NFRD Who's Who: Q&A with Lana Suarez of the EPA

This is the second post in our NFRD Who's Who series, a collection of interviews with the fantastic leaders who will be speaking at the National Food Recovery Dialogue from April 2-4. Stay tuned – we'll be sharing more interviews as we count down to the NFRD. 

Lana Suarez is currently acting as lead for Sustainable Management of Food, under the Sustainable Materials Management Program in the Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division (RCSD), Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) in the Office of Land and Emergency Response (OSWER) at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

FRN: What are you looking forward to at the conference?

LS: Absorbing the energy of this group and hearing new, innovative solutions and potential opportunities to difficult issues related to wasted food. 

FRN: Why are you passionate about food recovery?

LS: We all eat food, and, as consumers, we should all take ownership -- regardless of our position, title or organization -- and contribute to solutions to create a sustainable food system.

FRN: What's your proudest accomplishment of your career?

LS: Being a public servant and being able to support the mission of my agency, protecting human health and the environment – every day.

FRN: Time for a fun question. What's your favorite pizza topping?

LS: Eggplant and caramelized onions -- I cannot pick just one!

Interested in learning more about Lana's work with the EPA? Register for the National Food Recovery Dialogue today and follow the EPA on Facebook and Twitter. 

Learning To Be A Leader

Erin and Hannah (on either end) met awesome student leaders from the University of Maryland at The LeaderShape Institute this past January.

As a student-founded and student-focused organization, Food Recovery Network greatly values the development of student leaders. That’s why Hannah and I (Erin) jumped at the chance to speak at the University of Maryland’s LeaderShape Institute in January. This five-day retreat gives students an opportunity to develop a plan to make their vision of an ideal world a reality, and encourages them “to adopt a healthy DIS-regard for the impossible.”

When we arrived, the students had just finished a workshop in which they were asked to write a headline representing a big picture goal that they’d like to see achieved in their lifetime. They thought of things like bringing an end to poverty, hunger, and disease -- all things that most people would say cannot be done. The next day would be all about developing an action plan to understand what part they could play in creating that ideal world.

Hannah and I spoke to two groups of students about FRN, about our work with other student leaders like them, and how FRN could be taken as an example of exactly what they were trying to do: make the impossible (or improbable) possible. The students had a lot of great questions about what made FRN so successful, how we measure that success, and how they could get involved in FRN and similar organizations on their campus. Some of them spoke to us about how they could take the model of FRN and apply it to the issue they were most inspired by, whether that was hunger, inequality, or global health.

Hannah and I were blown away that these students -- most of them freshmen and sophomores -- had such a good grasp on their goals and were already working to achieve them. They were dreaming big and not letting the word “impossible” keep them from trying. Although we are lucky enough to work with students like them every single day through FRN, it was still a great reminder that young people can create change. It was students like them that founded FRN, and it’s students like them that keep it going today.

On that inspiring note, here are some thoughts from FRN student leaders across the country on what it means to be a leader:

“Our leadership team went from being a group of low-key, shy individuals to forces of change on campus who took home the university's 2015 Emerging Student Leader Award! We aced through our communications/public speaking course as well.”

Bilal, University of the Sciences

“Before this, I had never been the true leader of an effort. I had a supportive figure, or a co-leader, but being the founder of this Chapter required me to take the responsibility for implementing a plan and taking all the steps necessary to engage people in it. It has helped me further develop my communication, public speaking, and marketing skills. It has also helped me realize all the dedication it takes to be a primary leader, and I have learned to be assertive when I have to and prepared for all outcomes." 

Megan, Western Washington University

“Before FRN, I had very minimal experience with organizing people and being a leader.  FRN has helped me learn how to organize and coordinate volunteers, along with how to articulate to others specific tasks that need to be accomplished.” 

Mackenzie, Colorado Mountain College

“Being in a position of leadership has helped the leadership team and myself in all of the ways above because of the work we do. Each of our positions overlap and we help one another and the volunteers. For example anyone who volunteers with us has to have an older member with them for at least 10 recoveries. That means everyone has been a trainee and everyone who stays with us will one day become the trainer. It's a lot of fun to think back to when someone was teaching you and now you're helping someone else become a member. It helps with communication and building relationships in the club. you can't be a leader without being able to talk to your "followers."

Allison, Rochester Institute of Technology

“I have been impacted by seeing for myself that students and young people really can make a change if they are empowered enough. When a common cause unites so many people, it's amazing.” 

Mallory, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

“Three out of the six leadership team members from our Food Recovery Network Chapter are currently serving on the planning team for a tri-campus leadership summit for all three of the University of Michigan campuses to take place in February, myself being one of them. I would have never pictured myself in a position such as this if it were not for the leadership experience that I gained through FRN. There is a chance that I may give a presentation about community action at this event, which I know I would not have even considered partaking in two years ago (before I was involved with FRN). FRN has given me the opportunity to use my voice, raise awareness and act around the issues I've always cared about but never knew how to address.”

Kelsey, University of Michigan Dearborn

“FRN has helped me personally by finding something I am passionate about, and want to work with as a career. It has allowed me to become a better student leader, learn to delegate, time management, and other skills I needed to fine tune.”

Carly, Salem College

 

Love hearing our students talk about their leadership experiences with FRN? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay in tune with their stories.

Our FRNdly Valentine

This Valentine's Day, we wanted to share some of the many reasons why we love FRN. We'd love to hear why you love FRN -- you can let us know on Facebook or Twitter. We hope you like the vintage Valentines! 

 

HC

"My love for FRN grows day by day. As we slowly but surely save hundreds and hundreds of pounds. As our students grow into leaders and does and changers. As the hungry in communities across the country find food for their empty bellies. Each day, it grows more and more."

Karen

"I love FRN because...the organizational model is so innovative yet so simple. We use existing, abundant resources -- namely surplus food and eager student leaders -- to address multiple social issues: the environmental consequences of food waste, the prevalence of hunger across America, and the need for meaningful student leadership and service-learning opportunities. I'm proud to work for an organization that presents such a logical, replicable, and scalable solution to complex, intersecting social issues."

Hannah

"I love FRN for a lot of reasons and I could talk for days about them, but I think the most important one is this: FRN exists because a small group of leaders recognized a problem (or in this case, two), took responsibility for their role in the problems, and worked really, really hard to develop a solution. Grace Lee Boggs wisely said 'You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as belonging to it and responsible for changing it.' She was right, and I think often times we fall short of positive change because we push off our responsibility to someone or something else. But FRN is an exception to that norm -- we've stepped up and taken responsibility, and nearly one million meals have been saved and provided to our neighbors in need because of it. We're changing the game because we saw a problem and decided to fix it."   

Jamie

"I love FRN because FRN is so easy to love! What could be better than taking two major problems (food waste and hunger) and using one to solve the other? NOTHING! I also love working with our incredible student leaders who inspire me to be a better person every day. I have talked to students who work two jobs, are in athletic programs, double major, and graduate early, just to name a few, and still find time to save the world one recovery at a time by starting their own FRN chapter. You guys are the absolute bomb."

Cassidy

"I love FRN because this organization motivates college students to be thoughtful activists. We mobilize students to fight food waste and hunger in their communities, and we also provide them with tools to stay informed about these issues and think critically about the way they interact with diverse groups of people. College is one of the best times to plant the seeds for this kind of engagement, and I hope we see our alumni carry what they learn from their involvement with FRN into the rest of their lives. I think we will."

Leyla

"I love FRN because it empowers students to become leaders in the realm of food waste and recovery. We have the opportunity to influence the next generation of changemakers, and that's a powerful feeling."

 

MIKA

"I love the culture of FRN as an organization. We care a lot about treating ourselves and others well, and we have an incredibly competent team that works well together. I see this in our chapters as well; I'm constantly impressed by the new initiatives and ideas that they carry through to fruition. As a movement, we're always thinking of creative new ways to make an impact and share it."

Mia

"I love FRN because it provides a space for students to become leaders and create amazing, high impact food recovery programs. Everyday that I work with FRN, I see and hear about empowerment. I hear about people in communities across America that are empowered when they receive fulfilling and wholesome meals from FRN. Partner agencies share stories of their own empowerment because they save time and money when working with FRN chapters. Students are empowered to take ownership of the well being of their campuses and communities. And dining service providers and food businesses are empowered to do the right thing, and donate their surplus food. I know that empowerment well, because that is the same empowerment I have felt in working with FRN."

NFRD Who's Who: Q&A with Christopher Bradshaw of Dreaming Out Loud

This is first post in our NFRD Who's Who series, a series of interviews with the fantastic leaders who will be speaking at the National Food Recovery Dialogue on April 2-4. Stay tuned – we'll be sharing more interviews as we count down to the NFRD. 

Christopher Bradshaw is the founder and executive director of Dreaming Out Loud, whose mission is to build an equitable food system, grow economic opportunity for marginalized people, and more resilient communities. Since their founding in 2014, they've worked with farmers markets to bring more than 250,000 pounds fresh produce to the food deserts of DC. We can't wait for Christopher to present his talk "From Rosewood to Real Time: Food Justice and Economic Justice In America" at the NFRD!

FRN: What are you looking forward to at the conference?

CB: I'm most looking forward to a conversation with the students and hearing about the work being done in food recovery; where the innovation is in the space and moving conversations forward. I think conversations help to frame circumstances and push folks to find ways of acting within their world. We are at a critical juncture; policy needs to move to open up resources to undergird individuals and communities with skills and supports eroded by a profit-over-people economic system. We need to shape a national vision of the food and economic system towards one that creates living wage jobs and moves towards a restorative, regenerative social justice narrative; beyond band-aids, to systemic, structural social revolution that has justice as its core value. 

FRN: Why are you passionate about food recovery?

CB: I am passionate about creating a stronger, more just and sustainable food system because I think that so many broad issues of social justice intersect with the food system. From racial justice resulting from land loss, economic devastation, and displacement; to workers rights, living wages and income disparity; to repairing the wounds of mass incarceration and creating pathways for returning citizens. Just means justice; it means uncomfortable, but honest conversations bout restoring communities, transcending our politics, and building the world we envision through the lens of food.

FRN: What's your proudest accomplishment of your career?

CB: My proudest professional accomplishment is just making it through the darkness. It is hard starting an organization, stewarding it through growth, and moving it into a place where it hold true to its values; and meets community needs in ways that empower and facilitate agency. Maybe my proudest moment is yet to come, as I am excited for the day when I let go allow Dreaming Out Loud to go free. 

FRN: Time for some fun. What's your spirit vegetable?

CB: My spirit vegetable is the pole bean. Random; I know. I just love the way that pole beans find a way to climb up from seemingly anywhere, or out of nowhere, guided by what I have no idea. Somehow, what seems like overnight, poles beans through some dogged strength reach further and further towards the sun to find a guiding strand of twine, or fencing, or a the limb of a tree. Whatever that force is that is guiding that pole bean is unseen, but it just knows that if it keeps trying it will find it's guiding support and grow to what it knows that it can be.

Interested in learning more about Christopher's work with Dreaming Out Loud? Register for the National Food Recovery Dialogue today and follow Dreaming Out Loud on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

From Regina's Desk: A Love Sonnet

Since it’s February, and I’m a huge fan of celebrating FRNdships on Valentine’s Day, I wanted to express my love of all of you with a sonnet. I figured if Shakespeare can do it, I can, too, right? Let us know if you have any FRN-inspired poetry you’d like to share!  Post on Facebook and tag FRN or shoot us an email: info@foodrecoverynetwork.org.

Why I Love FRN

There! Across the country zips back and forth

a committed network of people yield

a pathway for change on campus, on earth;

The simple solution to all, revealed!

Dedication and grit has caused great shifts

in thinking to action: recovery!

when I think about your amazing gifts

To this movement, further discovery

Food Recovery Network such a site

To be part of the will, to do what’s right.

To read more from our Executive Director, Regina Northouse, check out her most recent posts in our From Regina's Desk series: Growing Stronger Every Day, From One Milestone to the Next, and more!