Tag: OSU

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Get To Know Our Staff!

Name: Anne

Pronouns: she/her/hers

HSRC Job Title: SNAP Outreach Liaison

Major/minor: I’m majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Spanish, and a certificate in Food and Culture in Social Justice.

Career Aspirations: There are so many things! Eventually I’d like to pursue a Masters and PhD, and hopefully end up teaching in higher-ed. I’ve always loved teaching and education, and in the meantime, would also love to pursue my passions for food justice and local sustainability through grassroots and non-profit work, in whatever form that might take.

Why did you want to work at the HSRC?: I really wanted to find a place where I could make a real, tangible difference in the world, and try to make it better. The HSRC’s values of abundance and focus on putting students first really stood out to me; the way that students take ownership of the programs and events at the HSRC is really amazing. I love being able to come to a work space and be surrounded by individuals who are committed to pushing back against poverty, racism, sexism, capitalism, and other injustices that are so prevalent in our society.

What will you be working on? I will be working on developing the SNAP Ambassador program, which will aim to get students talking to each other about SNAP benefits, tearing down the stigma surrounding government assistance and educating their peers on what the college student experience might look like for under-resourced students. In addition to that, I will be doing outreach to students we believe might be eligible for SNAP benefits as reported by our Food Assistance Application.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to read! It’s one of my favorite past-times- when I was in grade school I actually got in trouble for trying to sneakily read under my desk while the teacher was talking. I find myself incredibly busy during the school year, and often unable to do this, but when I have time, I really love cooking more elaborate and complex meals. There’s something really meditative to me about the process of putting together a meal. Even better is when I get to share what I’ve made with others!

What’s your favorite yummy and cheap meal that you like to make?: Fried rice! I almost always have the essentials (in my opinion): eggs, rice, and soy sauce.  After that, if I have any veggies I’ll chop those up and throw ’em in! This is especially good for the veg on its last leg, like when the carrots get a little less crunchy and more bendy, or the bell peppers start to wrinkle. You can make a  bunch in one go if your pan’s big enough, and then have lunch prepped for the whole week. I’ll add different sauces like Sriracha, sweet and sour, General Tso’s, or teriyaki to mix it up throughout the week and keep from getting bored of eating the same thing. If I want a little extra protein, I’ll fry up an egg over medium to put on top, or mix in some cubed tofu.

Do you have any tips for students on how to save money? I love coffee, and especially during the most stressful, busy times of the term, find myself wanting multiple cups per day, but not able to go home to make them. Even if you just get drip coffee, 3 of those in a day equals like $6, which adds up if you do that multiple days in a row! I’ll take a reusable mug and bring in some powdered instant coffee (I think the Trader Joe’s brand is way tastier than Nescafe, though of course straight from the bean is best!) Cafe’s around campus will fill up your mug with hot water, then you can add in your own instant coffee, and add milk and sugar as you like it!

What are you favorite things to do in Corvallis? I love dancing, so almost every week while school is in you can find me doing West Coast Swing at the Women’s Building Wednesday nights.  The monthly event Rainbow in the Clouds (21 over, sorry 😉 ) is also one of my favorite things in Corvallis.

Where is your favorite spot to relax on campus? I love setting up a hammock between two shady trees when the weather is nice. In the winter the MU common space is always a favorite. It has a really cozy atmosphere, especially when they have the fires going!

Which building on campus would you haunt and why if you were a ghost? I’d like to haunt LINC. People expect the older buildings on campus to be haunted, like Waldo, or the Women’s Building, but no one would see it coming from a new one! That building already has occasional tech problems; I’d be happy to contribute to those as a ghost!

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Get To Know Our Staff: Salena

Website, Social Media, and Marketing Organizer

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Major/minor: B.A. Sociology w/ Crime & Justice option

Career Aspirations: My ultimate goal is to be an attorney for youth and/or pave the way for major reform within the Justice System, but I think I would be happy in any position where I am able to help and be a viable resource for those seeking assistance.  

Why did you want to work at the HSRC? I wanted to work at the HSRC because of the amazing work that is being done here to help ease the stress of financial barriers that keep students and community members from reaching their full potential. Because I have been on the receiving end of similar services, it is truly rewarding to be able to provide the same assistance and resources to others.

What will you be working on? Over the summer, I have been working on maintaining the Textbook Lending Program. During the academic year, my role is keeping our all of our social media platforms and website up to date with current information, creating fliers and posters for events,  and posting regularly to keep everyone informed about the happenings and events within the HSRC.

What do you like to do in your free time? I am an adventurer at heart. In my free time, I really enjoy taking long drives through the mountains and finding neat places to explore and hike. My absolute favorite place to explore is anywhere along the Oregon coast. When I’m not out and about exploring, I enjoy cuddling up with my pups, Mochi and Buster, and sneaking naps in whenever possible.

What’s your favorite yummy and cheap meal that you like to make? My favorite meal when food and money are low would have to be a hearty pot of soup with whatever I can find in my cupboards! I use whatever meat I have, any kind of canned beans, broth/bullion (or cans of soup), any pasta (usually broken into small pieces), potatoes, and any canned (or fresh!) veggies I have on hand. With a little bit of seasoning, it tastes great regardless of the ingredients! This soup usually makes a huge portion that I’m able to eat daily for a week or freeze and easily eat at another time.

Do you have any tips for students on how to save money? Some of the things I do are: *ALWAYS* comparing prices when shopping. This is a huge one because oftentimes generic items are cheaper, but there are times when the name brands go on sale for even less than the generic. Always get the free membership cards at stores you shop at to save more money. For example, I don’t regularly shop at Safeway, but when I do, I use my club card so that I can earn points for $ off at the Safeway gas station. Students can also save a ton of money by utilizing the Textbook Lending Program, where they can check out their textbooks for FREE for the entire term.

What are you favorite things to do in Corvallis? Corvallis is the perfect place to get outside and connect with nature. I really enjoy exploring McDonald-Dunn forest and all of the great natural areas and parks in the area. There are so many hidden gems and great places to wander.

If you had one wish or chance to use a magic wand, what would you do? If I had a chance to use a magic wand, I definitely would turn myself magical! I’d love to use magic to explore the universe and to help humankind love one another.

What is your favorite movie/band/artist/book/TV show (choose one) and why? My favorite TV show would have to be Game of Thrones or That 70’s Show… They’re completely different ends of the spectrum but they’re great in their own ways. GOT is really nice when I feel like I want to watch something really intense and sort of confusing to keep myself on the edge of my seat, but T70S is just hilarious and I always have a good time watching it.

 

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Gettin’ to know the Garden

by Anne Snell

Did you know the HSRC has a garden? That’s right! Just to the East of the building are 7 rows of soil,  and two raised beds. (Or, if you’re directionally challenged like me, the side with the 30-minute parking spots.) There is also a mini orchard which includes dwarf-sized fruit trees like fig, apple, pear, and persimmon. The garden began in the 2016-2017 school year as part of the Growing Food Security Initiative between the HSRC and the Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI).

Two of the garden beds, growing baby kale and pepper plants

If it doesn’t look like much now, it’s because this will actually be the garden’s first year producing a full season of crops!  It takes time for well-producing gardens to form. The Organic Growers Club grew the starts from seed to help us save money. This also helps make sure we get the varieties people want to eat.  The soil conditions are constantly improving, so in a few years, they will be even more nutrient rich than they are now. More nutrients in the soil means more produce!

Colorful Swiss Chard is almost ready to harvest!

This year the garden, which is mostly managed by the SSI, is growing vegetables like Swiss chard, tomatoes, kale, tomatillos, bell peppers, carrots, beets, squash, and garlic. Everything grown in the garden is harvested directly for the HSRC’s Shopping Style Food Pantry nights or Fresh Food Friday. Production is slow right now, but come summer, and into the fall, we will have vegetables galore!

The apples aren’t quite ripe yet, but they will be soon!

 

 

The HSRC Community  Garden isn’t just for  providing fresh produce to the food pantry. It is also a learning environment, where students can get their hands dirty and help grow the food harvested from the garden. In the future we hope students can engaged in the process of growing food, both so they can give back to their community, but also so they can learn the skills required to grow your own food for themselves. The community garden we have is small, and still very young, but growin’ strong!