A Day in the Life of a Dietetic Intern at the SLO Food Bank

Hello, world! This is Joyce, a University of Vermont alum and current dietetic intern at Cal Poly SLO. We are less than two months from the conclusion of the internship, which is wild! I’m going to tell you a little bit about my second community rotation where I spent four weeks with my preceptor, Melissa, at the SLO food bank. Melissa is the food bank’s nutrition program manager. I loved my four weeks at the food bank and will be returning there at the end of the internship for my staff relief rotation. Every day is exciting and different. My very second day at the food bank was action-packed.

Here’s a taste of what it’s like as a dietetic intern at the food bank!

6:15AM: My alarm rings, I hit snooze about 3 times, and eventually roll out of bed. Breakfast is the usual: two fried eggs, salsa, spinach, and cheese in two corn tortillas. I guzzle down a healthy dose of cold brew (black) and stroll out the door.

7:30AM: I arrive at the food bank. This morning, I’m going on a home delivery route with Chuck. The food bank has a small home delivery program for people with limited mobility. We deliver groceries to those on the program every Wednesday. I search for Chuck to the best of my ability. (We’ve actually never met and I’ve never seen a photo of him.) As I’m walking towards the loading docks, a red pickup truck parks nearby. A tall man wearing a GleanSLO baseball cap steps out and asks if I’m Joyce. We found each other! Chuck and I head into the warehouse to make sure that we have everything we need and load up the food bank’s pickup truck.

8AM: We hit the road! The radio’s on, the windows are down, the truck bed is filled with good food, and we’re chatting away. There are many stops, but Chuck’s a pro- he’s worked with the food bank for years. At each stop, Chuck parks the truck, we get together the bags of groceries, walk up to the door, chat with the recipient, ask them to sign their initials, and head back out. It’s a wonderfully positive experience. Most people are truly grateful and there is no shortage of smiles and laughs.

11:30AM: Chuck and I get back to the food bank. We unload the truck and part ways (for now). I head upstairs to tell Melissa all about my experience. Then, I work on my ECHO nutrition education project as I eat lunch. I’ll be tabling at ECHO next week and will provide samples along with tips for grocery shopping on a budget.

1PM: Melissa and I leave for a children’s farmers market in Paso Robles. It’s a bit of a drive, but I relish the opportunity to get to know Melissa better. She’s an incredible person and we have a lot in common. We talk about life, running (one of her passions), craft beer (a mutual passion), and more. We arrive in Paso with a mystery box and various produce as the nutrition activity. The concept is simple: hide an item in the closed box and ask the kids to guess what fruit or vegetable it is by feeling it. The kids can’t get enough!

3PM: We get back to the food bank. I work on some food safety flyers until it’s time to head home. Graphic design is a newly discovered interest of mine, so I jump at any chance to work on flyers or brochures. Making bold, eye-catching graphics with cohesive color schemes is oddly satisfying. Plus, the perfectionist in me loves making sure that every text box, border, and image lines up seamlessly.

4PM: I drive home with a big smile on my face.

4:15PM: I scarf down a slice of cold leftover pizza (quick afternoon snack) as I FaceTime a friend from home.

5:30PM: I hang out with my roommates; two of them are also interns in my program. We recap our separate days. Sara is completing her clinical rotation and Rachelle is at a community rotation as well. I unabashedly gush about how much I love the food bank and its staff.

7PM: I eat my real dinner, work on miscellaneous assignments, and get my life a tiny bit more organized. There are several different things to keep track of, so I try to stay ahead of various deadlines, like an upcoming literature review for our didactic class.

9PM: After showering, I watch some Netflix, look into future road trip possibilities, and organize some of my photos. It’s a nice way for me to unwind.

11PM: I turn my lights off, close my eyes, and drift into sleep’s warm embrace.

Every rotation is different, but a common theme is that I’ve learned so much from each of them by jumping in and doing the work. I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to work with Melissa and everyone else at the food bank. I’m grateful beyond words for all the experiences that I was encouraged to be a part of and truly felt like an integrated member of the team. There was nothing more satisfying than contributing to the positive impact that the food bank makes. Through my exposure to various disadvantaged populations, I’ve learned how rewarding working in this area of dietetics is. While I’m open to anything, I think I’d be happiest working in a similar community setting, helping those who need it the most. Thanks for reading!