Iraluchi Iweanoge

I spent Wednesday October 28th volunteering in the Urban Demonstration Garden at the Capital Area Food Bank in Northeast Washington, D.C. I helped harvest different produce like peppers, cabbage, and cilantro. Additionally, I aided in composting efforts by breaking down cardboard, wood, and other material to be composted for the benefit of the garden. I was able to connect the practice of composting to what I learned in biology in terms of the role of microorganisms. Microorganisms break down and decompose the organic material and waste to turn it into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that will heal and benefit the soil of the garden. That decomposition of the material is done by aerobic microorganisms that require a specific balance of carbon to nitrogen to successfully break down the organic material and make the compost. I was fascinated to see the key role of biology in optimizing the growth of food and ensuring the health of the environment through recycling and composting while volunteering at the Capital Area Food Bank.

I served again at Capital Area Food Bank on October 20th, where I aided in sorting different food items and packaging them into boxes which would be later be shipped out to different food banks and groups in the area. During this experience, I was able to connect my volunteer work with what I learned in biology, particularly the importance of food preservation and preventing the growth of harmful organisms. By carefully inspecting food items and ensuring that no cans or packaging were damaged, I helped reduce the risk of bacteria or fungi growing within it. This process is important because by making sure that we gather undamaged and well-preserved food, we ensure that the families and people who receive them are protected from food borne illness. This experience let me see how concepts learned in class can contribute in protecting public health.
Additionally, volunteering at a food bank is something I really enjoy because the work that you do has a genuine impact on lives. Food banks make sure that people are able to have access to the bare minimum of what a human needs to survive. Therefore, the work that I do as a volunteer allows people to maintain their basic well-being and dignity. Ultimately, volunteering at the Capital Area Food has reinforced my appreciation of organizations who work to expand access to basic necessities.

I volunteered at the Urban Demonstration Garden at the Capital Area Food Bank where I harvested various crops like different kinds of pepper and weeded plants to clean up the garden. A main goal of the garden is to promote food justice and food sovereignty. Therefore, Capital Area Food Bank has various classes teaching people gardening techniques, cooking workshops and other important things, and so the garden and the food harvested is used for that. Also, the harvested produce is sent to various schools in the area and other organizations. Spending time in the garden allowed me to greater explore topics learned in biology class like photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and genetics by seeing how how gardening practices and decisions take advantage of the traits of the produce to optimize growth. I had the an amazing experience working alongside other volunteers to tend to this garden.

I had the chance to volunteer at the Capital Area Food Bank where I spent time sorting foods and then packaging boxes that would be sent out to different food pantries throughout the DMV to help different families. It was a meaningful and rewarding experience to give back to the DC community, and the team of volunteers that I worked alongside made the experience more enjoyable as well.I got to connect my experience from class from learning about the molecules and nutrients that the body needs to function with what I did at the food bank by providing families access to essential nutritious food. Volunteering at the food bank helped me understand how access to nutritious food affects people overall health and well-being, and it showed me the importance of making sure that usable food is distributed in order to decrease food waste and to combat the problem of hunger in our communities. I plan to go back again to continue doing that same meaningful work and to become more educated about this real world issue from the CAFB.