A member of Albuquerque Friends Meeting, Sara is an AFSC New Mexico volunteer with our Give Peas a Chance campaign. AFSC New Mexico
How are AFSC New Mexico's healthy food campaigns making a difference?
Regarding our Give Peas a Chance campaign, one preschool teacher told us, “This is a perfect activity for my class. It was hands-on development of fine motor skills, and it introduced new vegetables to them. The children loved the way the peas tasted, and they also love planting and getting their hands dirty.”
The campaign got off the ground (and in the ground) this spring when AFSC staff met with New Mexico farmers to discuss our 2023 healthy food campaigns and what they would like to grow for preschools. Both farmers and teachers have asked us to expand the work to include more vegetables such as cucumbers and sweet potatoes.
In order to build our capacity to do that, we hired a contractor, Rebecca Riley. A member of the Acoma Pueblo, Rebecca has a background in early childhood education as a Head Start teacher and has worked in tribal home visiting programs.
In June, Angelina Lopez-Brody of AFSC coordinated the annual Give Peas a Chance Campaign, reaching 440 students and teachers. We appreciate the help of an Albuquerque Quaker who assembled the packets for each school.
It’s clear that AFSC’s work is about giving farmers and kids a chance, too.
Angelina Lopez-Brody bags fresh peas for kids. AFSC New Mexico