I had the fantastic experience of being a summer intern at the Crooked Creek Food Pantry in Indianapolis this summer. Each week the CCFP serves over 1000 families. I was allowed to see firsthand the prevalence of food scarcity in urban centers and interact with diverse groups of people. My typical day of work consisted of many jobs, such as unloading and packing donations from different local stores and food pantries, along with packing different foods passed out to families. I was even allowed to be in charge of the food pantry a few times during my internship. Many times we would start the week almost overflowing with food but by the end of the week would almost run out due to the number of people we served during the week. I worked with many volunteers with unique backstories for the reasons for coming to the food pantry, from former clients to retired veterans. One of my biggest takeaways as an intern was understanding how important it is to participate in community service because of the different perspectives it provides to those who often take things such as food for granted. While working at the food pantry, I shadowed Dr. Nace, a pediatrician at the Pecar health center. I could see her daily schedule firsthand, and this experience continued to confirm my desire to be a medical professional. Watching her interactions with her patients warmed my heart due to the very personal attention she gave each patient.
Overall, my time with Dr. Nace demonstrated how important it is for those who want to become medical professionals to be just as emotionally intelligent as they are academically to be
successful. Finally, I thank multiple people for giving me the opportunity this summer to work at the Crooked Creek Food Pantry. First, I thank Jill Rogers, Dr. Wetzel, and the Global Health Initiative at Wabash College for allowing me to apply and participate in this internship. Second, I thank Zach Fawbush, Stephanie Santos, and Kathy Keiner for being incredible mentors during my time at the food pantry. Third, I would like to thank the countless volunteers, including May, Jeremy, Rick, and Robin, who were all incredibly kind to us interns. Finally, I thank my fellow Wabash interns Robbie Manuzzi and David Leal. All those listed above made my summer experience unique and incredibly beneficial to my life experience.
