healthy food - "Volun-tourism" - is it a good thing? - SIBEJO

Over the weekend, the Today Show has a segment on "volun-tourism," people using their vacations to do volunteer work.

It sounds great, doesn't it?  Visit some new and interesting place and do some good while you're there.  And I've done it myself, if you count church mission trips to Appalachia and Maine.

But seeing it brought me back to Robert Ludlum's book, Toxic Charity, which I reviewed last month.

Rev. Ludlum spends a lot of time in his book on church mission trips and why they often serve the needs of the people on the mission trip more than the needs of the people at the trip's location.  Too often these kinds of activities have middle class Americans swooping in and trying to fix a problem for people they have defined as poor or in need.  In doing so, they can sometimes infantilize the people the people they are serving and take away their right to self-determination.  One example he gave was of a mission group that built a well for a village in  another country, so they would not have to walk miles carrying their water.  Fast forward a year and the villagers were again carrying water for miles.  Why?  The outsiders built a well, but they did not engage the local people in the project, teach them how it works, or what might go wrong and how to repair it if it broke.

The mission trips I went on were powerful experiences for me.  But when I reflect on it, I'm not 100% sure that they were as important or powerful for the people we were seeking to help.  And it should be about the people in need and the local community, not about those of us from the outside, shouldn't it?

Gloria

healthy food - One intern's experience at GardenShare - SIBEJO

Lanika Sanders, a rising Senior at St. Lawrence University has been interning at GardenShare this semester.  Tomorrow is her last official day with us and we will miss her quiet and friendly competence in the office.  She had this to share about her experience:

Photo courtesy of  Tara Freeman, St. Lawrence University

"As an Environmental  - Sociology major, my classes at St. Lawrence have largely revolved around issues of unequal resource access. However, sitting in a chair and hearing about these theoretical concepts is entirely different than applying them in an impactful way. At GardenShare, I have been able to put my awareness to work, taking an active role in thinking up and enacting solutions to North Country food insecurity. 

"Despite having only been with the organization for a semester, the GardenShare staff have given me substantial opportunity to voice my opinions and ideas at weekly meetings, where I feel these thoughts to be valued and significant. Specifically, I have worked to promote and update the CSA Bonus Bucks program, which reduces the price of purchasing a community supported agriculture (CSA) share for those who feel this investment to be outside their budget. 

"I gained experience in writing blogs, contacting community members, using Excel, and other such skills. I saw firsthand the common obstacles to achieving goals in a small non-profit, most of which revolve around a lack of funding. For this reason, I have also realized how critical it is to be an efficient grant writer. 

"Although my time at Gardenshare is coming to a close, I see the connections and skills I have gained here serving me well into the future, and I certainly plan to remain an active participant in Gardenshare�s various events and initiatives throughout my time in the North Country."

For more information about internships at GardenShare, go here or get in touch with us.

healthy food - Introducing one of GardenShare's interns - SIBEJO

Did you  know that GardenShare has only one full-time and two part-time employeesy?  This small, but mighty organization gets so much done in the community that it may surprise you!  Lots of that work is done by student interns and volunteers and today's blog entry comes from one of those interns.

"My name is Dan Pollis and I am a sophomore at St. Lawrence University. When I applied to SLU, after having grown up in New York City, I was thoroughly aware of its geographic placement, that placement being in Canton, New York. I was very aware of the potentially culture shock I might face, but I was excited for the change in scenery and change in environment. Canton lies within what is called the North Country. The tip-top of New York State and the coldest place on earth, as some might like to argue. But for being recognized as such a distant community within the large borders that make up our wonderful state; I have felt nothing but welcomed and loved when living up here in the NoCo. 

"Since St. Lawrence County has welcomed me with open arms I thought I should give something back in return. This semester, my Sophomore spring, I signed up for a CBL class at St. Lawrence. CBL means Community Based Learning and my class specifically deals with civic engagement. In our class of 20 or so people we each, for the most part, have our own placements within our CBL class; mine being GardenShare. Nearing the end of January I first arrived one snowy Monday morning to the office of GardenShare just a few miles from Campus. 

"From the moment I first sat down up until this very point in early April I have had a constantly altering and growing list of tasks. Whether small or big, I always enjoy helping out the people at GardenShare. My time is valuable to them, even if I�m one of a few volunteers/interns who come in throughout the week. Since it�s a nonprofit, people who choose to spend a few hours a week helping assist GardenShare in raising awareness and fighting hunger are important towards living in a better world. Work will always be given to me every time I show up on my Monday mornings because I know fighting hunger is big fight, and organizations like GardenShare can use all the help from the public they can get; and I�m happy to be a part of this team. I have learned so much about the status of our nation and specifically the status of our county just from my few short months of volunteering. I�m excited for what the rest of the spring has to bring the team at Garden hare, and I�m ecstatic to be here."