The Team

What’s your role/what do you do @ THC?
I am the Bloom Youth Project Coordinator! I work with our teen interns farming, selling produce, learning life skills, and having fun. In addition to that I support my colleagues and The Hunger Coalition in any way that calls. Each day is different!

Pronouns
she/her

Community is…
I believe community is a shared understanding and commitment to accept, support, and respect one another. It’s a place we turn to in need, generosity, and celebration.

Who is your Food or Social Justice Hero?
My Social Justice hero is Luis Arévalo, my Spanish professor from college. He opened my eyes to the power of poetry and literature as a vehicle for social change.

Favorite place to adventure i.e. favorite fishing hole, hike, lake, etc?
I like to read old tales of local miners and then go explore where they once roamed! Maybe I’m hoping to find treasure…maybe I’ve already found it…!

I am responsible for strategic direction of the organization, work with the Board to ensure we have adequate resources to accomplish our mission, and act as chief cheerleader to support our incredible team.

Pronouns
she/her

Who is your Food Justice Hero?

Michael Pollen has been an inspiration to me over the years. But really anyone who makes the effort to grow their own food, whether it be in a container pot on their porch or on an acre or two of land, has my complete respect.  They’ve made the commitment to improving their health while reducing their environmental footprint – a win for everyone!

What do you love most about our community?

I love that our community really comes together to support each other in solving societal problems like food insecurity. And that we are small enough to really make a difference.  Unlike big cities where problems like hunger and homelessness are so pervasive that supporting them sometimes feels like throwing money into a black hole, here one truly has the opportunity to make a tremendous impact. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have never once in the history of our organization had to turn anyone away. On the contrary, community support has allowed us to be adaptive and responsive to the needs of those most vulnerable. That’s inspiring to me and I think to others as well.  

As a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

I’ve always loved animals. My dream when I was little was to be a veterinarian. A fear of needles may have been the reason that dream never came to fruition.

Jeanne’s Ted Talk

aka master troubleshooter aka human computer

I oversee HR, Finance, IT, Data/Statistics/Program Analysis, Operations, Fundraising & Communications Support, Strategic Development and Organizational Planning and basically answer, to the best of my ability, every question that comes my way.

Pronouns
she/her

What does food justice mean to you?

Food justice for me is about removing food from the equation. I have never been able to wrap my head around the commodification of basic needs. How is it that in our modern society, your basic needs – food, water, shelter – are things that can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, for you to access if you happen to find yourself in crisis or challenged by circumstance? I understand the benefits of a free market system and believe in free will, but we can do better. Justice to me is a society that values the inherent worth of its inhabitants and ensures that everybody has a chance to live a healthy, happy life.
 
What makes you most proud about working at The Hunger Coalition?

I love that we are not afraid to self-reflect at The Hunger Coalition. We are almost constantly in a state of evaluation and evolution because the challenges our community members face are not static. Sure, the core challenge is the same – access to healthy, affordable food – but the details behind the challenges are complex. We are constantly seeking better, more efficient ways to serve our community that will lead to the best possible outcomes for all. That’s a pretty big mountain to climb, but we have an amazing community supporting us and a very dedicated staff to help us get there.

aka story farmer, fun-draiser, Mac

I take all that’s beautiful, powerful, and fun at The Hunger Coalition and share it with the community to build an unstoppable team of anti-hunger activists.

Pronouns
she/her

What does food justice mean to you?

That the depth of your pockets, color of your skin, where you’re from, or who you love won’t limit what’s for dinner. That our food systems should be in the hands of the people and easy on the earth. That food should be a source of joy and health.

Who is your Food or Social Justice Hero?

Killer Mike, Stacey Abrams, Woody Guthrie, and the folks on this page.   

What do you love most about our community?

The scenery and the soul.

As a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

First a DJ and then more realistically, a rock journalist for Rolling Stone thanks to the movie Almost Famous.

Pronouns: she/her

What does food justice mean to you?

Food justice to me means Families being able to make a good and healthy meal with all different nutritious items for their families and friends without it hurting your pocket. With no expectations for anyone.

Community is…

To me, Community is being able to get together with friends, family, and focus and being able to share produce meals, and a listening ear to stand stronger together.

What do you love most about our community?

The beautiful and accessible views in the valley and our togetherness and resources we provide across the valley whether it’s individuals coming together to help the community or all the organizations you can find in the small town for help.

aka fence-leaning chit-chat specialist

I am a soil and community food steward who manages food production at Bloom Community Farm and The Hope Garden.

Pronouns
she/her

Community is… being present and participating gracefully with known and unknown people, plants, and animals you share your spot of earth with.

Favorite place to adventure?

Pioneer Mountains!

As a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

I thought I was going to save whales. Also quite worthy, but happy to be working on sustainable foods!

Pronouns: she/her

What’s your role/what do you do @ THC? I do a lot of behind the scenes work involving data entry, grant research and writing, donor appeal and stewardship coordination as well as general program support.

*Favorite place to adventure i.e. favorite fishing hole, hike, lake, etc.? My favorite places to venture are hot springs, mountains and lakes in and around the Sawtooth Mountains. I look forward to doing some weekend backpacking trips with my partner and dogs this summer in the Pioneer mountains and near Pettit Lake.

*What do you love most about our community? As a newer community member, I have met some wonderful people who have shown me the kind, caring and generous way of people here in the Wood River Valley. I am grateful for meeting folks like this here as it made me feel welcome when I didn’t know anyone. I am so grateful to be at a community centered organization where everyone is welcome and celebrated.

*If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why? I have long debated this question and have two answers. As a vegetable, I would be fennel because it is delicious raw or cooked and it is often overlooked when it is a wonderful addition to many kinds of cuisine. I would also be garlic, because it is essential to flavoring food and has significant medicinal benefits to your health. I also love growing garlic as it overwinters in my garden beds and it is a sure sign that spring is on the way once the greens pop out of the soil.

What’s your role/what do you do @ THC?
Participant Resource Coordinator
In short words, my role consists of listening, problem-solving, and connecting the community with resources they may not be aware of.

What do you love most about our community?
The overall unity! It’s astounding that we live in a small area, yet, we have an abundance of resources. The community has great organizations and individuals that are constantly collaborating and helping one another.

As a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
The next Disney star…clearly that didn’t work out.

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?
Probably a kiwi? A kiwi is small, has an inconspicuous exterior but it’s not what you expect on the inside.

I am the Food Production Coordinator.

This means I get to spend my days with dirt under my nails, wrestling with Idaho weather and coaxing seeds and baby plants into their full potential and into people’s bellies.  Oh and wrangling rogue chickens back into their pen with the help of my dog, Frankie.

What does good food mean to you?
…food grown and prepared with love.

What is your role/what do you do at THC?

My official title is Program Manager. I am in charge of the weekly food distributions, the food rescue program, and the volunteer coordination. I also collaborate with other staff who work in the program world to make sure all of our programs are running cohesively. You can find me any day at any time, picking up a food donation, driving food boxes to Ketchum, hanging out at the reception desk, giving new volunteers a tour or cleaning in the warehouse. I don’t know if I run the joint or if the joint runs me. 

 As a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

As a kid I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be an astronaut, a marine biologist, a veterinarian, a music producer, a world class chef, a geneticist, an archeologist..anything and everything that sparked any interest needed to be turned into a career. To this day I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up but I hope being here at the Hunger Coalition will lead me to my passion.

 What does food justice mean to you?

To me, food justice means that parents get to choose yummy fresh fruits and veggies for their kids instead of cheap low nutrient foods because they don’t have to take price into consideration, that food related diseases stagnate or decrease because we all have access to foods that do our bodies good. We all want to do well for ourselves physically and mentally as we grow into adults and start our own families and having access to good healthy food should not have to be a privilege, but a standard way of life.

I pretty much have the best job ever. I get to work with our inspiring, brilliant Bloom Youth Project interns. We grow food at the farm, help out at food distributions, run affordable mobile markets, share meals, set goals, learn life skills and build healthy relationships with each other. I also work with a rad team of people to help The Hunger Coalition advocate for food and social justice in our community.

Pronouns
she/her

What does food justice mean to you?

All humans have a right to grow, sell, buy and eat food that feeds their bodies and souls. Food justice is rooted in equity, community, and cultural vibrancy, and addresses the structural barriers to food access. It manifests in communities in so many unique and colorful ways!

Favorite snack from Bloom Community Farm or The Hope Garden?

Carrots or snap peas. Nom nom nom.

As a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

As a kid, I was pretty positive I was going to be a veterinarian or photographer for National Geographic. I also thought I’d probably end up romping around the wilderness living off the land with a pack of wolves or something, so I guess I still have some work to do.  

My job as HR Manager is (actually, really, I promise) super fun because I get to support the innovative, fun-loving, community-oriented subculture of Blaine County known as The Hunger Coalition Staff. They just wake up every day and have the energy to be like: okay, yeah, let’s change the world. It’s exhausting and wonderful and inspiring. [Eye Roll transitioning into affectionate smile emoji.] And that means I get to be multiple things in one: anthropologist/social worker/QC police/culture builder/activist/policy writer/experimenter. (No offense to the people who are actually professionals in those fields, though.)

Pronouns
she/her

What’s your vision for a healthier Blaine County?

If Kindness were to win over Greed every time, I think we would be out of work.

Best meal you’ve made with produce from Bloom or Hope (recipes much appreciated!)?

Radish Green Pesto: a blender loosely to moderately full of radish greens, juice from a lemon, 1/3 cup “or as juicy and fatty and rich as you want to make it amount of” olive oil, a few generous handfuls of almond slivers or other nuts, 2 cloves of garlic (or more if you have literally lived more than 10 years and your taste buds can only detect garlic at an alarmingly high concentration) I skip the salt. Hint from the chef: Try EVERY SINGLE variation of pesto and I doubt you’ll regret it.

What do you love most about our community?

I love that I can wear my pajamas to the grocery store and that I haven’t had to wear heels for 11 years. But I still do when I feel fancy and want people to wonder what it is I might be getting up to (I’m just gonna go home and watch my dog watch me watch my garden grow, but for all they know, it’s a night at the Hailey Opera House.)

Flavorite Food Pun….

Have you ever tried to eat a clock?  It’s very time consuming. I donut think I understand puns.  

aka The Glue aka Striving to achieve magical unicorn status every day

I have the best job in the world. I supervise and support all programmatic staff and aspects of our organization. Some days you will find me enjoying a cup of tea with a patron who is seeking emergency food assistance. Other days I am conducting a staff meeting in the middle of the farm. I get to brainstorm the best possible programmatic excellence strategies with my stellar staff and watch them tackle obstacles which pop up daily, always with the best interest of our patrons as their guiding principle. I work closely with our fearless leader. She and I have been in this together for almost ten years. I am the yang to her yin and we balance each other out perfectly.

Pronouns
she/her

Who is your Food or Social Justice Hero?

Favorite snack from Bloom Community Farm or The Hope Garden?

Simply picking the kale and eating it on the spot. I call our kale “life changing kale”. I have converted many farm visitors who claimed to hate kale. I am not sure why it is so good. Maybe something sweet in our soil? Good karma?

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

I would be a Sabra (prickly pear). To Israelis I am considered a Sabre because I was born in Israel. It is a fruit with a hard exterior shell and super sweet and colorful on the inside.

Pronouns: he/him

What is your role/what do you do at THC?

Warehouse Coordinator – I acquire all the donated and purchased food and manage their distribution to the programs.

As a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

When I was a kid I wanted to be a Doctor. I guess that didn’t work out.

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

I would be a lime, why because I like to snack on limes and they are green and I like the color green.

Good Food is the food that makes you happy and that gives you energy. The food that makes you want to keep eating it and of course makes your taste buds happy and your stomach happy.

What’s your role/what do you do @ THC?

My role is to be a voice for the ones who are needing it so we can share in the food, but most of all to listen when no words are spoken.

What does food justice mean to you? Food is a way of showing love to others and the way we keep communication with one another as humans. It is so important it keeps me happy and brings joy to my life and my loved ones to share a meal.

Who is your Food or Social Justice Hero? Farmers of the world who keep planting crops and replanting even when the mother nature comes in and freezes the crops, they keep on planting. They don’t give up! Can you imagine if a long time ago people stopped planting? We would be without food. It is a lost art as it is. The newer generations are not as good of gardeners as our ancestors and they did not have the technology we have now.

Favorite snack from The Hope Garden? Cherry Tomatoes are the best thing I have ever had in my life, they melted in my mouth! Teo and the Women’s Group ladies were watering the plants and I saw a baby yellow tomato. I put in my mouth and added a pinch of cilantro and a pinch of chive and I was in heaven. Jummy.

Pronouns: My Pronouns are She/ Her/ Ella

As a member of the Food Production team I work to grow food at our three locations (the Hope Garden, the farm out Quigley Canyon, and the Greenhouses at our Bloom Campus). Growing food for The Hunger Coalition goes beyond typical farming in that we create opportunities for volunteers, participants, and children to take part in cultivating our spaces. Through these opportunities we build community, skills, and an understanding of how local food relates to our food system as a whole.

My favorite snack from the Hope Garden or Bloom farm would be fresh sliced tomatoes covered in olive oil and salt…yum!

My favorite part about our community is its size– sometimes it feels small, sometimes it feels big.

My favorite food justice movement is anything revolving around regenerative agriculture. I love that this topic embraces complex ecosystems and while valuing farming practices of native and indigenous peoples.