“A world without hunger is possible through community.” – Suzanne Collins
Current Role: Hamilton Food Cupboard Program Director
Years of Service: 14 years
Team Recognition: “I have a great team of volunteers who have great ideas and are a perfect sounding board for me. The volunteers really are the heartbeat of any pantry, and there is probably not enough said about their quiet dedication.”
Memorable Moment with Neighbors: For one neighbor, their first introduction to zucchini was at Hamilton Food Cupboard. With just some simple cooking and recipe recommendations from the team, the neighbor who was once unfamiliar with the squash, now loves it and requests it almost every visit to the pantry. Going the extra mile for neighbors can be as simple as taking a moment to show them a new food and share easy ways to prepare it.
Unique Program Attributes: Hamilton Food Cupboard has an onsite greenhouse and learning garden where they grow fresh produce and herbs, and host learning demonstrations for neighbors. Sue says this about the learning garden: “It’s for educational purposes. You can plant in a laundry basket; You can plant in a milk jug — you don’t have to have a lot of space. You can plant in a bag of soil… It’s just easy.” Sue humbly shares that though she might not have a green thumb, she’s “happy to try it.” Her “learn as you go” approach is an empowering way to show that experience and costly gardening tools are not required for people to start growing their own food.
Recent Win: Sue successfully wrote and submitted her first state funded grant that was accepted and awarded! Though it was a difficult process, she is feeling empowered and grateful for the accomplishment.
Future Plans: Sue and her team plan to grow a food forest and community pollinator field on the property, with various plants and flowers. The goal is to have an open space for volunteers, programs participants, and the public to enjoy. The field will be along an existing walking trail and Sue hopes visitors will enjoy the scenery or “pop in” to pick fresh fruits.
Words of Encouragement: “It’s easy to get discouraged and be sad about this [food insecurity], but the population we work with is so resilient. Look for the good and try to be the light in somebody’s life–that’s what we’re trying to do.”
To learn more and keep up with their program, visit hamiltonfoodcupboard.org.
