Hi everyone! My name is Bess Goldstein, and my senior project is essentially a service project involving service at food banks in Northern California. In my blog posts, I hope to bring you all along with me, showing you my progression, what I’ve done and what I will learn, and of course… pictures!

The premise of my project is to utilize my Quaker beliefs and values in service in a new part of the country that I have yet to explore. I will be staying in Arcata, California.

Arcata is located in Northern California, a small town in Humboldt County, close to the coast. There, there are many opportunities for volunteering and exploring. After a lot of scheduling and research for what I thought was best for my project, the family I am staying with and I decided that it would make most sense to volunteer at a certain food bank in Eureka called Food For People.

Originally, I was hoping to volunteer at the children’s theater in the area as well, but unfortunately, some communication issues got in the way of that. Either way, I am looking forward to bringing my love for service into my project despite the lack of theater.

So if you know me, you know that I am a Quaker, born and raised. I have always loved the values and beliefs they uphold, and that is why I hope to bring those values into my service project. The S.P.I.C.E.S are the Quaker pillars, in reference to my title. They stand for Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. By going to Humboldt County, CA and volunteering at Food For People, I know that most, if not all, of those Quaker pillars will be met with my service. Food For People values sustainability, respect, teamwork, integrity–all contributing to these important Quaker values.

Aspiring to contribute to my Quaker values is only one of the goals of this project. Another certain goal of mine is to work on my Spanish language skills while volunteering at Food For People. I am aware that it is extremely beneficial for volunteers at this food bank to speak or comprehend some Spanish, as they have families and people that speak Spanish come in often. ¡Espero que logre mucho con este proyecto!

Aside from the volunteer work, I am also looking forward to exploring this beautiful part of California; specifically the Redwoods forest and other national parks in the area. I will make sure to bring you all on the project with me, with updates, pictures and more! Thanks for reading!

Bess