Molly Rose-Williams

Middlebury Community Care Coalition in Middlebury, Vermont

I really had no idea what to expect from my internship this summer working as the garden intern for the Middlebury Community Care Coalition. My general assumptions included that I would manage the farm-to-table program and coordinate with the Community Lunch and Community Supper programs. Beyond those shallow generalizations, everything remained a bit of a mystery for me until the first day when I immediately plunged into the world of MCCC.

Molly Rose-Williams

Molly Rose-Williams

MCCC runs programs in the Middlebury area focused on meeting the immediate fundamental needs of the local population: the beloved and most commonly known Community Suppers, the Community Lunches, the Charter House’s winter family shelter, and the transitional housing apartment on Main Street. In 2011, MCCC looked to bolster the meal programs by starting a farm-to-table program in an effort to provide the highest quality of nutrition possible, in the most affordable and efficient way. The harvest had proven to be overwhelming the first two years of its conception. Vegetables on vegetables on vegetables, and no sufficient outlets to account for the bounty! When I came on board, everyone anticipated August with a certain amount of dread, weighed down by the memory of gallons of unused frozen produce from last year still haunting the organization’s freezers.

The simultaneously challenging and rewarding experience was entirely unanticipated. Four days a week on the farm, and four days a week in the kitchen cooking and serving lunch, and processing vegetables was a dream job. As someone who grew up in a family that loves vegetables, it was incredibly fulfilling to get to share that love with others, as well as learn from others about their food preferences and relationships. I sank my teeth into the work, both literally and figuratively. I learned about volunteer coordination and management, and improved my communication and leadership skills.

The first-hand look into how the local food movement could really be made accessible to an underprivileged population was the most exciting. MCCC gave me a taste of community in a way that I had never experienced before. Individuals were brought together from all walks of life to share meals and conversation.

As I move towards graduation, I am more and more grateful for the opportunity I had this summer to explore both my interest in local food and environmental issues, and in issues of social justice, as well as really begin to explore how they intersect. I know that my experience with MCCC will greatly inform how I move forward in my immediate job search, now confident that I want to throw my energy into issues of food justice.

 

 

Molly Rose-Williams is a member of the class of 2013.5.

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