To paraphrase Cicero, “everything starts out small, it’s how we build from the ground up that matters.” This summer I had the opportunity to gain a variety of foundational experiences while participating in Legislator Josh Lafazan’s Government Internship Program. I got my hands dirty by digging, raking and hoeing beds, hand weeding, watering, and packaging crops such as corn, kale, parsley, and artichokes at Healthy Harvest Farm in Brentwood. I worked at Island Harvest, a leading hunger-relief organization, where I sorted and carried potatoes and Brussels sprouts and learned how produce is distributed to food pantries to support communities. Their work directly supports children, families, seniors, and veterans in times of crisis and supports a network of community-based nonprofit organizations. I did a compost build at Queens Botanical Gardens and shoveled pounds of Queens-generated food scraps into compost bins. What I shoveled smelled like garbage, raw sewage, and sweaty socks. It was so gross I had to throw my shoes out. I drudged through the sand at the Long Beach, Crab Meadow in Fort Salonga, Centre Beach Island collecting litter from accumulating on our shorelines to better the environment and protect wildlife in the areas.

On the surface, community service greatly benefits people in need and the community but it also impacts its volunteers. This opportunity gave me insight into the local resources available to solve community needs and I realized I could impact hunger, homelessness, and poverty through action. While learning what is necessary for the health, welfare, and protection of challenged groups I realized it is important to remember “that everything has to start from somewhere.”