reflections on the journey
9/13/14
The first steps for this project will definitely require me to "Inspire a Shared Vision". As a leader I believe that this is an area in which I need to focus my energies as it is an area of personal weakness. All of us have so much on our daily "to do" lists these days. Even with a worthy cause like ending food insecurity for our students, it may seem like just another thing to do. I will focus on "describing a compelling image of what our future could be like" so that I may inspire those around me.
This project will be a fairly large undertaking. Norco High School is the smallest comprehensive high school in the Corona Norco Unified School District, with only about 2,400 students. If we look at the facts about food insecurity we know that even at the smallest high school we are still looking at about 480 students that are hungry at Norco High School. During these first few weeks of capstone project development I will look to build a team to help with the food project. Fellow teachers, high school students, and community members will be approached to join the team and help end hunger!
10/17/14
I was able to meet with the FFA Officers this month and state my case for the food pantry. I appreciated the time that the officers provided me and as I talked to them some of the statistics became a reality to me. I spoke to the eleven students who represent a local organization of four hundred students...just the quick math, out of those eleven three students statistically face food insecurity. Knowing the officers, I know that those statistics are reality...three of our officers face food insecurity issues. I explained the project and the officers embraced the idea and agreed to speak about the project at the general membership meeting for the month of October. As a group we decided to go ahead and start the food collections early in November so that we would be able to provide meals for the upcoming fall and winter breaks. I am so thrilled that the officers have bought into the project! "Inspiring the Vision" wasn't a difficult task when the project will directly effect some of the officers and several of our members.
A few of my colleagues know that I am working on this capstone project and have started to tag me or send information about my topic to me. I'm delighted to say that as I'm working on "Ending Hunger" little bits of encouragement start to show up. The new video that I posted on the front page is an example of just that, encouragement. The powerful video was sent to my e-mail by a colleague. Isn't it amazing that items like that show up just at the right time? What a blessing!
Funding is an issue with almost everything, right? So, I went ahead and submitted a grant application for my capstone project this month as well. The Corona Norco Schools Education Foundation provides grants throughout the school district for a multitude of projects. So, I thought I'd give it a shot! Storage of food is going to be one of the largest obstacles for the capstone project. If the grant is awarded for the "End Hunger" project I will be able to purchase adequate cabinetry to store the food that is collected until it is distributed to the appropriate students. The grant notifications will be out by November 15th, so here is hoping that I have some positive news in my next journal entry!
11/17/14
Unfortunately the project was not awarded a grant from the Corona Norco Schools Education Foundation. While I am disappointed, I know that there are other sources of funding available. I am currently working with a colleague on another grant through the National FFA Organization called the "Food For All" grant. We've applied for $2,500 which will help to buy the storage cabinets and will also allow us to purchase laying hens and vegetable seeds for the school farm. We will be able to supplement the food pantry items with fresh eggs and produce from the farm. I hope that by letting the FFA Officers know that we didn't receive the grant they will gain an understanding that things don't always go the way we want them to or the way we plan them. We also want them to know that it okay and that we are going to try again. I want the students to see that just because one opportunity is taken off the table and there are always other opportunities. "Modeling the Way" is critically important when helping to mold young leaders. On a positive note this month we held our first collection event at the November FFA Chapter meeting, starting off with a peanut butter and jelly drive. FFA members brought in the P,B,&J to get an extra ticket entered in the door prize drawing. Items collected filled a small red wagon! During the month of December the FFA will be holding their annual holiday food drive, after the food is distributed to the families adopted for the holiday all the extra collection items will go to the food pantry. We will be doing our first distribution to students in need during the week of December 15th. Ag staff will also be available for students to come in the week of January 5th to pick up food if it is needed. There have been discussions about possibly setting up deliveries to homes if needed, but a final decision has not been made yet. Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to collect more information on the issue of food insecurity. At the National FFA Convention in Kentucky a topic through several of the keynote addresses was the issue of how agriculturalist across the world will be able to feed our population of over 9 billion people by 2020. I've also read an article circulating on social media that it is not an issue of food availability as it is more of an issue of accessibility. I definitely have more research to do before the presentation in June, but I've found the articles I've come across thought provoking and motivating.
12/29/14
Wow...what an exciting month this has been! The members of the FFA Chapter collected/donated a record amount of food for the Annual Food Drive and the newly opened FFA Food Pantry. I sent an e-mail out to the staff requesting names of students who would benefit from visiting the food bank before the winter break. Responses from the e-mail were not what I expected! The Norco High food bank received additional donations of food and grocery store gift cards. Staff members were so excited about the food pantry that many wanted to know how they could help. The e-mail proved to be a valuable tool to getting the word out about the Food Pantry and it's availability to students and NHS families that are struggling. As a teacher who connects with students I know that there are families that are facing food insecurity. That has led me to another obstacle with the Food Pantry project...pride. The issue of pride will be one of the biggest obstacles faced with the Food Pantry, families are ashamed of having to use services like the Food Pantry. Many see it as a sign of weakness and the inability to provide for the family brings great shame. Most families would rather go without than to ask for help. At this point in the project I am a bit stuck...I need to think outside the box and think about this from the perspective of struggling students. Thinking about the five leadership practices I've come to the point of having to "Challenge the Process"...definitely not my area of strength when it comes to projects I am working on. When one looks to "Challenge the Process" it is to improve a process, find a unique and better way of doing something, to "think outside the box" so to speak. To overcome the obstacle we have allowed students to come in at off hours, and taken food to homes after regular school hours. While I am disappointed with the amount of students that have NOT used the Food Pantry it is my hope that by spring break and looking forward to the summer break we will have the number of students served up. Statistically speaking there are over 350 students at Norco High School that are facing food insecurity...my goal is to be serving at least fifty percent of those students by the summer break.
1/20/15
YAY! YAY! YAY! We have been awarded a Food For All Grant from the National FFA Organization! I couldn't be more excited! The grant was funded at $2,495.33. With the additional funding we will be able to expand the project to include fresh eggs, farm raised meats, and seasonal vegetables! A portion of the money will also allow us to purchase appropriate cabinetry to keep our food safe from rodents.
This week has also seen an increase in the use of the Food Pantry. We have supplied breakfast and lunch for a few students here and there that needed just a meal or two. An administrator has requested a food basket delivery for a family of 5 for the weekend. I feel like some progress is finally being made and the project is starting to grow into it's intended purpose. I know that it will take time to grow the project into my vision, but I tend to be a bit on the impatient side. It is going to be key to raise awareness and get the word out to students. Of critical importance is to break the stigma
So, now the fun begins! We will be purchasing vegetable seeds, blueberry plants, a few butcher pigs, and 100 pullets in the coming months. I am so excited to see what the spring will bring. FFA members will be busy planting seeds, working animals, and collecting eggs. All of this with a heart of service and the intent to help others. What a blessing! "Encourage the Heart" takes on a special meaning for me in the spring. We have more students working on the farm, hanging out to finish projects, and spending time with the animals. As a leader it can be easy to get discouraged when things don't work out exactly as planned. I know that a simple trip down to the farm to work with the students for an hour or so does a lot to "Encourage the Heart." This month I am reflecting on how truly blessed I am...in so many different aspects of my life.
2/11/15
Pride is going to be the biggest obstacle that this project will have to overcome. In the mean time we have decided that extra food and/or food that is going to go out of date will be donated to the local rescue mission. There are several staff members and community members that are excited about the project and have been supporting it with the donation of food and funds. I just hope that students will start to take advantage of this resource that is available to them. The FFA members will start an awareness campaign to increase exposure of the project to students campus wide. I'm hopeful that increased awareness will increase use of the food pantry.
3/19/15
Another canned food drive has added to our pantry. Norco is such a wonderful community! We did not meet our goal of one ton of food, but quite honestly every little bit helps. Students were able to rotate some of the stock in the food pantry and we will take some more food over to the Rescue Mission so that it will be used. Planting is in full swing on the farm and we are getting into the busy time of year for the Agriculture Department. I've been reflecting on the five leadership practices lately, especially as I find myself overbooked and tired. I need to make sure that I am allowing others to help me on this project more "Enabling Others" (along with other projects) and praising or "Encouraging the Heart" for those who have helped me. I know that I am doing a better job of encouraging others because the boxes of thank you cards that I bought for the year have already been used up!
4/1/15
Well, it's getting down to the end of the program. It's hard to believe that we are coming up on the end of our two years...it has gone by so quickly. I feel like the food pantry is just starting to take care of itself. Staff are aware of the program and wholeheartedly support the program, for which I am very grateful. The usage of the food pantry is definitely not where I would like to see it be, so I have been brainstorming to come up with some new ideas on how to get the food pantry used more. I have reached out to the security staff on campus to identify students in need and to also supply food from the pantry as needed. Since my department is so far removed from the main campus I do believe that accessibility is a key factor in the usage issue.
In reading the rubric (again) I have found that I am not specifically addressing the five leadership practices. Over the course of the project I do believe that I have been able to "Inspire a Shared Vision" with this project. The buy in and support from all levels of staff at the school has been overwhelming...gift cards, food items, and sanitary products are just a few of the items that have been brought in. ASB encouraged and helped with "Ton of Love" food drive during Open House to specifically benefit the food pantry before we went on Spring Break. With this support "Encourage the Heart" and "Enable Others to Act" have definitely been present. Reflecting on the process I believe I need to live in "Challenge the Process" right now. There have been set backs, which is to be expected...I think I need to think more "out of the box." I know that there is a need for the food pantry...in my heart I believe that every school should have a food pantry...even if it is a small one. The fact is that we have students at our schools that are hungry and cannot focus on learning. If it takes a few dollars to create a food pantry why wouldn't we? The return on investment would be monumental! So, I will push on...
4/2/15
We received our LPI reports back last night. What interesting feedback is provided from that survey and document. In many ways I am surprised by the results and in some ways I am not. I really feel like the focus of the TLCA work on the five practices has allowed me to change and develop as a leader. I wasn't quite sure that it would be reflected in the survey results, but it was. I was able to show growth in ALL areas of the LPI, it was encouraging and helped me to value the process of TLCA much more than I already did. With all of that said, I still take some things too personally and critically. There is one comment from a management person that said "I would like to see Robin work on her relationship building." Wow, that one stung a little bit. During the TLCA process I've become much more self aware and made a concerted effort to improve relationships with those around me. In fact it's been a kind of standing joke in our department when things get a little tense during a meeting that I am not encouraging their hearts. Even as that may be said in a lighthearted manner during a meeting to diffuse some tension I take it to heart. This school year has been particularly challenging for me with new leadership at several levels and my decision to take on a new leadership position at the state level for the Agriculture Teacher's Association. Relationships take time, dedication, and trust...as I move through that process with many new people I need to reflect. Have I been giving equally of all of those traits to all of the people that I need to build relationships with? I know that in some instances there are personal biases that make it more difficult for me to build relationships, I am dedicated to working through those biases, but the comment on the LPI report made it all to clear to me that there is still work to be done. My reflection to date has led me to believe that the five practices do work...I just need to put more focus on my areas of weakness and allow others to help me improve myself. It kind of blows my mind that all of this is coming out of active reflection of my capstone project.
5/13/15
I'm sitting in my quiet classroom writing my last journal entry. It still boggles my mind how quickly two years has gone by and how much I've grown from this experience. The five practices of leadership are REAL and they WORK. I have witnessed first hand the outcomes of honoring the practices. I still have a long way to go and I now know that I can be continually improving and learning. One of several key take-aways for me was the reading. I thought that with my busy schedule I never had time to read...this course has taught me that there is time to read and it remains one of the most critical paths to self improvement and reflection. Over the two year period of TLCA I have read more than six books and that's in a schedule that seems to be more impacted every year. I am grateful that I've learned that lesson early enough in my career to have a positive impact on myself and others.
Reflecting on the food bank, I've learned that we can always take a project or a purpose and make it bigger and better. The FFA Officers have always hosted a winter food drive and have hosted several spring food drives when ASB needed help replenishing the Settlement House. We focused on a task for one week, maybe two weeks out of the year. We never addressed an issue or spoke out about a cause. Our food pantry has blossomed into a year round project! Our focus has moved away from collecting food for a one time community service project to using our school farm to help raise awareness of food insecurity and do something to correct it. Food insecurity is an issue that is talked about now, it's even something that several organizations are working to combat. The National FFA Organization has stepped up as well and has set a goal of 2.5 million meals to be donated by October of this year. Norco FFA will now be counted and help the National FFA to meet this goal. Hunger isn't just a problem around the holidays, it's a problem everyday. The FFA Officers, Norco FFA, and the Norco High School community will now be doing their part to help end food insecurity in our school and local community. This project will continue and only get better!
I am a better person now than when I started this process. I have the tools to continue on my journey of self improvement and to help others as well. The five practices of leadership have had a significant impact on my life. Model the Way, Inspire A Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart...on an going experience.
The first steps for this project will definitely require me to "Inspire a Shared Vision". As a leader I believe that this is an area in which I need to focus my energies as it is an area of personal weakness. All of us have so much on our daily "to do" lists these days. Even with a worthy cause like ending food insecurity for our students, it may seem like just another thing to do. I will focus on "describing a compelling image of what our future could be like" so that I may inspire those around me.
This project will be a fairly large undertaking. Norco High School is the smallest comprehensive high school in the Corona Norco Unified School District, with only about 2,400 students. If we look at the facts about food insecurity we know that even at the smallest high school we are still looking at about 480 students that are hungry at Norco High School. During these first few weeks of capstone project development I will look to build a team to help with the food project. Fellow teachers, high school students, and community members will be approached to join the team and help end hunger!
10/17/14
I was able to meet with the FFA Officers this month and state my case for the food pantry. I appreciated the time that the officers provided me and as I talked to them some of the statistics became a reality to me. I spoke to the eleven students who represent a local organization of four hundred students...just the quick math, out of those eleven three students statistically face food insecurity. Knowing the officers, I know that those statistics are reality...three of our officers face food insecurity issues. I explained the project and the officers embraced the idea and agreed to speak about the project at the general membership meeting for the month of October. As a group we decided to go ahead and start the food collections early in November so that we would be able to provide meals for the upcoming fall and winter breaks. I am so thrilled that the officers have bought into the project! "Inspiring the Vision" wasn't a difficult task when the project will directly effect some of the officers and several of our members.
A few of my colleagues know that I am working on this capstone project and have started to tag me or send information about my topic to me. I'm delighted to say that as I'm working on "Ending Hunger" little bits of encouragement start to show up. The new video that I posted on the front page is an example of just that, encouragement. The powerful video was sent to my e-mail by a colleague. Isn't it amazing that items like that show up just at the right time? What a blessing!
Funding is an issue with almost everything, right? So, I went ahead and submitted a grant application for my capstone project this month as well. The Corona Norco Schools Education Foundation provides grants throughout the school district for a multitude of projects. So, I thought I'd give it a shot! Storage of food is going to be one of the largest obstacles for the capstone project. If the grant is awarded for the "End Hunger" project I will be able to purchase adequate cabinetry to store the food that is collected until it is distributed to the appropriate students. The grant notifications will be out by November 15th, so here is hoping that I have some positive news in my next journal entry!
11/17/14
Unfortunately the project was not awarded a grant from the Corona Norco Schools Education Foundation. While I am disappointed, I know that there are other sources of funding available. I am currently working with a colleague on another grant through the National FFA Organization called the "Food For All" grant. We've applied for $2,500 which will help to buy the storage cabinets and will also allow us to purchase laying hens and vegetable seeds for the school farm. We will be able to supplement the food pantry items with fresh eggs and produce from the farm. I hope that by letting the FFA Officers know that we didn't receive the grant they will gain an understanding that things don't always go the way we want them to or the way we plan them. We also want them to know that it okay and that we are going to try again. I want the students to see that just because one opportunity is taken off the table and there are always other opportunities. "Modeling the Way" is critically important when helping to mold young leaders. On a positive note this month we held our first collection event at the November FFA Chapter meeting, starting off with a peanut butter and jelly drive. FFA members brought in the P,B,&J to get an extra ticket entered in the door prize drawing. Items collected filled a small red wagon! During the month of December the FFA will be holding their annual holiday food drive, after the food is distributed to the families adopted for the holiday all the extra collection items will go to the food pantry. We will be doing our first distribution to students in need during the week of December 15th. Ag staff will also be available for students to come in the week of January 5th to pick up food if it is needed. There have been discussions about possibly setting up deliveries to homes if needed, but a final decision has not been made yet. Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to collect more information on the issue of food insecurity. At the National FFA Convention in Kentucky a topic through several of the keynote addresses was the issue of how agriculturalist across the world will be able to feed our population of over 9 billion people by 2020. I've also read an article circulating on social media that it is not an issue of food availability as it is more of an issue of accessibility. I definitely have more research to do before the presentation in June, but I've found the articles I've come across thought provoking and motivating.
12/29/14
Wow...what an exciting month this has been! The members of the FFA Chapter collected/donated a record amount of food for the Annual Food Drive and the newly opened FFA Food Pantry. I sent an e-mail out to the staff requesting names of students who would benefit from visiting the food bank before the winter break. Responses from the e-mail were not what I expected! The Norco High food bank received additional donations of food and grocery store gift cards. Staff members were so excited about the food pantry that many wanted to know how they could help. The e-mail proved to be a valuable tool to getting the word out about the Food Pantry and it's availability to students and NHS families that are struggling. As a teacher who connects with students I know that there are families that are facing food insecurity. That has led me to another obstacle with the Food Pantry project...pride. The issue of pride will be one of the biggest obstacles faced with the Food Pantry, families are ashamed of having to use services like the Food Pantry. Many see it as a sign of weakness and the inability to provide for the family brings great shame. Most families would rather go without than to ask for help. At this point in the project I am a bit stuck...I need to think outside the box and think about this from the perspective of struggling students. Thinking about the five leadership practices I've come to the point of having to "Challenge the Process"...definitely not my area of strength when it comes to projects I am working on. When one looks to "Challenge the Process" it is to improve a process, find a unique and better way of doing something, to "think outside the box" so to speak. To overcome the obstacle we have allowed students to come in at off hours, and taken food to homes after regular school hours. While I am disappointed with the amount of students that have NOT used the Food Pantry it is my hope that by spring break and looking forward to the summer break we will have the number of students served up. Statistically speaking there are over 350 students at Norco High School that are facing food insecurity...my goal is to be serving at least fifty percent of those students by the summer break.
1/20/15
YAY! YAY! YAY! We have been awarded a Food For All Grant from the National FFA Organization! I couldn't be more excited! The grant was funded at $2,495.33. With the additional funding we will be able to expand the project to include fresh eggs, farm raised meats, and seasonal vegetables! A portion of the money will also allow us to purchase appropriate cabinetry to keep our food safe from rodents.
This week has also seen an increase in the use of the Food Pantry. We have supplied breakfast and lunch for a few students here and there that needed just a meal or two. An administrator has requested a food basket delivery for a family of 5 for the weekend. I feel like some progress is finally being made and the project is starting to grow into it's intended purpose. I know that it will take time to grow the project into my vision, but I tend to be a bit on the impatient side. It is going to be key to raise awareness and get the word out to students. Of critical importance is to break the stigma
So, now the fun begins! We will be purchasing vegetable seeds, blueberry plants, a few butcher pigs, and 100 pullets in the coming months. I am so excited to see what the spring will bring. FFA members will be busy planting seeds, working animals, and collecting eggs. All of this with a heart of service and the intent to help others. What a blessing! "Encourage the Heart" takes on a special meaning for me in the spring. We have more students working on the farm, hanging out to finish projects, and spending time with the animals. As a leader it can be easy to get discouraged when things don't work out exactly as planned. I know that a simple trip down to the farm to work with the students for an hour or so does a lot to "Encourage the Heart." This month I am reflecting on how truly blessed I am...in so many different aspects of my life.
2/11/15
Pride is going to be the biggest obstacle that this project will have to overcome. In the mean time we have decided that extra food and/or food that is going to go out of date will be donated to the local rescue mission. There are several staff members and community members that are excited about the project and have been supporting it with the donation of food and funds. I just hope that students will start to take advantage of this resource that is available to them. The FFA members will start an awareness campaign to increase exposure of the project to students campus wide. I'm hopeful that increased awareness will increase use of the food pantry.
3/19/15
Another canned food drive has added to our pantry. Norco is such a wonderful community! We did not meet our goal of one ton of food, but quite honestly every little bit helps. Students were able to rotate some of the stock in the food pantry and we will take some more food over to the Rescue Mission so that it will be used. Planting is in full swing on the farm and we are getting into the busy time of year for the Agriculture Department. I've been reflecting on the five leadership practices lately, especially as I find myself overbooked and tired. I need to make sure that I am allowing others to help me on this project more "Enabling Others" (along with other projects) and praising or "Encouraging the Heart" for those who have helped me. I know that I am doing a better job of encouraging others because the boxes of thank you cards that I bought for the year have already been used up!
4/1/15
Well, it's getting down to the end of the program. It's hard to believe that we are coming up on the end of our two years...it has gone by so quickly. I feel like the food pantry is just starting to take care of itself. Staff are aware of the program and wholeheartedly support the program, for which I am very grateful. The usage of the food pantry is definitely not where I would like to see it be, so I have been brainstorming to come up with some new ideas on how to get the food pantry used more. I have reached out to the security staff on campus to identify students in need and to also supply food from the pantry as needed. Since my department is so far removed from the main campus I do believe that accessibility is a key factor in the usage issue.
In reading the rubric (again) I have found that I am not specifically addressing the five leadership practices. Over the course of the project I do believe that I have been able to "Inspire a Shared Vision" with this project. The buy in and support from all levels of staff at the school has been overwhelming...gift cards, food items, and sanitary products are just a few of the items that have been brought in. ASB encouraged and helped with "Ton of Love" food drive during Open House to specifically benefit the food pantry before we went on Spring Break. With this support "Encourage the Heart" and "Enable Others to Act" have definitely been present. Reflecting on the process I believe I need to live in "Challenge the Process" right now. There have been set backs, which is to be expected...I think I need to think more "out of the box." I know that there is a need for the food pantry...in my heart I believe that every school should have a food pantry...even if it is a small one. The fact is that we have students at our schools that are hungry and cannot focus on learning. If it takes a few dollars to create a food pantry why wouldn't we? The return on investment would be monumental! So, I will push on...
4/2/15
We received our LPI reports back last night. What interesting feedback is provided from that survey and document. In many ways I am surprised by the results and in some ways I am not. I really feel like the focus of the TLCA work on the five practices has allowed me to change and develop as a leader. I wasn't quite sure that it would be reflected in the survey results, but it was. I was able to show growth in ALL areas of the LPI, it was encouraging and helped me to value the process of TLCA much more than I already did. With all of that said, I still take some things too personally and critically. There is one comment from a management person that said "I would like to see Robin work on her relationship building." Wow, that one stung a little bit. During the TLCA process I've become much more self aware and made a concerted effort to improve relationships with those around me. In fact it's been a kind of standing joke in our department when things get a little tense during a meeting that I am not encouraging their hearts. Even as that may be said in a lighthearted manner during a meeting to diffuse some tension I take it to heart. This school year has been particularly challenging for me with new leadership at several levels and my decision to take on a new leadership position at the state level for the Agriculture Teacher's Association. Relationships take time, dedication, and trust...as I move through that process with many new people I need to reflect. Have I been giving equally of all of those traits to all of the people that I need to build relationships with? I know that in some instances there are personal biases that make it more difficult for me to build relationships, I am dedicated to working through those biases, but the comment on the LPI report made it all to clear to me that there is still work to be done. My reflection to date has led me to believe that the five practices do work...I just need to put more focus on my areas of weakness and allow others to help me improve myself. It kind of blows my mind that all of this is coming out of active reflection of my capstone project.
5/13/15
I'm sitting in my quiet classroom writing my last journal entry. It still boggles my mind how quickly two years has gone by and how much I've grown from this experience. The five practices of leadership are REAL and they WORK. I have witnessed first hand the outcomes of honoring the practices. I still have a long way to go and I now know that I can be continually improving and learning. One of several key take-aways for me was the reading. I thought that with my busy schedule I never had time to read...this course has taught me that there is time to read and it remains one of the most critical paths to self improvement and reflection. Over the two year period of TLCA I have read more than six books and that's in a schedule that seems to be more impacted every year. I am grateful that I've learned that lesson early enough in my career to have a positive impact on myself and others.
Reflecting on the food bank, I've learned that we can always take a project or a purpose and make it bigger and better. The FFA Officers have always hosted a winter food drive and have hosted several spring food drives when ASB needed help replenishing the Settlement House. We focused on a task for one week, maybe two weeks out of the year. We never addressed an issue or spoke out about a cause. Our food pantry has blossomed into a year round project! Our focus has moved away from collecting food for a one time community service project to using our school farm to help raise awareness of food insecurity and do something to correct it. Food insecurity is an issue that is talked about now, it's even something that several organizations are working to combat. The National FFA Organization has stepped up as well and has set a goal of 2.5 million meals to be donated by October of this year. Norco FFA will now be counted and help the National FFA to meet this goal. Hunger isn't just a problem around the holidays, it's a problem everyday. The FFA Officers, Norco FFA, and the Norco High School community will now be doing their part to help end food insecurity in our school and local community. This project will continue and only get better!
I am a better person now than when I started this process. I have the tools to continue on my journey of self improvement and to help others as well. The five practices of leadership have had a significant impact on my life. Model the Way, Inspire A Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart...on an going experience.