How Eating Ethics has Affected My Work With Food Banks

Every Sunday I volunteer with Campus Kitchens Emory to transport leftover food from the  DUC and Cox to a local church on Ponce De Leon Ave where we prepare half the food for a meal that we will serve that day and store the rest for the church to use throughout the week. This opportunity has given me a first hand experienced with atlanta's food access problem and the solutions that urban areas are developing in order to solve the issue. One of my main takeaways is how the church can be such an integral part of a meal for those who are food insecure, not necessarily because of their faith but because of the services that churches offer. Many of the food banks and soup kitchens in Atlanta operate out of churches, and thus people from all backgrounds gather in these churches to break bread together. This course has taught me the importance of not only having enough to eat, but also eating in an environment that is conducive to both physical and mental health. Having a diverse community of people who care about your wellbeing and can empathize with your situation is something I can tell is not lost on food bank patrons. I've also had time to think about how powerful this food bank network in Atlanta has become. A few Sundays ago, the service team and I arrived in the few kitchen that morning to find no food has been set aside for us. I was instantly worried about the people at Mercy Church who depended on this meal and who I had assumed hadn't eaten since the day before. When I brought up this concern to one of my teammates he seemed unphased by our situation. He pointed out that not only were there numerous other food kitchens in the vicinity of the one at which we volunteer, but Mercy also has back up supplies from donations they receive from area residents.this instantly made me think about the how we have discussed the importance of community in the process of eating. Community is about more than just where you feel most at home eating a meal, your community is who shapes your eating habits and patterns, your community is a network that bares influence on every meal.