It’s hard to believe we’re already in our third full week of Summer Eats 2017! This year has been off to an amazing start all thanks to the work of our wonderful team of Summer VISTAs serving the meals at the sites each day. They have been such a fun bunch to work with and we are thrilled to introduce them to you!

 

Kelly site supervises one of our new sites at Meadowbrook View Apartments. She’s also been able to go on weekly field trips with the kids there every Wednesday!

My name is Kelly Bounxayavong and my nature name is Kelly the Koala. I LOVE bird watching, bird calling, and eating edible plants from the natural world even if they aren’t all that tasty. If you hear a loud bird call but can’t see one, that’s probably me trying to attract birds. So why summer meals program? I believe every person, no matter what background, has the right to not be hungry in a country where food waste is a problem. If I get to impart some fun nature facts to kids and have them happy with a full tummy, then it’s a win-win!

Maeve and Miranda both serve at Cedarvale this summer! They’ve been a great duo to add to the energy and excitement there. This is actually Maeve’s second summer with us at HIP! HIP is one of two sites that Miranda is serving meals with this summer.

Greetings, everyone! My name is Maeve McIver-Sheridan. You may remember me if you ever stopped by Jane Addams last summer but this year I am excited to be working at Cedarvale! I am going into my 4^th year at the University of Chicago where I am majoring in history. I really enjoy reading and playing my violin for orchestra and musical theater shows. This summer, I am looking forward to meeting new people and to learning about ways to make positive and sustainable impact in our communities. I am especially thrilled to be back working with HIP because of the program’s commitment to eliminating barriers against equitable access to food and to providing programming that strengthens the Lake City community.

Hello, my name is Miranda Pardi. In June I graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. I am originally from Redmond, WA and attended Redmond High School. In my spare time I love watching movies or attending theatre performances. I have a younger brother who is in the Coast Guard, as well as a younger step-sister. I decided to do a summer of service after finishing school because I thought it would be a great time to do some volunteer work before going into a long-term career in social services.

Nga is serving at Jackson Park each day. She’s had a great time with the kids this summer!

Hi, my name is Nga. I am Vietnamese, relocated in Washington few months ago, and now living in Bothell. I am excited about the summer food program because I found it really something meaningful. Besides learning about the country’s diversity, new cultures and wonderful people here, I have learned more about the sense of community and how each of us should serve our community. Working with HIP team and my team members is helping me in building new skills and ability too. This is an amazing opportunity for me to start my real journey here and I think America is so welcoming, so I am ready for the summer mission of serving 8,000 meals with HIP team. Thank you.

Soo supervises lunch at another of our new sites – the Shoreline Library. She is also one of our van drivers this summer! 

Soo is a student at the UW studying Political Science and Law, Societies, and Justice. She is excited to work with United Way and HIP to interact and serve meals throughout the summer. She hopes to build a career in the non-profit sector, focusing on policy to low-income communities.

Linna serves meals at the Lake City Community Center, one of our most busy and activity-filled sites. Fun fact: Linna and Kelly are sisters!

Greetings all, my name is Linna Bounxayavong! I have a passion for working with youth and helping them to overcome their barriers to education as well as a passion for engaging in direct service. I enjoy working with youth and having fun outside so being with the summer meals team is a perfect combination. I’ve spent a lot of time doing volunteer work so I’m excited for this summer and for what’s to come. Fun fact: I’m the person to talk to if you want to learn about how to build sustainable hiking trails, trail rehabilitation, or about Leave No Trace! Yes, seriously. I enjoy the outdoors.

Michael has been trooper in taking on two sites for lunch each day. He is supervising the meal at both Hamlin Park and Paramount School Park.  We are so appreciative of his willingness to double-up this summer!

Hello! My name is Michael, and I am from Lynnwood, Washington. In the fall I will be returning to the University of Washington for my 4^th year, where I am studying Law, Societies and Justice. This course of study is what brought me to work with HIP as a VISTA. This is my first time as a Summer VISTA, and I am looking forward to the experiences that this summer will bring. I believe that food is a resource that every human should have access to, especially in the United States. In my free time I enjoy reading, hiking and exploring new places.

Anders is another one of our returning summer VISTAs! He’s serving at the same site he did last year: Lake City Court.

Hi everyone! My name is Anders Gould. I’m 21 years old and I’m originally from Edmonds, WA. I currently go to Johns Hopkins where I study Biomedical Engineering. In my free time I enjoy playing guitar, watching TV, walking my dogs, playing video games and hiking. This summer marks my second year at HIP as an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with the kids and parents at Lake City Court and making a positive impact in the local community. I believe that access to healthy food is a basic human right, and should be available to anyone regardless of income level. This is what drew me to the summer meals program in the first place. Some fun facts about me are that I am an older brother to triplet sisters; I also have a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Bobby supervises the meal at our site inside Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services (ADWAS). It’s been great having him as part of our team!

Hey my name is Bobby Gillmann and I’m here on earth to make others happy by giving back to the world and cook for others and being fronds with the ones who don’t have friends. I’m an active child I go out and skate and have fun anywhere I go. I love food and talking. Most people don’t know that I’m from Russia and I was adopted at 4 years old. So many people love that I’m a therapist I love to listen to others and make them smile. Other people just like to rant but I don’t mine. So come to me and talk I’m chill to talk to. I love to listen to Josh Groban; I know I’m not the one you’d expect to listen to him. I love to cook food. After I finish my 2 tours I am going to go to RTC and go into culinary. After that I am going to start a restaurant for low-income families and people that just want really good food and it will be called the Golden Crab catering. I am going to go around the world and do photography and sell my pictures and give the money to charity. My goal is to make this world a better place to live and to make people smile more.

Amy was a HIP Summer VISTA last year and this year is acting at the liaison between HIP and United Way. We’re happy to have her help again!  

Hello – my name is Amy Stromme. After a year with AmeriCorps I’m excited to be returning for my second Summer Food Invasion with all the new skills and experience I’ve accumulated. I’m looking forward to working directly with the communities we serve to make kids happy and healthy, and to give parents an extra hand. In the long run I’m hoping to do local policy or nonprofit work so I’m really thankful for the opportunity Hunger Intervention Program and United Way have given me to support a team with such a high impact.

Make sure to pop by the sites to say hello to each of them before summer slips away!