FOCP Internship | Honorsportfolio

FEEDING OUR COMMUNITIES PARTNERS

Before college, my view of culture primarily related to racial and religious experiences. Throughout the last four years, however, I have gained a more well-rounded perspective of culture, where it can be defined by the lens through which a person views the world. It is an intersection of all the different identities a person holds, whether that be gender, sexuality race, religion, family structure, etc. Each person carries their own unique

identity as a combination of these traits, but every individual identity belongs to a culture with shared experiences and beliefs.

This realization was further broadened by my current internship at Feeding Our Communities Partners (FOCP), which is a nonprofit organization that serves children in the Mankato area experiencing food insecurity. All of these children come from very different backgrounds and family structures, but they all collectively share parts of the same culture. Much of this culture is shared within socioeconomic status, but it would be unfair to generalize that as the universal experience for all of these children. Ultimately, the defining characteristic of these children within the work of FOCP is that none of them are guaranteed a meal when they leave school each day. That is an experience that I was unfamiliar with as a child, but through employment at various daycares, I was able to see the physical and mental effects these situations can have on a student's ability to learn and grow healthily.

Nonprofit organizations as a whole obviously require a huge sensitivity and understanding of different life experiences and cultures, and this is true within FOCP as well. Many of these children share some of my own identities, but many belong to racial and cultural backgrounds that I have never experienced. At FOCP, I am continuously learning, understanding, and adapting to these new cultural interactions. The majority of this learning comes from various ethnic beliefs or practices in regard to food; for example, various religions avoid certain meats, and every culture has different standards of what they believe is "acceptable" food. When preparing the food packs at FOCP, specialty food packs are prepared for certain children based on allergies, food restrictions, cultural needs, etc., and it is important for me to be vigilant in ensuring each pack is prepared correctly. It would be both unethical and ignorant to disregard the needs of each child, especially when it pertains to culture and general health.

Beyond the very specific aspects of culture at FOCP, I have also become much more knowledgeable on economic disparities, food insecurity, societal contributors, and all other factors that may affect them. This not only allows me to better serve FOCP's consumers, but also makes me a more well-rounded and aware global citizen. I can better determine how my own perspectives on these topics may have been harmful or uninformed, in which I can grow and learn continuously to be more understanding of experiences in which I am unfamiliar.

Throughout the entirety of college, I have learned the beauty of checking my biases or perspectives and correcting them. Although I will never be perfect in this sense, this internship has helped me continue building on this skill. I feel much more confident in my self-awareness, and I am able to think much more constructively about complex issues affecting different cultures all over the world. That is a trait that I will persistently utilize throughout the rest of my life, so I can continue learning and growing within my role as a global citizen.

COMPETENCY FULFILLMENT: Self-Awareness - All Levels, Knowledge & Understanding - All Levels