BLOG

My name is Phoenix Stoker-Graham, and I am a Harvest VISTA member through Harvest Against Hunger, serving with Pierce Conservation District in Puyallup, WA. I play a supporting role to the Harvest Pierce County Gleaning Project, and I help to expand the program’s existing partnerships and create new connections with local hunger relief organizations, with an emphasis on fostering relationships with underserved areas, especially in the southern and eastern reaches of the county. Additionally, I am leading the revitalization of Harvest Pierce County’s fruit tree education program so that community members are equipped with the skills they need to properly care for their trees.

I began my service as a VISTA member this past month with Harvest Pierce County, and I overcame unexpected challenges to the onboarding process. One of our team members is taking a leave of absence, and it has required other people to fill in and cover roles and responsibilities they are not used to. This has caused some of our team members to be overworked and stressed at times. Additionally, the company computer and email were not set up correctly for me, so I could not get started on online work until the tech team resolved the issue. These problems meant that I could not closely follow the onboarding process outlined in my VAD.  However, this did not stop me from familiarizing myself with the organization. I spoke with my coworkers to develop an altered training schedule that allowed me to help fill in where help was needed for the employee on leave. This included co-facilitating volunteers in an educational setting at a local farm and leading volunteers in a produce harvest. These opportunities to engage with the community and better understand the education and harvest processes will serve me well as I move forward with building the capacity of our programs. It also highlighted the importance of adaptability in a workplace environment, showing that plans will often go awry, and that a hallmark of strong problem-solving is thinking on one’s feet and adjusting expectations. Through my flexibility and the cooperation of my coworkers, I received training opportunities with various people at various places, which provided me a holistic understanding of the work that Harvest Pierce County does in the community and how my role fits into the larger structure of the organization. I feel confident moving forward that I will continue to address challenges as they arise with adaptable thinking, helping me to be a resourceful, resilient, and responsible member of the team.