We recently hosted the first session of our new volunteer ambassador program called Food For Thought! This meeting provided current volunteers with in-depth insight into our programs, then concluded with the group preparing a potential new program recipe – veggie sushi.
One of the goals of the Food For Thought program is to provide active volunteers with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Vetri Community Partnership’s (VCP) programming, including the inner-workings of our program layouts and reach. As volunteers become better able to conceptualize VCP’s philosophies and initiatives across programs, the aim is to prepare them for opportunities to join VCP staff at community engagement events such as health & wellness or recruitment fairs, or even to assist in facilitating volunteer orientations.
According to Community Engagement Coordinator, Ridhdhi Parmar, “Even longtime volunteers really seemed to learn a lot at the session! There were a lot of ‘aha’ moments in regards to learning about our history and program evolution, as well as the general build-out of curriculum and content.”
When looking back on the session, volunteer Linda Canataro reflected on her own ‘aha’ moment, “Last night I thought that the sushi rolling would benefit more of the older children. I now recall that when our class made burritos, I was surprised at how well some of the 4-5th graders made them. It is an activity for everyone!”
Food For Thought is also intended to create a space for volunteers to be able to meet their peers to share both their experiences with VCP, as well as with life in general.
From what she could see while leading the session, Parmar believes it did just that, “It was wonderful to see them sharing and comparing their experiences as volunteers. This also led to folks to chat about their own personal backgrounds and lives and it was amazing to witness personal connections being made in a fun space!”
For more information about the Food For Thought program, including the upcoming session on Dec. 11, please reach out to volunteers@vetricommunity.org.
