My first day as a non-profit Executive Director was exactly ten years ago on December 1. I can’t believe a decade has passed since then. I spent years climbing the nonprofit ranks, starting as a part-time coordinator, a role we currently have at The Sylvia Center, progressing through program manager and director roles, working full time and raising two kids. After 15 years, I had finally made it to the top job. I was naturally excited and nervous on my first day. When would the board and staff discover I actually had no idea what I was doing? Did I really know how to grow programs, raise funds, and manage the team? No. I have to admit I really didn’t, but no one actually noticed—or they noticed and were too polite to say.
The Roots of Resilience
I did have one thing going for me though—resiliency. I was taught resilience at home and it was one of the best gifts my parents gave me. My father was raised in poverty by a single mother after his father died when he was a baby. In addition to his father’s death, his childhood had other classic markers of trauma. His mother owned a corner store, though, so food was available; he loved hot dogs until the day he died because they were a cheap, plentiful food he ate often in his youth.
My father’s story reminds me that food can be both a comfort and a limitation, depending on what a family can access. We don’t serve hot dogs in The Sylvia Center’s plant-based program, but we do serve something he would have been proud of: consistent access to affordable, nutritious ingredients and the confidence to use them.
Why Our Work Matters Now More Than Ever
So I feel especially proud that one of our partners reported to us this month that thanks to The Sylvia Center Cooks for Health program their “families have been consistently able to access the ingredients they need to prepare a nutritious meal together.” This is especially important to us at a time when the risk of delayed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit payments has caused far too many families to face uncertain access to enough healthy food.
We heard stories this month that “many families are struggling with the ripple effects of the current government shutdown. Some of our families have gone weeks without pay, while others are facing manipulation and delays in receiving their SNAP benefits. Through all of these challenges, [The Sylvia Center] cooking classes have been a vital part of their lives, providing essential nourishment, a sense of community, and promoting resiliency.”
Resilience. At The Sylvia Center, we cook up many recipes, but one that I am most proud of is our recipe for resilience. For sure we teach cooking skills and impart nutrition knowledge in all our classes, but we leave behind something equally as important: confidence, and the ability to weather life’s challenges.
This week in particular, as we come together for the Thanksgiving holiday, I am grateful for the resilient community we have built at The Sylvia Center. Thank you for being a part of it. It takes each member to keep us strong.
Until next time, be powerful in the kitchen,
Barbara, Executive Director
Barbara is The Sylvia Center’s Executive Director and a passionate beekeeper. Learn more about her bees here!
