Journal Entry - Week 9

Internship Dates – 7/9, 7/10 & 7/13 (Total of 10 hours)

From time to time at the Community Food Bank, I have been privileged to meet some of the board members who preside over the organization. There are thirteen members on the board currently and all of them are very involved in their respective places of business, at the Community Food Bank, and in the community at large. This week provided me an opportunity to attend my first board meeting and I was able to meet many of those leaders whom I hadn’t previously been privileged to introduce myself to.

There were two major subjects of discussion at this week’s board meeting, Citrus County Blessings and the need for a new truck for the Food Bank. Citrus County Blessings provides food for students in public and private schools throughout the county that are struggling with food insecurity at home. They are the largest community agency that we assist. Some of the board members were unaware of the specifics of the organization, and Grace Hengesbach, the director, spoke to the board and explained the importance of what they do and our professional relationship. The second major area from the board meeting deals with one of our trucks breaking down repeatedly and the cost for repairs extending far beyond what was budgeted. As a result of these costs, the board is evaluating and weighing different options to move forward towards.

I truly enjoyed the opportunity to not only sit in on the board meeting, but also to discuss many of the different parts with my Executive Director, John Autry. A board of that size has many different viewpoints and opinions, and yet they all work together to further the mission of the Community Food Bank. I look forward to not only interacting with more of the board members throughout the next few weeks of the internship, but also seeing how these and other areas brought out in this board meeting are resolved.