By Sea Bensimon
July 9, 2014 – Earlier this month Sea Bensimon, daughter of Food Bank Celebrity Ambassador Kelly Bensimon, joined our team as a student intern. Here, she recounts some of her day-to-day experiences – from the people she met to the lessons she learned along the way.
Working as a student intern at Food Bank For New York City has been an exciting and eye-opening experience. I’ve helped out with Food Bank projects in the past, but my internship allowed me to experience programs I never knew existed. I learned the true meaning of Food Bank: take hold of hunger and kick it to the curb.
Monday – CookShop for Teens: EATWISE Training
Why would New Yorkers living in low-income households have high rates of obesity and diet-related diseases? Simple: lack of access to nutritious and affordable food. On my first day as an intern I learned that unhealthy food is cheaper and more readily available in poor neighborhoods, making it difficult for kids, teens and parents to form healthy eating habits and make better choices. When you’re trying to get the most for your money, eating from the dollar menu at fast food chains makes sense. Many healthy or organic grocery stores are located in wealthier neighborhoods that are hard to get to and even harder to afford.
EATWISE teens learn how small changes can have a big impact on their health.
Food Bank’s CookShop for Teens program – EATWISE – helps teens learn about nutrition and healthy living, and lets them teach their peers to do the same. The cool thing about this program is that teens spread the word through a social media campaign called #ChangeOneThing. The idea is to improve daily eating and exercise habits by changing just one thing. For example, instead of drinking three sodas a day, you would swap one for water. Instead of taking the escalator, take the stairs. If you want to get involved, use the hashtag #ChangeOneThing and share a photo or tip on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
Tuesday – Helping Seniors in Harlem
I spent my second day at Food Bank’s Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in West Harlem. I’ve volunteered in the Pantry before with my mom and little sister, so I thought I knew what to expect. When I got there I quickly realized that this time would be different. Without my mom and sister, I had to work side by side and interact with other volunteers and clients on my own. This made me a little nervous.
In the morning, I helped seniors choose items from the Pantry to take home. Each senior had a card to help them identify how many items from each section (such as grains, produce, dairy, protein) they could select. I had to put my mental math skills to the test as I tried to figure out how many points each client had left and what each can of food or cut of meat was worth. Even though school was out, it felt like a whole day of learning.
When the first senior came to the protein section, I mixed up the points. I was embarrassed, but as I helped the second client my confidence grew. Soon I was helping people with ease. One client’s grandson even gave me a hug. I was so happy that I could help put a meal on his table.
Food Bank client Princella tends to the tomatoes at our Community Kitchen garden
Later in the day I got to see the senior garden behind the Kitchen. Here seniors grow their own spices and vegetables which are then made available in the Pantry. While I was in the garden, I met a woman named Princella. She smiled as she watered her tomatoes. It was clear that loving and caring for something made her feel proud.
Wednesday – Connecting New Yorkers
Today I worked in the call center, which connects low-income New Yorkers to benefits that help them pay for food, such as SNAP (food stamps) and free income tax assistance. Before I began working, the staff explained the meal gap map — something I needed to understand for my task that day. The meal gap map shows areas of New York City where meals are needed the most.
Food Bank’s Call Center handles more than 500 calls a week
I was responsible for calling local businesses in specific parts of Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn to see if they would be interested in SNAP brochures and posters informing people in their communities about services for which they may be eligible. Almost everyone wanted to participate. The people I spoke with gave me hope that hunger will eventually be no more.
Thursday – Ending Hunger in Brooklyn
Food Bank has a network of soup kitchens and food pantries all over New York City, and on my final day I visited one in Brooklyn. Believe it or not, it was my first time going to Brooklyn! It was really interesting to not only see a different borough, but to also see how Food Bank is working to end hunger there.
Sea on her way to help out at a pantry in Brooklyn
During my visit, I saw how computers provided by Food Bank made a huge difference to food distribution. The computers helped the staff keep track of the clientele–from how many people came in each day to their specific needs. For example, Jewish clients may want a certain type of food or have dietary restrictions. This information lets the pantry know how much and what type of food may be needed for a distribution, which helps to ensure that food isn’t wasted. I had no idea that a computer could make such a difference to a food pantry trying to end hunger in its community.
At the end of my internship, I understood some of the different programs and services that make up Food Bank and how they connect to one another. I always thought Food Bank was amazing; now I think it’s spectacular! I was given the opportunity to fall in love with a charity just like my Mom did. I am so blessed that I was able to take part in Food Bank’s work: New Yorkers helping New Yorkers end hunger.
Sea Bensimon is a 16-year-old high school student and Food Bank summer intern who lives in Manhattan with her mom and sister.