Volunteer Highlight: Meet Maya!

Meet Maya Gilliam, EFN’s Mother Earth Farm’s first volunteer intern!

Maya cares deeply about being involved in the community where she lives, and this passion sparked a desire to serve at a nonprofit farm. First, Maya heard about Mother Earth Farm through friends who had previously served as volunteers and interns. Upon further exploration, Maya learned that 100% of the food grown at Mother Earth Farm goes to food pantries. The farm’s amazing, direct impact on her Pierce County neighbors solidified Maya’s decision to dedicate her time and energy to EFN every week.

This internship has taught Maya a lot! Thanks to Farm Managers Liam and Tara, she has learned how to seed, harvest, transplant, and wash vegetables in bulk. Her favorite learning experience has been fire weeding. In addition, Maya has increased her skills in community relations by interacting with the food pantry staff and volunteers that pick up their fresh produce.

Maya will graduate from University of Puget Sound in just a few weeks. She majors in Anthropology and Sociology, and her thesis focuses on food activism and food sovereignty.

While Maya’s time in Pierce County is coming to an end, volunteering served as a crucial connection to the community. She said, “I am thrilled to be working at the farm. It feels good so get outside and plant something. Food is the number one way people relate and come together. Pierce County’s efforts to make things better make me feel better about the world we live in especially with all of the challenges of the past year. Volunteer at Mother Earth Farm or some place in the community. The rewards are endless.”

Thank you for your dedication to Emergency Food Network, Maya!

Want to get involved at Mother Earth Farm, too? Click here for volunteer opportunities.