The Food Bank Food Boss: An Inside Look at Lacey Baldiviez

Hello, I hope you are well and safe! Just to catch you up on what’s going on with me, I’ve been at my home in Los Angeles since COVID-19 started, and I have been adjusting (slowly but surely) to working from home with various preceptors. The current situation has sparked my reflection of my physical time with Cal Poly SLO. I have been reflecting a lot on my experiences and growth especially during this time as thinking about the future and all the unknowns have been at the forefront of my mind.

Thinking about the future, I also had to think about the past year. What have I learned during my time in Santa Barbara? What have I learned about myself, my values, my skills, and my passions? I realized that I would love to be in a position where I can help the community with nutrition education and/or food security or services. I am passionate about helping the community with preventative nutrition measures and food access. I am interested in a position as either a food director/wellness coordinator in schools’ districts or in community organizations.

These reflections led me to reconnect with my second preceptor of the internship, Lacey M Baldiviez, PhD., Director of Community Programs & Education of the Santa Barbara Food Bank. Lacey studied biology at the University of Redlands then went on to UC Davis to earn her PhD in Nutritional Biology in International and Community Nutrition. During her time at UC Davis and as a Post-doctoral Researcher for the USDA she published various publications with topics ranging from the association between lactase genotypes and ethnicity to an analysis of prenatal iron deficiency and high iron status and its association with adverse birth outcomes of two cohorts in Ghana and Malawi.

After her time in Davis then West Africa, she decided to return to her hometown on the Central Coast. Lacey grew up in Santa Maria and decided to return to take a pause from research to serve her community through nutrition education and food accessibility efforts. To do just that, she became the executive director of the Fairview Garden for Urban Agriculture in Goleta, CA. At the Fairview Garden, her mission was to promote the connection between community, education, and agriculture. The garden focuses on the positive impact on the food system of Santa Barbara, and education for adults and children emphasizing a positive connection with food, nature, and the community. Lacey is enthusiastic about helping the community understand where food comes from and how it affects our body!

Fast forward to last year - Lacey graciously agreed to host me earlier than scheduled because as we know, now more than ever, some things just don’t go according to plan. But even more important to know, everything does work out even if we don’t quite know how yet! My time spent with Lacey at the Food Bank was so remarkable and insightful. There I was able to discover my strengths and passion. My first week at the Food Bank I was thrown right into it! I was able to use my creativity and passion for cooking to create a demo to be presented on my second day! Before the demo day, we were running around the warehouse and copy store in town to make sure we had everything we needed to deliver an effective presentation. This experience taught me that I love the rush of being resourceful, creative, and making the most of what you have to connect and impact the community.

I had such a variety of experiences that taught me different skills. I used a sound recording booth where I learned how to make audio for videos or podcasts. I created an animated video (called FoodBoss, hence the title) highlighting 9 nutritional messages that would later reach the whole community. I taught various nutrition lessons to children, adults, and families. I created new and innovative nutrition curriculum that could be adapted for any age and audience. I coordinated with Food Bank Sites to better market healthier foods in such simple ways, which is known as the Nudge Program developed by Feeding America. I learned about how nonprofits operate and how grants are written. My favorite moments during my time at the Food Bank were when brainstorming ideas with Lacey as well as picking her brain. Lacey encouraged my ideas and questions. Working with the Food Bank and Lacey reminded me I had a voice and perspective that are important and valued.

Most notably Lacey and I spent hours discussing and brainstorming ideas to transform an event into something that would better serve the community with activities and learning opportunities for and held by the community. By brainstorming I mean we would bounce off different ideas with such enthusiasm and excitement while illustrating ideas on a huge white board. We brainstormed ideas to moderate a panel discussion for Nourish Santa Barbara County which “fosters equitable food literacy across Santa Barbara County through professional collaboration that creates consistent and collective messaging to motivate healthy food choices.” This discussion took place at the SBEES, Santa Barbara Edible Education Symposium, which was hands down my favorite event while interning! Here I was able to hang out with my fellow intern Lauren and meet so many like-minded individuals of the Santa Barbara County such as various RDs, farmers, chefs, teachers, and other community leaders. I also ate some amazing food (which I tried to recreate, pictured) prepared by the Santa Barbara Unified School District, learned how to grow microgreens from a student studying agriculture at UCSB, learned about food literacy in the SB country from Susan Liles the director of SB Public Health, and saw a performance by Jack Johnson as his wife was the guest of honor due to her gardening education efforts in Hawaii.

Another unforgettable event I attended was Empty Bowls, at which guests are able to enjoy various soups from local restaurants in a handcrafted bowl (that you get to keep!) while coming together with the community to share a meal and a cause. Attending these events, I was able to connect and feel a part of something bigger.

Lacey and the Food Bank held the space for me to be creative, connect with the community, and think big. I learned to brainstorm and market any piece of information successfully. I networked with various organizations and connected with different people from the community. After my time there, I did some freelance work completing the video I had started during my internship. Today, I am still connecting with the Food Bank partners and freelancing with them. As of right now, this is the path I want to take my career. A position where I can connect and serve the community while being free to use my creativity, big picture thinking, and vision.