by Leone Alston
Hello Leah’s Pantry advocates and EatFresh fans! My name is Leone Alston and I have had the pleasure of interning with Leah’s Pantry during my final semester at San Francisco State University. Through the Health Education Program at SFSU I was fortunate enough to be placed at a site where I could practice my passion of helping others, community involvement and education. The overall goal of our final seminar and internship course is to prepare Health Education students for working in the field, and I can honestly say that this internship and experience as a whole has left me feeling more prepared than ever!
Through Leah’s Pantry and EatFresh, I was able to experience so many great opportunities that have encouraged me to continue giving back to the community that I love. During my time with Leah’s Pantry, I traveled to different parts of San Francisco and worked alongside such diverse groups of people that have taught me one thing: it doesn’t matter where you come from or where you’re going, food is one universal way to bring people together, good food at that. This message resonated with me this entire semester as I shadowed the staff at Leah’s Pantry and listened to them discuss the importance of choosing healthy food options. Or when I listened to participants give each other tips on where to shop for healthier foods.
The amount of care and preparation that went into every workshop and lesson has been a motivating force that continues to push me in the direction of staying involved with community work. While my time at SFSU has quickly come to a close, my future goals are guiding me to a place of happiness, and that place is to continue serving communities that are in need and to continue fighting for social justice for all.