Sawubona! Igama lami nginguDanielle Bennetsen, futhi ngiyi-dietetic intern e-University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Ngaba nethuba lokuqedela ukuzungezisa umphakathi wami e-Galveston County Food Bank amasonto angu-4 ngoJanuwari ka-2023. Ngesikhathi sami ebhange lokudla, ngakwazi ukuba nolwazi oluningi olumangalisayo nolwehlukene oluthuthukise ulwazi lwami lokufunda emsebenzini onjalo. izinga elibalulekile. Ngachayeka ezicini eziningi zokudla komphakathi emazingeni ahlukene, okwakumangalisa futhi kwangivula amehlo.

Esontweni lami lokuqala ngise-GCFB, ngafunda mayelana nezinhlobonhlobo zezifundo, njenge-MyPlate for My Family and Cooking Matters, ezisetshenziselwa amakilasi okufundisa ngokudla okunomsoco. Ukwengeza, ngifunde ngezinhlelo ezifana ne-Healthy Eating Research (HER), i-Farmer's Market, kanye ne-Healthy Corner Store ezisetshenziswa ebhange lokudla. Empeleni ngikwazile ukuvakashela isitolo esisekhoneni e-San Leon abasebenzisana naso njengamanje ukufaka ibhokisi lokuhlola ukuze kuhlolwe izidingo zomphakathi. Ngaleso sikhathi, ngathakasela ukufunda ngezinguquko ezingenziwa esitolo ukuze ngiqhubeke nokusekela isinyathelo sokuhlinzeka ngokufinyelela okukhulu kokudla okusha emphakathini.

Ngesonto lami lesibili, ngabona amakilasi amaningi okufundisa ngokudla okunempilo lapho ngabona khona ukuthi i-MyPlate for My Family and Cooking Matters yasetshenziswa kanjani ukufundisa imindeni kanye nezingane zesikole esiphakathi, ngokulandelana. Ngangikujabulela ngempela ukubuka amakilasi, ukusiza ngemiboniso yokudla, nokuxhumana nabantu ngendlela efundisayo. Kwakuyinto engingakaze ngibe nayo ngaphambili! Ekupheleni kwesonto, ngahambela ipulazi laseSeeding Galveston lapho ngasiza khona ukulungisa izithako zombukiso wokudla esawenza. Senza isaladi yasebusika efudumele sisebenzisa imifino enamaqabunga evela ku-Seeding Galveston, kuhlanganise namaqabunga e-chrysanthemum. Ngangijabule kakhulu ngalokhu njengoba kwakuyisikhathi sami sokuqala ngizama amaqabunga e-chrysanthemum, futhi ngiwancoma kakhulu njengesengezo kumasaladi!

Isonto lami lesithathu ligxile ekubeni khona okukhulu emakilasini okufundisa ngokudla okunomsoco kanye nokuvakashela amaphethini okudla ambalwa asebenzisana ne-GCFB. Sikwazile ukuvakashela i-Catholic Charities, i-Picnic Basket yase-UTMB, kanye ne-St. Vincent's House ukuze sibone ukuthi i-pantry ngayinye isebenza kanjani ngendlela yayo. Izinhlangano ezisiza umphakathi zamaKhatholika zazinokusethwa okugcwele kokukhethwa kwamakhasimende. Ngenxa yesakhiwo sabo, bekuzwakala njengokuthenga igrosa esitolo kunokuthola ukudla endaweni yokudlela. Lapho ngikwazile nokubona amaphosta e-SWAP esebenza nokuthi asetshenziswa kanjani endaweni yokukhetha egcwele. I-Picnic Basket ibe nesethaphu egcwele yokuzikhethela futhi kodwa yayincane kakhulu ngesilinganiso. Ngokufanayo ne-pantry e-GCFB, i-St. Vincent's House yayikhethelwe kakhulu ngezinto ezishiwo ezifakwa izikhwama futhi zinikezwe amakhasimende. Kube mnandi kimi ukubona izinkinga ezihlukile ama-pantries ahlukene abhekana nazo nokuthi asebenza kanjani ukuzixazulula ewodwa. Ngabona ukuthi ayikho indlela elingana nosayizi owodwa yokusebenzisa i-pantry futhi incike ngokuphelele ezidingweni zesisekelo samakhasimende. Kwelinye lamakilasi, ngidale futhi ngahola umsebenzi weqiniso/ongelona iqiniso ohlanganisa izinto eziphathelene nokuncipha kwe-sodium. Emsebenzini, kuzoba nesitatimende esihlobene nesihloko abantu abangasiqagela ukuthi siyiqiniso noma singamanga. Bengingalindele ukuzijabulisa okungaka ngokuhlanganyela nabantu ngokwenza umsebenzi omncane kangaka, kodwa ngikujabulele kakhulu ukufundisa ngendlela ethokozisayo nejabulisayo.

Esontweni lami lokugcina e-GCFB, ngisebenze ekwakheni ikhadi leresiphi elinolwazi le-Picnic Basket e-UTMB equkethe ulwazi oluyisisekelo mayelana nokomile. ama-lentile kanye nendlela yokuwapheka kanye neresiphi yesaladi ye-lentile epholile elula futhi elula. Ukwengeza, ngithwebule futhi ngahlela ividiyo yeresiphi yesaladi ye-lentile epholile. Ngijabule kakhulu ngokwenza ividiyo futhi ngidlule kuleyo nqubo. Bekuwumsebenzi onzima impela, kodwa bengikuthanda ngempela ukukwazi ukulola ikhono lami lokupheka nokusebenzisa ubuhlakani bami ngendlela ehlukile. Ngabuye ngahola ikilasi lomkhaya ngesihloko samafutha asuthayo nangamafutha aguquguqukayo, esasidabukisa imizwa futhi sivuselela. Ngalokhu, ngabona ukuthi kungakanani injabulo engiyitholayo ngokufundisa abanye ngokudla okunempilo!

Ngazo zonke lezi zigameko, ngizizwe sengathi ngiyakwazi ukubona izindlela eziningi esingaba nomthelela ngazo ezimpilweni zabantu ngokudla okunomsoco emphakathini. Sonke isisebenzi kwa-GCFB sisebenza kanzima ukuze siqinisekise ukuthi abantu bondliwa kuso sonke isifunda, futhi umnyango wezemfundo yezokudla uthatha igxathu elingaphezulu lokuhlinzeka njalo ngemfundo yezokudla ngezindlela eziningi. Bengikuthanda ukusebenza nawo wonke umuntu futhi ngibonga kakhulu ngolwazi engaluthola kwa-GCFB. Ngiyijabulele ngokweqiniso yonke iminithi yesikhathi sami lapho, futhi bekuyinto engiyohlala ngihamba nayo!