Tell me about your work at Haley House. What are you taking on right now?
I work in the Soup Kitchen multiple days a week, cooking or doing the vibe position (which is more social work-esque). I also order for our food pantry and coordinate to get upwards of 200 people groceries each week. I also take in weekly food donations and in-kind donations.
What brought you to Haley House?
I feel like there are so many things in my life that brought me to Haley House: mostly the desire and pressing need to be involved in the world that we live in. I have always been very social justice-oriented and interested in being active in my community.
I graduated in December 2021 and was looking for employment and ways to afford housing, and it felt really complicated. Haley House has provided me w nontraditional form of labor that I feel really proud about. I’m happy about ways that my labor contributes to a better society.
I think I have a lot of compassion for marginalized communities and awareness that there is a lot of pain and suffering in world.
What does food with purpose mean to you?
I think food with purpose is acknowledging that we all need food, and the similarities we all have and how something can be used to bring us together.
I love food; I love a good meal more than anything. The times I love food the most are when someone prepared a meal for me. It makes me feel really cared for. It’s more about the relationship we have with each other through food. The purpose is to bring us together.
What is your favorite Haley House memory?
When I’m going to think about Haley House down the line, there will be so many beautiful memories I will have. Like the joyous moments we have in the kitchen: there are so many and they happen every day, it’s hard to pull just one. Some of my favorite memories are of dancing in the kitchen with guests: I love dancing, music, and when people are feeling comfortable enough to express themselves in the space.
What do you do when you’re not on shift?
I like to go on walks around the city. I spend time with friends and try to make relationships with the community outside Haley House, bring people into our life here, and explore other ways people live in the city. On the side I’m really big on creative pursuits–I write, paint, and collage.
What’s your favorite thing about the Haley House community?
I love that question. There’s so much resiliency that is abundant in the kitchen, in the organization, and in entire the entire Haley House network. When there are problems, we come together and try to figure out ways to solve them and help each other. So many people come in with resilience and support each other in the pursuit of resilience at the same time.
Is there anything else you want to share with the community?
This opportunity has been so deeply touching to me; to be able to experience everything that comes with Haley House and be a part of this organization and line of work. It has really asked me to be the bright light that I want to see in the community and pushes me to be a better person every day.
It’s been an important part of my journey growing up and coming into my own adult life.
The work we do here is really special. The people we meet are special. It really does make me feel that there’s hope for a better world out there.
I’m a fan of the saying, “the personal is political.” I try to incorporate that into my work and my life. We are getting personal with people coming into the kitchen: they are our friends and community members just as much as other neighbors are.
