After looking into organizations that are working to combat food insecurity in Seattle, I (Sarah) came across Northwest Harvest. This is an organization in Washington that is doing two things: providing food to people who are hungry in our community, and working to change institutional policies that that create the food insecurity in the first place.
Outreach Process + Action Plan
Northwest Harvest offers a few different ways to get involved with them. The first would be to volunteer directly, either at SODO Community Market, which is a grocery store where anyone can come and shop at no cost, or at one of their regional warehouses that distributes staples to their network of food banks, meal programs, schools, etc. The second way to get involved is through their advocacy resources, by reaching out to my representatives in congress and making sure that food security is a priority for its constituents.
After reviewing these options, I applied to start volunteering with them at their SODO market and regional warehouses. I’m hoping I am able to volunteer on a monthly basis.
Additionally, I decided to write a letter to my congress representatives. Northwest Harvest also has a link to a pre-written letter and will automatically send it to the reps in the community in which you live by tracking with your zip code (linked below). This provides a really easy way to get involved, and also easy to share with your community.
What did I learn & how does this project help me understand the importance of “reflection” and “direct action” in intercultural praxis?
I learned about the issues facing many people in my community who are struggling with food insecurity; it’s a much more prevalent issue than I thought. Prior to the pandemic, an estimated 1 in 10 households was facing food insecurity; during the pandemic, that number increased to 1 in 5 (source). After learning the reality of this issue, it’s hard to just look away and not try and help. This is why the reflection and direct action portions of intercultural praxis are so important. It’s one thing to engage, have dialogues, and understand the issue, but if direct action isn’t taken then there will be no change. I realized it doesn’t even need to be a physical contribution like volunteering on a monthly basis. If you combine dialogue with direct action, you can share resources with people who may not realize that they are available.
Ways to get involved
