My time as a summer meals member at HIP is coming to an end; however, it has been a rewarding experience to serve and interact with the community members in the Lake City and Shoreline area. My main site has been serving lunch at the Shoreline Library and it has been really fun to be in the process of planning activities for kids and their parents. My favorite activity has been “Free Book Fridays” where kids get a free book and a meal every Friday! It’s been a really exciting experience to watch kids get excited about receiving free books and finishing their summer reading charts.

What I also realized is that the library provides various resources to community members that are in need, not just a place to borrow books. Serving meals to children and parents at the library made me realize how it is a gradual step towards utilizing a federal program to end summer hunger. Preparing and serving nutritious meals and leading creative activities are two great things kids love. I hope that HIP will continue serving at the library in the future years to provide support and resources to families facing hunger.

My summer working at HIP has been a rewarding experience of gaining leadership experience and interacting with service projects to a community I care about. I loved working with the HIP staff, other Americorps VISTA members, and the library staff to reach a goal of serving 8000 meals. It’s been a busy and productive summer and I am proud of the accomplishments that I have gained and my team has achieved.