In order to create a more productive and sustainable community of youth, we incorporate rigor, relevance, relationship, and 100% responsibility in all that we do.

Rigor

Hard work is a precious and sometimes painful gift to deliver. But it builds ownership, it lets us know that we are capable, that we are strong of mind, and that we are needed. At the end of every program day, we want our youth interns to be tired, dirty, and deeply satisfied.

Relevance

Our work is incredibly meaningful to our youth interns. That's what makes it relevant to them. Our interns realize that if they don't work then somebody will eat less or poorly because of them. People are counting on our youth. The community needs them. This realization is powerful to anybody, especially to a young person.

Relationship

Building community means building relationships. Through The Food Initiative, we gather youth and adults from diverse backgrounds to be together, to listen to each other, to work side by side, and to cultivate a culture that is based upon cooperation, mutual respect, and understanding. We're building friendships and relationships that will empower these young people for the rest of their lives.

100% Responsibility

In all of our programs, we position our youth to shoulder the greatest amount of responsibility. Our youth do the work. They learn to lead. They learn to set goals and to evaluate themselves. They learn to manage their time and their money. They learn to take full responsibility for the tasks assigned to them and to step into whatever is necessary to accomplish the larger goals set by themselves and their peers.

Responsibility also works on an emotional level. Our conversations and weekly evaluation sessions (called Straight Talk) invite our youth to become more self-aware about themselves, their feelings, and the ways in which they interact with one another. We create a safe space where our youth learn to take full responsibility for their words and actions. We celebrate victories and accomplishments and we also learn to share and approach our challenges in a way that's honest and productive.