By Jane Esaid
My twelve-week internship experience at Leah’s Pantry, working with Erin to promote EatFresh.org, has been memorable. It’s been an exciting opportunity for me to gain knowledge in my profession of promoting community health and working to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged communities. I have also shared great connection with the staff at Leah’s Pantry, who are profoundly humble and passionate about the work they do for the organization and the people. My experience at Leah’s Pantry proves that the contributions this organization makes on a daily basis inspires and motivates people to keep moving forward. From the children I work with to the people I have spoken to, I have learned that communities across the Bay Area share one thing in common: the passion to improve and find progression in the hardest of living and working environments.
I have learned so much throughout my time and greatly appreciate all the opportunities I was given. I will take with me all that I have learned as an intern with this organization; from the various workshops to community outreach events I got to be a part of. As a student at San Francisco State University, I hope that once I have completed my degree this Spring semester 2015 in Health Education—with an emphasis on community-based public health—that I will be able to continue my work to promote individual and community health, health equity, and social justice. I want to continue to promote healthy lifestyles through focusing on the implementation of educational programs, because what initially drew me to this major continues to inspire me: the people, and they matter most.