Arlington, Virginia, United States
In addition to my role supporting SNAP/EBT outreach, in April through the Fresh Food Explorers program, I will begin co-teaching lessons at preschools across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, introducing children to healthy eating habits and new vegetables.
As a SNAP Ambassador with Real Food for Kids in partnership with the Arlington Department of Human Services, I support community members at SNAP enrollment clinics and outreach events by helping them assess their eligibility for benefits and understand the SNAP/EBT program. I provide individualized guidance and program education in both English and Spanish, while also connecting residents to additional Arlington County resources that support food security and other essential needs. Through this role, I contribute to county-wide efforts to reduce food insecurity and expand equitable access to nutrition assistance programs.
My primary project focused on reactivating the women’s group by helping members make productive use of their greenhouses, organizing community-reuniting events, and leading business skills workshops. I also worked closely with the community development organization in my town to transform a volunteer-led composting project into a revenue-generating enterprise.
Participated in an intensive 4 day program where I received lectures from humanitarian lawyers, university professors and experts in disarmament on the negative impacts that nuclear weapons have on humanity and the environment. Afterwards, I was invited to speak directly with G7 parliamentarians about what I had learned during the conference and encouraged their support to ban nuclear weapons.
The Kakehashi Program is a joint effort program between the JACL (Japanese American Citizens League) and JICE (Japan International Cooperation Center) to teach young Japanese Americans how to build a strong bridge between the US and Japan in the forms of culture, economics, politics, and friendship. Through this program I was able to meet with the Parliamentary Vice- Minister For Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Special Advisor to the Prime Minister at their offices in Tokyo and also met with local Gifu government officials. I also got the chance to see many cultural sites such as Shirakawago and the Sekigahara Battle Museum.