Hi Everyone! My name is Shana Spence and I am part of the New York cohort. I have completed my clinical rotation which was at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn and my wellness rotation which I completed at both the Westside Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) and God’s Love We Deliver (GLWD). WSCAH is a food pantry that offers a unique approach to food assistance. Instead of receiving a box of pre-selected food, pantry users were able to select their own food based on their family size. The pantry focuses on providing healthy food, which includes fresh fruits and vegetables as well as fish and chicken. GLWD is a food delivery service that delivers healthy meals to HIV patients, the elderly, and anyone else who has trouble cooking and shopping for themselves. Both wellness locations were a great opportunity to learn about different ways to approach social injustice and food insecurities.
At WSCAH, I had the opportunity to perform food pantry tours as well as perform cooking demonstrations for people to learn about healthy ways to enjoy food. The food pantry tours were a way for me to explain to some of the clients MyPlate and how to follow it when shopping for food. I also gave lessons on fiber and what to eat to get the most of it, as well as how to read a food label. I really enjoyed this experience because the clients were very engaged and I could tell by their questions that they were truly interested in learning all they could about health and nutrition. The cooking demonstrations were also fun and interactive. One of the favorite recipes I made for the clients was a fruit compote (made without added sugar!) and toasted oats. The one aspect that I admired the most about WSCAH was that the organization focused on helping with the issues that contributed to food insecurity such as poor healthcare and unemployment. In addition to receiving food, clients were able to meet with social workers.
At GLWD, I completed my rotation during National Nutrition Month. I had the unique opportunity to give nutrition and wellness presentations to the employees during lunchtime which included topics such as Immune Health, The Benefits of Eating Breakfast, and Food Waste. I also was able to do some work with their social media sites; I filmed one minute Instagram videos as well as performed a Facebook live cooking demonstration. GLWD is a great organization because they have a whole nutrition department of registered dietitians who complete monthly assessments of all clients to ensure that they are receiving the correct food that they need and also make sure that food safety protocol is being followed (especially for those with HIV).
At GLWD, I completed my rotation during National Nutrition Month. I had the unique opportunity to give nutrition and wellness presentations to the employees during lunchtime which included topics such as Immune Health, The Benefits of Eating Breakfast, and Food Waste. I also was able to do some work with their social media sites; I filmed one minute Instagram videos as well as performed a Facebook live cooking demonstration. GLWD is a great organization because they have a whole nutrition department of registered dietitians who complete monthly assessments of all clients to ensure that they are receiving the correct food that they need and also make sure that food safety protocol is being followed (especially for those with HIV).
