umthombo omkhulu wezithelo nemifino esiza abalimi bethu endaweni.

Ngabuye ngahola amakilasi amabili phakathi nesonto lami lokugcina ebhange lokudla. Ngisebenzise ikharikhulamu ye-Organwise Guys esekelwe ebufakazini ukuze ngifundise izingane eziphakathi kwe-K nebanga lesine mayelana nezitho nokudla okuhle. Womabili amakilasi ethule izingane kubalingiswa be-Organwise Guys. Ukuze ngibasize bakhumbule zonke izitho, ngakha i-Organ Bingo. Izingane zazikuthanda, futhi kwangivumela ukuba ngiziphenyisise ngezitho ngocingo ngalunye lwesitho ukuze ngisize ukwakha inkumbulo yazo. Ukusebenza nezingane ngokushesha kwaba umsebenzi oyintandokazi ebhange lokudla. Bekungeyona nje into ejabulisayo, kodwa nokwelula ulwazi lokudla okunomsoco ezinganeni kwazizwa kunomthelela. Kwakuyinto ababeyijabulele, futhi ngangazi ukuthi ulwazi ababesanda kuluthola bazoluyisa kubazali babo.

Ukusebenza emphakathini, ngokujwayelekile, kwazizwa njengomthelela oqondile. Ngathola ukusiza ekusabalaliseni ukudla okuhambahambayo kanye nevolontiya endaweni yokudlela. Ukubona abantu beza futhi bethola igilosa edingekayo, nokwazi ukuthi senzela abantu okuthile okuhle kwangenza ngazizwa sengathi ngisendaweni efanele. Ngithole uthando olusha lwesilungiselelo somphakathi ku-dietetics. Ngokuza ohlelweni lwami e-UTMB, nganginesiqiniseko sokuthi ngifuna ukuba uchwepheshe wezokudla emtholampilo. Yize kuseyintshisekelo yami enkulu, ukudla komphakathi sekuphenduke intandokazi ngokushesha. Bekuyilungelo ukuchitha isikhathi nebhange lokudla nokuhlangana nabantu abaningi kangaka emphakathini. Konke okwenziwa yibhange lokudla kuyakhuthaza futhi kuyancomeka. Ukuba yingxenye yayo yinto engizoyazisa kuze kube phakade.