Reflections on Day One

Hi guys!

This is Anna Harrison, a participant in the Summit this week, and I have been asked to write a reflection on my experience today.  I'll begin with a synopsis of the day.  We began with the typical name games and icebreakers, followed by a tour of the facility.  We then set off on a scavenger hunt meant to inform us about the different roles that staff play as well as the variety of programs which the ACFB runs.  We then broke for lunch and met Bill Bolling, who told us about his experiences as he built what we now know as the Atlanta Community Food Bank from the ground up.  Afterwards, we participated in a roleplay game in which each student was able to taste what it would be like to try to make it day-to-day as a low-income individual, dealing with such issues as finding reliable transportation, childcare, and the inaccessibility of healthful foods.  We finished off with a house-building competition in which each group had different amounts and qualities of materials.  We learned how differently people deal with excess or lack of resources.

The last activity was a reflection on our favorite parts of the day. Many of the participants enjoyed the scavenger hunt as well as the talk with Bill Bolling.  It was really interesting to see what it was that the food bank does, as well as to hear the story of someone as successful and influential as Mr. Bolling.  My favorite part of the day was learning about the process of obtaining the food that is distributed.  I am especially interested in the food distribution system in the United States, as well as the Farm Bill, so I found it interesting the types of things the USDA provided for the ACFB.

I'm also definitely looking forward to our trip to the capitol tomorrow!  We are going to meet Stacey Abrams, House Minority Leader for the Georgia General Assembly.  I believe that we are going to learn about the different governmental programs in Georgia which address the issues of hunger and poverty.  I am excited to learn how to become more of an advocate for issues I am concerned about, not necessarily limited to, but generally related to, the issues of hunger and poverty.