May 2024
Elizabeth Witte
School of Nursing
Congratulations to our Star of the Month for May 2024, Elizabeth Witte from the School of Nursing! Through her participation in the Community Outreach Program, Elizabeth worked with Food For Life and our partners at Hampstead Hill Academy to support their culinary education programming for Baltimore youth. Read our interview below to learn more about her experience working with our community!
Can you share a little background about your experience in the Baltimore community through your work with SOURCE? What made you want to get involved and what work are you doing?
I work with an organization called Food for Life through Hempstead Hill Academy. Each week we engage Kindergarten through 8th-grade students in preparing various dishes. Having worked as a health coach in a primary care setting, I have observed that adopting healthy eating habits becomes more challenging as we age. For this reason, I’ve loved working with an organization that teaches kids how to cook from an early age. Cooking not only promotes community and nourishment but also fosters lifelong habits.
Can you share some more details about the program and what it entails?
The goal of this program is to encourage kids to make healthy food choices and equip them with practical cooking skills they can carry with them long after they complete the course. As a volunteer, I assist with preparation, cooking, and clean-up.
How does your community work complement what you’re learning in the classroom at the School of Nursing?
A core component of nursing is patient education. Through patient education, nurses encourage patients to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routines to prevent health complications. Working with kids is rewarding because they’re particularly excited to learn new skills.
What advice would you give to other students looking to engage in service-learning in Baltimore?
Becoming involved with Food or Life has helped me feel at home in Baltimore. I encourage other students to partner with an organization they are passionate about!
What is the most important experience you’ve had or thing you’ve learned?
One of the most important experiences I've had is watching the kids try certain foods for the first time. It's exciting to hear them express newfound love for a particular fruit or vegetable, sometimes asking a parent to buy it for them at home. This experience has reinforced the impact of early exposure to cooking.