Meet Our Garden Intern

We have a new member on team Target Hunger – Yessenia Rincon! Through the end of the year Target Hunger’s Garden Intern will be not only be helping our gardens to grow but will be spending half her time researching and developing educational curriculum. The position was generously funded by the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation. 

We asked Yessenia to share a few things about herself, and here is what she had to say:

My name is Yessenia Rincon, I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I attended University of Houston- Downtown where I got my bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. In my free time I like to go to museums and play volleyball.

What interested me the most about this internship is the hands-on experience – I love the outdoors and getting my hands dirty. I would do gardening as a hobby, but I also wanted to incorporate it as part of my lifestyle and routine. I get to learn something new every day and pass that knowledge to my family and community.

What I’m hoping to learn from the garden team is how to be more self-reliant and sustainable when it comes to growing any type of food and making it part of my life. I want to know what makes a successful garden and ensure my neighbors are food secure for the long run.

My favorite thing about working in the garden is starting my morning with fresh air and sunlight, as well as working with the garden team, they are great!

8 Questions with Yessenia

Q: Where do you most want to visit in the world?

A: I would like to visit Finland, Hawaii, and France.

Q: What is your proudest accomplishment?

A: My proudest accomplishment is finishing college.

Q: What’s your favorite movie?

A: My favorite movies are Grown Ups 1 &2.

Q: What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

A: My favorite way to spend the day off is by watching movies with my sisters and having a bunch of different snacks.

Q: What are your favorite ice cream flavors?

A: My favorite ice cream flavors are vanilla and strawberry.

Q: What’s on your bucket list?

A: For my bucket list, I want to fly in a hot air balloon, ride a zip line, go on a cruise, ski in Italy, do a road trip to different national parks around the US, and go visit the MET Museum in New York.

Q: If you could win an Olympic medal for any sport, real or fake, what would it be?
A: It would be volleyball, gymnastics, and ballet.

Q: What’s your favorite family recipe?

A: My favorite family recipe is tamales. I love eating them during the holidays.

Welcome to Yessenia!  Target Hunger is excited to have her grow with our team, grow the garden, and grow Target Hunger’s long-term vision to have robust educational programming for families to find out where their food comes from, how to grow it, and how to turn it into healthy and affordable meals.

Meet a Navigation Client

Navigating for Vital Resources

Our Navigator, Shirley

Two weeks ago, we told you a little about our Navigation Services – an additional service we offer to  families and seniors to get them connected with additional resources like SNAP benefits, utility assistance, home repairs, and more. Typically, our Navigator, Shirley, serves over 400 clients a month, at least 40 on a regular basis. Some of the most consistent requests, she says, are for air conditioners and refrigerators, as well as assistance with repairing homes. Shirley has developed relationships with many of our seniors, often giving a friendly call just to check in on them and see how they are doing.

Meet Ms. McHenry

One of those clients is Ms. McHenry. Ms. McHenry is 81 years old and lives alone. She is registered in our home delivery program and receives a monthly distribution of food. She learned about Target Hunger several years ago when the main office was on Jensen and has considered it a helpful resource in the years since. “Target Hunger has been a blessing. I don’t have the money to get some of the food I need, and Target Hunger has been helpful for years.” Shirley checks in on Ms. McHenry to let her know when to expect her food deliveries. At the height of the pandemic, she consistently checked in to make sure Ms. McHenry had the necessary protection for COVID safety – gloves and masks in case she needed to venture from home. In addition, Shirley has assisted Ms. McHenry by connecting her with home repair resources.

Beyond physical assistance, Shirley and Ms. McHenry have formed an endearing friendship. They speak to each other at least every 2 weeks, and if Ms. McHenry hasn’t heard from Shirley, she is not hesitant to call: “I’ll call her if I haven’t heard from her. She’s always open to talk.” Shirley adores her conversations with Ms. McHenry, and the feeling is mutual.

Ms. McHenry says:

“Ms. Shirley is the most wonderful lady that I have ever wanted to meet. I talk to her on the phone. When she first called, when I first started talking to her, seems like God sent her to me. I enjoyed talking to her the first time I talked to her. I call her on a regular basic. I’d rather talk to Shirley than some of my own relatives and church people. She is a lady that can help people when they have problems. Sometimes it’s not about giving, sometimes it’s about a kind word and a call in the morning. She has the most beautiful personality. She always has time for you. If everyone would be like Ms. Shirley, everybody would be happy.”

You can see a Navigator like Shirley not only helps people find the help they need, but can also brighten someone’s day. Supporting Target Hunger, makes a direct impact on the lives of the community we serve and seniors like Ms. McHenry.

Pantry Box Recipe Challenge

Putting Together Pantry Boxes

Each month, clients in our Pantry Program receive a distribution of nutritious groceries. These boxes include fresh produce, dairy, protein, and shelf-stable products. We provide a range of grocery items that will last for multiple days over the course of the month. Currently, our Pantry Program clients receive these distributions straight to their door!

As we open our regular Pantry programming, clients will also be able to schedule an appointment to pick- up a box – selecting from three menu options for the month. Before the pandemic, most of our pantries were set-up as “choice pantries” or like a small grocery store, which meant that families shopped for their food. We hope to get back to that set-up soon as we begin to resume more normal operations.

This week, we wanted to share a sample menu with you, with a challenge! Using the menu below, we would like to see what recipes you can put together. Are you up for the challenge??

Menu for July

Carrots

White Onions

Broccoli

Tomatoes

Canned Chickpeas

Cabbage

Red Potatoes

2 Gallons of Milk

2 Boxes Crisp Rice Cereal

Canned Green Peas

Grapefruit Juice

Pre-made Homestyle Chili Packs

Pancake Mix

Canned Fruit

Canned Tuna

Tag us in your recipes on social media and yours may be selected to go into the box as a meal inspiration!