Beginning With Connection

As the Community Health and Nutrition Manager for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, my greatest teachers have been the neighbors in our community. I’ve learned that people -especially those facing food insecurity – don’t want to be told how to restrict themselves further.

When I step into a classroom, I don’t explain the rules; we start with joy. Typically, I ask people to share a cherished food memory or a favorite dish. Their faces light up as they talk about cultural recipes, their grandmothers, and shared family moments. This is a dramatic shift from when I began nine years ago. Back then, the focus was on giving information and advice; now, I simply facilitate conversations and hold a non-judgmental space for sharing experiences.

A Foundation of Compassion

My interview process with Second Harvest coincided with my 200-hour teacher training at the Joy of Yoga school. As a beginner to my own practice, this was a period of intense self-discovery. It allowed me to be present at those interviews with confidence and authenticity, trusting that my passion for helping others and my firm belief in the body’s natural abilities were my most meaningful contributions.

From those early stages, my yoga practice has been fundamental to everything that followed. It has taught me to move away from traditional, restrictive nutrition advice and approach every interaction with neighbors with compassion and a listening ear. It’s about providing a safe space for each person to explore their own experiences and trust their bodies to craft their own unique wellness plan.

Redefining Nutrition for Vulnerable Communities

Our nutrition department is dedicated to supporting Second Harvest’s mission of ending hunger in our community. We work with diverse populations – from farmworkers and youth transitioning from the foster system, to seniors, young mothers surviving domestic violence, and neighbors living on the streets in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

We recognized that simply sharing nutrition advice was insufficient to address the profound needs in our community. In response, we redesigned our approach, creating a framework with three core pillars: culture-centered, trauma-informed, and integrative-focused.

Through my yoga background, I’ve incorporated mindfulness into our classes. This can be as simple as beginning with breathing techniques or dedicating a session to gentle movement to build awareness around stress levels and listening to the body. We also host unique classes that involve journaling for health, intuitive cooking, and discussions on food and culture.

These enriching conversations have inspired me to explore my creative writing side! I’ve created an online cookbook filled with stories and recipes, and documented our incredible work with the farmworkers of Half Moon Bay.

Trusting the Process

My yoga journey at Breathe Together and my career at Second Harvest have grown hand-in-hand. What I learn on the mat, I bring to my classes. The encouragement to be creative has fueled me to: develop new workshops, write blog posts and ebooks, lead the internal Yoga and Wellness Affinity Group, and hone my food photography skills for our recipe library.

Most importantly, I’ve learned to trust the process. I’ve witnessed that showing up with intention and compassion for others naturally translates into a purpose-driven career and an exciting personal adventure.