Ceres Community Project
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June 30, 2011
Seeing teens learn to prepare nutritious food and to hear the joy from those who receive the food has moved me to join the Board and offer my services to increase Ceres outreach.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I have friends who have been clients of Ceres services and I have attended cooking classes offered by JoEllen.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Go National with the project.
June 28, 2011
I started as a volunteer and quickly moved into a Board position at Ceres because I knew that this was an organization that was truly worthy of my time and energy.
The work that Ceres does is transformational on many levels. We transform teen's relationship with food, the way they view themselves as leaders, and their ability to bring good to the world through stewardship.
We provide much needed nutrient, dense meals to people with life threatening illness who need it the most to help aid in their healing.
And we teach the greater community about the links between health and food, so that we empower people to make better food choices that will strengthen their bodies.
We are an organization that has grown quickly because there is both a huge need in our community, and the community is crying out for more every day. We have attracted amazing volunteers and donors who really stand behind, not only what we do, but what he are about. At the core of Ceres is the heart and relationship and supporting others in our community the way that we used to do automatically. So we are not just about health of bodies, but also the health of our community and our spirits, which is what makes being part of Ceres incredibly gratifying and wonderful.
As an example, one of our clients was dying at age 28 of breast cancer and was a single Mom of 2. Not only did we provide meals for her, but all the food needs for the family. We also provided emotional support through her client liaison and her delivery "angel". As her delivery angel, I knew that we were a godsend to her. She said she could taste the love in the food they ate. It had a profound impact on them, (and certainly me as well) and that is why Ceres is so special. We don't just deliver nutrient dense meals. We don't just teach teens to cook. We don't just educate about the connection between food and health. We do all of that in a context of love and support, which makes all the difference for not only our clients, but all of us who are involved in the Ceres Community Project.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the hundreds of clients we've touched and the stories they shared about what a difference Ceres made for them during a difficult time. Our ability to bring an incredibly nourishing meal to our clients at an incredibly low price, due to our supportive community partners (Whole Foods, Olivers, Redwood Hill Dairy, Gourmet Mushrooms, First Light Farm, etc)
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Expand our funding so we can pay employees at market rate and offer benefits to them.
More feedback...
Will you volunteer or donate to this organization beyond what is required of board members?
Definitely
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
Life-changing
Will you tell others about this organization?
Definitely
How did you learn about this organization?
I met the Executive Director when she was a private chef at a retreat center I attended. It was the best food I'd ever eaten!
What is this organization's top short-term priority?
Renovation of the new building, so we can occupy in early Fall and double our capacity
What is its top priority in the long run?
Expand our services nationally through an affiliate program
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
June 28, 2011
My experience at Ceres Community Project comes via two perspectives, one as a Board member, involved with board repsonsibilities and duties and secondly as a father of a teen volunteer. As a Board member, I am exposed to the entire organization and all of the people who are volunteering their time or staff members. I have been to staff meetings, watching and observing the staff interact, and met many volunteers through different functions. The amount of volunteers and their commitment is inspiring to witness. In addition, I have met several of the client's who are being served by Ceres. To meet them, listen to their stories and see the impact that Ceres has had on their physical and emotional well being is something you never forget. They are so inspiring. I feel that I recieve so much more as a Board member from Ceres than I can ever give back.
My son volunteers at Ceres as a teen cook. He is a quiet boy by nature, but seems to open up when talking about his experiences at Ceres. His favorite times are when Clients will come to the kitchen adn personally thank all of the teen volunteers. These moments seem to affect my son in a very profound way and I'm sure that he has received much from the program.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
seeing the affect that the Ceres organization has on volunteers, Board members, staff members and clients. The impact is communal and profound.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Expand the program to include more meals for clients and offer a more structured program for the teen chefs.
June 28, 2011
I am honored to be a board member for Ceres Community Project. It is our mission to restore locally-grown, organic whole food to its place as the foundation of health. We do this by educating people about the connection between what we eat and our health and we do that by:
- providing nourishing whole foods meals to individuals and families dealing with serious illness; we have provided 82,000 free meals over the past four years to people with cancer and other life threatening illnesses
- bringing teenagers into the kitchen to volunteer as our program’s chefs so they can learn to cook and eat healthy foods while making a meaningful contribution to our community. Each week they prepare more than 500 beautiful, delicious and nourishing free meals;
- offering a wide range of classes, lectures and our Nourishing Connections Cookbook to help everyone in our community make healthier food choices.
- replicating our model around the country to make a national impact in addition to our local impact.
Since Ceres Community Project began in 2007, more than 350 young people from at least twenty-five Sonoma County schools have volunteered over 9,000 hours in our kitchen. Working together, these amazing teens have prepared over 80,000 meals for nearly 400 local families.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
working with volunteers and interacting with clients that tell me what Ceres has done and meant for them.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
find more donors, provide more training for staff and volunteers
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