Sawubona lapho! Igama lami ngingu-Kyra Cortez futhi ngiyi-dietetic intern evela e-University of Texas Medical Branch. Ngijabule ukwabelana ngesipiliyoni engibe nakho ekujikelezweni komphakathi e-Galveston County Food Bank. Lolu hambo lube nomvuzo ngendlela emangalisayo, futhi nsuku zonke ngibona umthelela womsebenzi wethu emphakathini kusukela ekuthuthukiseni imiphumela yezempilo yomuntu ngamunye kuye ekukhuthazeni umuzwa wokuhlomisa nokwanelisa kuwo wonke umuntu.

Isonto lami lokuqala e-Galveston County Food Bank lalihlanganisa ukufundisa ikilasi lokudla okunempilo kubantu abadala, ukujwayelana nekharikhulamu, nokuqonda kangcono izinhlelo zokusiza ukudla. I-GCFB inenani eliningi lolwazi oluwusizo mayelana nokungavikeleki kokudla nezindlela ezinempilo zokudla. Ngasekupheleni kwesonto, ngisize ngevidiyo yokubonisa ukupheka efundisayo "ye-purple smoothie" enempilo eyayizothunyelwa kamuva ku-YouTube. Ukudala le vidiyo bekujabulisa kakhulu futhi ngajabulela ukusebenza no-Stephanie, uthisha okhethekile wokudla okunomsoco kwa-GCFB.

Ngesonto lesibili lokujikeleza kwami, ngasiza ngekilasi lokugcina lokufundisa ngokudla okunempilo kubantu abadala futhi ngaba nesikhathi esimnandi kakhulu. Kwakujabulisa ukubona abadala bezimisele ukufunda futhi babambe iqhaza ngenkuthalo kulo lonke lolu hlelo. Ngiphinde ngaba nethuba lokudala uhlaka lwamakilasi esikhathi esisodwa esizayo ngisebenzisa i-MyPlate futhi ngajwayelana nenhlangano yemfundo yezokudla ye-GCFB. Ekupheleni kwesonto, ngathola ukuqonda mayelana nephrojekthi yesitolo esekhoneni elinempilo futhi ngakwazi ukuvakashela izindawo ezintathu! Le phrojekthi iyamangalisa ngoba isiza ukunciphisa ukungavikeleki kokudla endaweni yase-Galveston County ngokuhlanganisa izinketho zokudla okunempilo njengomkhiqizo omusha ezitolo zasendaweni zasendaweni. Lokhu kungasiza kakhulu labo abangenakho ukufinyelela ezitolo zegrosa noma ukudla okunempilo.

Iphrojekthi engichithe isikhathi esiningi kuyo ngesikhathi ngise-GCFB kwakuyizinto zokudla ezazixhaswe yiBlue Cross Blue Shield. Sidale isamba zamakhithi okudla angu-150 phakathi nala masonto amane futhi ngasiza ngokuthenga izithako, ukukala izithako, nokupakisha iqoqo ngalinye lokudla. Lezi kamuva zasatshalaliswa kumalungu omphakathi wendawo e-St. Vincent's. Iviki lami lesithathu ngalichitha ngenza ama-handouts emfundo yokudla okunomsoco azothunyelwa ku-inthanethi, futhi ngithole lokhu kujabulisa ngoba ngikwazile ukuvumela ubuhlakani bami bugeleze!

Ingxenye yokuqala yesonto lami lokugcina ngiyichithe ngipakisha izinto zokudla futhi kwakujabulisa ukubona imiphumela yomsebenzi wethu onzima. Ngisize ngamanye amavidiyo amabili emiboniso yokupheka ngasekupheleni kwesonto futhi izindlela zokupheka zigcine zinambitheka kahle kakhulu! Izindlela zokupheka ezisetshenzisiwe zilula ukwenza futhi zihambisana nesabelomali ukuze noma ubani akwazi ukuziphindaphinda.

Ukusebenza eGalveston County Food Bank kube yinto ejabulisayo futhi ngikuthandile ukusebenza nawo wonke umuntu lapha. Abasebenzi namavolontiya bonke bamukelekile futhi ngizizwa nginenhlanhla enkulu ngokuba yingxenye yale nhlangano. Ibhange lokudla linginikeze ukwazisa okujulile ngobunkimbinkimbi bokungavikeleki kokudla kanye nokubaluleka kokudla okunomsoco empilweni yomphakathi. Njengoba ngiqhubeka nohambo lwami njenge-dietetic intern, ngizinikele kakhulu kunangaphambili ekukhuthazeni ukufinyelela kokudla okunomsoco kubo bonke. Ngiyabonga ngokuhlanganyela nami kulolu hambo kanye nethuba lokusebenza endaweni enhle kangaka!