My year with AFPC
By Summer Sweet, AFPC AmeriCorps Intern
My Public Health AmeriCorps service project with the Alaska Food Policy Council was a very rewarding and invaluable experience. Over a year I was able to immensely grow my public health skills. Within my service year I was lucky to get to network with local organizations, extensively learn about local food systems and accessibility, be a part of policy and community advocacy, educate and inform communities, and so much more!
Alaska is a very unique place and that means creative solutions are needed to solve issues such as lack of access to nutritious foods, health equity, and reduction of health disparities for Alaskans. So many people work tirelessly to ensure that progress is consistently being made towards a more nourished state. Some of the ways that food systems have been and continue to be strengthened include the work being done within the Food Security Action Plan, food system working groups, and collaboration within the Alaska Food Coalition.
My host site offered me numerous opportunities for growth and professional development. Some areas of interest that I was able to dive deeper into included initiatives such as Food is Medicine, local food production, and community nutrition education.
One of the most important experiences that I had during my service year was participating in the Alaska Food Coalition annual Legislative Fly-In Conference in Juneau. This conference brought together most of the food system organizations from around the state of Alaska. I was able to meet and work with many advocates during this event. I am glad I was able to learn more about policy and frameworks to increase food sustainability and accessibility.
An accomplishment that I am proud to have completed during my service year was organizing three community education events. I organized “Community Cafes” that included home gardening, nutrition, and cooking lessons for community members. We hosted three separate events in different locations- Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Homer. I was able to bring community partners together to educate and inform participants on how to create and care for their own home gardens and how to prepare and eat nutritious foods. These events helped to empower Alaskans to grow their own food and incorporate healthy cooking practices into their lives.
I feel more confident in the public health field thanks to this experience and I look forward to continuing to work with all of the people I have made connections with in the future. I know that I will be able to apply everything I have learned throughout my career. Because of this opportunity, I was able to secure a seasonal position this summer working with one of the partners of the Alaska Food Policy Council.
I appreciate all of the support, guidance, and encouragement that I received from everyone at my host site at the Alaska Food Policy Council and the Public Health AmeriCorps program.
