For the last two years, I have been a volunteer for Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, Rock Recovery, an organization that works to provide affordable and accessible treatment for those struggling with eating disorders. In addition, we provide community education programs and work with local schools, media platforms, and local businesses on how to promote healthy relationships with food, exercise, and body image. During my two years with Rock Recovery, I have volunteered as a Mentor, Community Relations & Development Specialist, and a Social Media Manager. As a full-time federal contractor and part-time graduate student (for most of my time with Rock Recovery), the last thing I needed was another time-intensive commitment. However, the rewards for my volunteer efforts have exceeded any/all sacrifices I have made in prioritizing my work with Rock Recovery.
My favorite part of working with Rock Recovery is facilitating events where we talk to kids. Disordered eating thoughts and behaviors have been found in children as young as five years old which is why our preventive education programs are so important. Having the chance to talk to impressionable, young children about their youthful impressions of food, exercise, and body image often also enables us to reach their caregivers. Parents and teachers don't necessarily always realize their own comments on food and exercise impact the children around them. Passing conversation on the newest diet or exercise trend or constant self-critique on one's own weight or physique often becomes ingrained and repeated by children. Having grown up surrounded by passing comments by adults around me, I became preoccupied at a very young age with my own body. By middle school, I was restricting. By high school, I was overexercising and incorporating other dangerous disordered eating behaviors into my lifestyle. While the adults around me certainly did not cause my eating disorder, their comments and own behaviors certainly contributed to my own negative relationship with food, exercise and body image at a young age.
My own experiences with an eating disorder has made it even more meaningful to me to not only volunteer within the eating disorder community and ensure that affordable and accessible treatment is available to those who need it, but to particularly engage with younger demographics and try to prevent disordered eating behaviors and promote healthy relationships with food, exercise, and body image from a young age.
Review from #MyGivingStory