Hello there! I’m so excited to have the opportunity to write for the Presbyterian Hunger Program and I hope that you will enjoy reading what I have to say. Let me tell you a little about myself so you understand where I am coming from in my future blog posts.
I am Taylor McLean and I am currently serving as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) in Boston through the Presbyterian Mission Agency. My year is focused on food justice, so most of what you will see from me will be about food. I love food, I love to eat, and I love to cook (although I may not be the best). I have been a vegetarian for nearly 9 years which has shaped my view on the ethics of food. This year I will be expanding my ethical understanding of food by participating in two eating challenges. From September to January 31st my roommates and I will only be eating local foods from New England and New York. This means every ingredient that we eat will be from our area. A good example of this is that the bread that we bake ourselves will be made with local flour from Four Star Farms. So far we are off to a good start and our canning and freezing is almost finished. Our second eating challenge will run from February 1st to the end of July where we will be using food stamps or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
My first month as a YAV has taught me to look closer at where my food comes from. It’s important to remember that people’s careers and lives depend on our buying habits. I’m excited to look more closely at these issues and to discuss them through this blog throughout the year.