Holistic Social Change by Maliha Patel

I joined the summerlunch+ team during the summer of 2016 after I was directed to this job by a teacher of mine. My team and I planned, prepared, and carried out production that was necessary to get a plate of healthy food in front of the children. The excitement that filled the classrooms when the cart of food rolled in was one of a kind. Witnessing these moments filled me with joy and I couldn’t be any happier to join the team once again this year.

Being a part of the team for the past two years has helped me in many ways. I learned things myself here at summerlunch+ which I wouldn’t have known on my own. I learned how to make use of resources that are appear to be unusable by making them into something new. For example we made a fruit crumble that not very many kids liked. Lisa discovered a way to repurpose the crumble and make it into a fruit bar (similar to a date bar). This skill is important because for many of us it is difficult to attain access to affordable food products which is why it’s important to use anything and everything that is accessible to us. By repurposing un-eaten food our dollar goes farther and we waste less! 

I’m glad to be a part of a team that seeks to create positive change in a holistic way. From making lunches and teaching food literacy to reusing food to create new and exciting recipes, summerlunch+ realizes the interconnectedness of social change. Food needs to be accessible, affordable, and sustainable so that all communities can thrive on a physical and mental level.