Ella Montagna

Ella Montagna 4/11/24
Community Partner Social Justice Panel
their mission, approach to advocacy, and activism, as well as sharing ways on how to get involved with them!

Introduction:
Sean who works at Community farms in Newtown producing thousands of food going to food banks to help hunger relief 30,000lbs of food a year.
Alexis Carroll homes for the brave. She is a therapist who sees a lot of stuff going on helping individuals who have experienced homelessness and help them get a better life. Homeless and veteran mental health help.
Bobbi Brown founder all girls non profit provides interaction mentorship for girls of color giving them resources and opportunities. Director of comm and develop in new haven for workforce alliance providing workforce initiatives for people entering the workforce or going back into the workforce. Pandemic people didn't enter back into working workforce alliance

Social justice issues:
Bobbi:
Homelessness
displacement in housing
not being able to afford or find proper housing food insecurity
you can't expect people to show up or do well if they are hungry
Alexis:
Systems theory
Discrimination
Veterans are expected to sustain themselves providing
Access to services
Sean:
Personal experience towards food
Made him want to volunteer and do service with food
Ultra Processed food
Started in newtown with their food pantry
Youth farming opportunities
Looking for new farmers that want to expand their business
Opportunity lot of ways to get involved

Challenges but joy and reward parts:
Bobbi:
Trying to bring awareness, changing others mindsets that this doesn’t have to be your story
How to properly service her people. Looking at their mission and making sure they’re following and improving it.
Workforce initiatives
Parents realizing these resources are free for their children
Alexis:
Life sustainability process
Veteran population criminalization label
Humbled because there is always opportunity to expand, she wants to be apart of the expansion
Gratitude feeling
Sean:
Planting things is rewarding
What happens after dropping off food to the food pantry, more people lining up to get food.
The after effects make the process frustrating because more and more people are showing up and need food.

Tangible action step to continue involvement for us students:
Bobbi:
Make yourself aware what's happening around you
Going out and creating an initiative
Get invested in your community
Find something and help the change
Be active and reach out
Go online connect to groups
100 girls leading

Alexis:
Intention
Start basic in daily interactions
Ethics be authenticity to what you find to be moral behavior
Learn how to keep your lens adjusting
Find what is authenticity to you and do it to yourself first

Sean:
Get involved first
Ask questions

It was very nice to hear about if you are a match, how much of an impact you can make by donating blood or bone marrow to save someones life.