Bonner Brothers-Episode 3 Transcript

Luis 0:05

Hello guys, welcome to the Bonner podcast. So today we have Sarah, Sarah, how are you today? Are you doing good?

 

Jasmine 0:13

And then I’m Jasmine and I’m a sophomore,

 

Chris 0:17

Christopher Martin, I’m a freshmen.

 

Peyton 0:19

Peyton, I’m a sophomore.

 

Unknown 0:23

I’m a sophomore

 

Blaze 0:24

Blaze Hughes, I’m a junior.

 

Luis 0:25

That’s so Sarah here is going to talk to us a little bit about it changed names. It’s not a kitchen closet more. And this is like the 10th time that I forget the name can you remind us about the name?

 

Sarah 0:41

the stinger’s supply shelf.

 

Luis 0:42

Okay, and what is this supply shelf?

 

Sarah 0:46

So it’s a free resource to students. It has food, it has toiletries, really anything that they need its open, seven to 8pm.

 

Luis 0:57

And I know we’re talking about so before we met today, we were talking about the inspiration behind I guess the food insecurity like how you got involved with it. And I know you were talking to me a little bit about during the pandemic, you really got into to researching like about it. Can you talk to us a little bit about that?

 

Sarah 1:19

Yeah. So I guess during the pandemic so I was getting into sustainable agriculture. So I was really, I like to learn about that. It’s something that I think I want to do in the future. But it’s not that big of a leap to jump from sustainable agriculture, to food insecurity. And so that’s kind of how I got into it.

 

Luis 1:44

And during the pandemic, when you were doing the research and stuff like that, did you find any like data from this area that kind of shocked you?

 

Sarah 1:54

Nothing really from southwest Virginia? I think it was more just the lack of, you know, really nice organic food in many places.

 

Unknown Speaker 2:12

Are you working with the garden? By any chance with Alicia?

 

Sarah 2:16

Yeah. So that’s one of my classes is in the garden. Great. I love it. I love going. And working in there, at least has been a great help with the singer supply shelves.

 

Luis 2:27

Okay, so let’s go into the supply shelf itself. Can you tell us what how do I get there? So if if Jasmine is finishing a workout, and they and she’s hungry, and she doesn’t have anything available or in hand? How can she get there? guide us there.

 

Sarah 2:45

So you’re at the duck pond and you’re walk into to the cafe. On the side that’s closest to the football field. On that entrance, you’re going to go through that entrance. There shouldn’t be double doors on the other side that lead to the cafe. And then on the way there’s this single door that has this sign that says Max occupancy one, and it has the kitchen closet on it. But that’s that’ll be changed soon. Through that door is where the supply shelf is!

 

Luis 3:15

and the what are the things that you guys need right now? Because we’re talking about like all the snacks that you guys have. So can you tell us like exactly the things that you have in there and the things that you guys need right now?

 

Sarah 3:28

Yeah, so we have a lot of prepackaged food that the cafe generously gives and keeps dstock all the time. They do a fantastic job with that. But that really what we’re looking for now is toiletries. It’s something that we started out new kind of started doing this semester, but yeah, so toiletries, pads, tampons, razors. Toilet paper, body wash, shampoo, conditioner. floss, toothpaste, toothbrushes. Those are really there. We just got condoms in so condoms also but

 

Luis 4:10

and if I want to donate something, who do I give it to?

 

Sarah 4:14

So we take financial donations through the App Center website. And if you want to donate toiletries, you would come into the App center and give it to Leah.

 

Luis 4:26

Leah. Is it Leah Wilson? Yes. Okay. And how she helping you with the with this? Kitchen? Kitchen closet. Why? Stinger Supply Shelf? Hi. She helping you out with this and how has your relationship with her been through this whole process?

 

Sarah 4:44

Oh, we’ve worked really closely with each other. Throughout this. She’s my faculty advisor for the project. She really helps me with everything under the sun. If I need help with anything. She’s there to help me. We work together on a lot of ideas and how to get things done that we need to get done. Okay.

 

Luis 5:04

I know we meet, we have we have class together. And I know we meet. We have a couple of staff meetings, and we just kind of update on how things are going. Are there any new updates on on how it’s going or as if the same from last time that we met any new updates that you have?

 

Sarah 5:23

From the last time we met with the staff? Not really, but it’s really just great project that we’re putting all of our work into right now.

 

Luis 5:33

And do you guys have any questions so far? Do you want to ask Sarah, about a

 

Jasmine 5:37

question? Do you guys have any like sponsors that sponsor this? Like, what fills the shelves and the supplier?

 

Sarah 5:46

Yeah, so the Sodexo brings all of this. So they provide us with all of the snacks, all the drinks in there, the Emory and Henry garden, we’ve just started, I guess, working with them, to provide vegetables. So we have like fresh tomatoes, fresh peppers, we have broccoli, and they’re all from the garden.

 

Jasmine 6:11

That’s good. That’s good. Because people are always looking for something healthy to eat,

 

Sarah 6:15

and which was fantastic. It was great. And they helped a lot. And they donated all of that, which is great. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield used to donate the well, they still donate the toiletries.

 

Jasmine 6:29

And have you ever like thought about taking the next step to see if you could find a way to have it open after the VanDyke building is open? Because I was just I feel like that might be like a really big step to open like, later for sports teams when they get out like past eight, but they can’t get into VanDyke center, as I’ve been like, Yeah-

 

Sarah 6:52

we haven’t really thought about that. But that’s a great idea.

 

Luis 6:59

Thank you, Jasmine. Anybody else have questions? So

 

Unknown 7:04

I’m just gonna ask, besides donating? How can students get involved in this project?

 

Sarah 7:09

Well, if you want to get involved, you can come ask Leah. we currently don’t have a ton of things. But definitely once we start getting in the toilettries and stuff we’ll definitely have spots there that we need to help with. \

 

Peyton 7:29

Is there a lot of help you have with that project.

 

Sarah 7:34

Yeah, so um, we have a faculty committee, that helps a lot with ideas, and you know, they really get things going with us, they, you know, give us a different perspective. Because I think when you’re so like, up close to it, you kind of get like tunnel vision, and they give us a lot of different perspectives on projects you can do and things like that. Like I said, Leah helps a lot.

 

Jasmine 7:57

Was this an original idea from you. Or are you just part of the project and how did it like kind of like come about in the beginning?

 

Sarah 8:04

Yeah. So this started, I just got started with this this semester, this started, I guess, with the survey that was sent out in 2018. Joe Ross has really been with it from the beginning.

 

Luis 8:23

That was actually so when we have only before we had Tals class started actually send like a little, I guess, like a little survey. And like he asked what projects will be involved in? And actually the kitchen closet, what it was called back then. That’s actually one of my first options. But then he gave me the option to do a podcast as well. So I’m kind of helping with two. Yeah, I guess I want to talk a little bit more about, like, a little more serious stuff. So this is my opinion. So it seems like sometimes and you tell me what you think about this, that people might be scared of going in there. Because you know, maybe they’re maybe they think that whoever goes in there is like a low income background or all that. Can you talk to us a little bit about that?

 

Sarah 9:19

Yeah. I think that’s definitely one of the stigmas that’s around it. We’re trying to learn a lot this semester about really making sure that everybody knows they can go in and it’s really not shameful if you like if you didn’t go in. It’s pretty normal. I think with that we’re trying to, you know, really get the message out to students that, you know, with the survey, it’s not, it’s not, like uncommon to, you know, maybe you do have a meal plan and you do still need food. It’s not uncommon to do that. And so it’s not shameful to go.

 

Luis 9:57

Do you guys do you have data like not on like who? Like? I don’t know, any data that kind of tells you like, what the needs are and who needs it? Yeah,

 

Sarah 10:11

yeah. So really the only statistical data we have is from that 2019 survey. We’re looking into getting a new survey to see, you know, if having this helps and if we’re taking the right approach, that’s really something that we want to work on. In the future. We’re also working on, you know, seeing, not, not at all who’s going in it. But you know, how much it’s getting used, it’s what the people are using? What’s getting us the most, what’s getting taken the most, you know, so that we can better serve the community.

 

Luis 10:46

Right? And then the toiletries are the ones that usually go faster. is that Correct.

 

Sarah 10:50

they go pretty quickly. Like I said, Sodexo stocks the food, so it’s not, there are more on top of what food goes more quickly. But the toiletries do go pretty quickly. And so that’s really been something that we’re, I don’t, not that we didn’t expect everything to go as quickly as it did. But I mean, we stocked from the Blue Cross Blue Shield donation, the beginning of September, and we’re, we’re pretty lacking right now. And we’re really trying to build up that.

 

Luis 11:25

So now, how often do you guys like stock is every single time you guys get donation? Just take your donations over there immediately. Yeah.

 

Sarah 11:33

So you donated Thank you. And so like that went straight from here to the kitchen closet.

 

Luis 11:40

And so what is next for for for this project that you’re working on? As I know, do you graduate next semester, this semester? Next semester? Yeah. So what are your plans? in that Project until you graduate? Are you going to you want to take it up? Like another level? Or where are your plans for this project?

 

Sarah 12:04

I definitely want to stick with it. You know, help as much as I can. I think it’s, it’s an ever changing process. Right? So when I started with it, at the beginning of the semester, I had this plan, the things that I thought, you know, need to get done in the way that they need to get done. And, you know, I think with any project, this happens, where you just kind of, you know, it’s not a straight path, it’s kind of curvy, and you get, you know, sucked into one thing for a little bit. Maybe not looking so much at another thing. But I honestly, it, it’s probably going to be more you know, data, like we were talking about, you know, what can we what can we do to better serve the game?

 

Luis 12:44

Right. Okay. And can you remind us of the staff members, again, that are part of this project? You mentioned, Leah, so Leah, in the you mentioned somebody else, Joe so so those are the two main people that to contact, you want to get involved? And then you told me about some days? Can you remind us about those days when it started when it ends?

 

Sarah 13:07

The Greek toiletrie drive, started on October 18. And that’s ending on October 29. And so with that all of the groups we just, they’re all assigned certain toiletries, and they have the option.

 

Luis 13:24

Okay, and what are your plans after graduating? I know you were I think our you were talking to Emy,

 

Sarah 13:30

I honestly have no clue. I kind of just go wherever, wherever, the wind takes me at this point, you know,

 

Luis 13:38

so you’re civic innovation major, and environmental studies. Awesome. Do you want to go to grad school?

 

Sarah 13:45

Oh, I’ve thought about going to grad school. I, I don’t think that I’d go like next year, like right out of college. But I’ve definitely thought about it. You know, and a little bit a little bit in the future

 

Jasmine 13:59

is food security, something that you want to keep going like down the road and like you want to keep being involved in like communities and food security and families and students and things like that?

 

Sarah 14:08

Yeah, I think I think this has really sparked an interest for me. And then it’s kind of given me a path that I really want to go down.

 

Jasmine 14:15

Yeah, because there’s like large scale, obviously, like cities do like, like big jobs where even when even it gets as big as like, you know, people don’t have homes and things and like really, like don’t have food and it comes to like that big scale community part. And I feel like you’re doing really good because you started down and like the, you know, it’s like small scale. It’s a small, private college, but like you’re making a big impact that can lead you in the future after graduation. If you don’t know what path you’re going down. You can always go into that because you do have experience.

 

Sarah 14:49

Yeah, it’s definitely something that I looked a lot more into since I started the project and definitely grown a passion for

 

Jasmine 14:58

and I think I am in statistics right now. So I’m learning a lot about statistics. But I think that me and Peyton is as well, we can maybe be a help to getting some statistical data for you like even having a volunteer go in. And I haven’t been in there before, but go in, like if they have a list of foods that would be in there, go in the morning and evening and count and see what’s there and what’s not, and try to start counting up and helping you guys know, what would be the most efficient things to buy? Or take your donations and put in a supply room?

 

Sarah 15:34

Yeah, that’d be great.

 

Luis 15:36

what do you have for statistics?

 

Jasmine 15:38

Who do I have for Statistics?

 

Luis 15:41

like, who do you have?

 

Jasmine 15:42

Oh, I have Professor Hall, okay, in the mornings. And we’re it’s the first statistics. I’m really not great at statistics. But I know enough that I could write down data and help. So it’s,

 

Luis 15:57

I had Dr. Fisher, and that was tough.

 

Jasmine 16:01

It is really it’s, I don’t know, I don’t I want to learn like, I don’t know if I’ll learn the same way as everyone else. So when everyone else understands, I don’t I don’t understand that. But it’s getting better. It’s getting better. So. And,

 

Luis 16:19

Sarah, do you have anything else that you want to share with us? Anything that you need from us?

 

Sarah 16:25

I don’t know, really. But like I said, if you have toiletries you want to donate. I think that’s a great, like, if you want to come in and do all do statistical data. That’s great. If you want to, if you have any ideas on ways to get involved, I’m more than open to any ideas on things you want to bring to the kitchen closet. I’m always more than open. If you want to remain anonymous, and you have things that you need in the kitchen closet. There’s a whiteboard in there. So you can go in there and write we’ll get your requests.

 

Jasmine 16:59

And how do you guys feel about like your advertisement? Like, do you feel like you’ve got out there? And I knew about it, because I got the email about the name change and everything. But I know obviously, there’s some students that don’t know about it, but what is yours playing around like advertising that you that this is on campus? Because I know, I haven’t heard a lot of people talk about it. But I feel like for people that have reached out and tried to fund somewhere they probably know, but I feel like there’s definitely students that don’t know. So what, like kind of approach have you guys taken on advertising to the campus?

 

Sarah 17:33

Yeah, so that was definitely one of my main things was I didn’t think that before I started the project, I didn’t know previously named Kitchen Closet Yeah, but we started out with the concept just to kind of blocked out like hey, we have this use it.

 

Jasmine 17:52

Yeah, cuz it was like $100 I was like, oh yeah.

 

Sarah 17:57

Um, so we want to stick with that I think we’re going to try and you know, print out things to give and you know, just genera knowledge or I think we also would love some word of mouth talk you know?

 

Jasmine 18:14

We can do that

 

Blaze 18:16

I think the Greek life drive was a big impact that’s gonna have on it just getting students to know about that just because half my fraternity didn’t even know about it. You know, now that everybody knows, swim sometimes doesn’t get out till seven o’clock and you know, some people don’t like going to the hut on Friday, so they they’ve been stopping by the stinger supply kitchen. shelf

 

Sarah 18:44

we definitely want to do some more like awareness of food security on campus. So that certainly-

 

Luis 18:52

you have Bonners here. Yes. Civic leaders. You have people in fraternities and you’re sororities, you have people who play sports. So yeah, yeah. See, any more questions or

 

Unknown Speaker 19:06

Since it’s getting towards the winner and it gets really cold here. Is there will there be any possible way that they will be donate like scarfs or jackets or coats?

 

Sarah 19:17

I know that, While we don’t have any clothing items, I know Leah donates for Kentucky. Yes, She did a coat drive for Kentucky. I don’t remember the full name of the drive.

 

Luis 19:33

And they got a lot. Yeah.

 

Sarah 19:36

They did that they also did coat drive or maybe clothing drive for a flood somewhere. Yeah. So that would be a great place to go if you have things like that.

 

Luis 19:49

Great. All right, Sarah. It’s a pleasure.

 

Sarah 19:52

Thank you.

 

Jasmine 19:53

It was great having you