Over the last couple of years, Second Helpings staff have worked to advance efforts to foster learning, belonging, and empowerment in how we work with each other and with our community.
Michelle Woodruff is Second Helpings’ Manager of Volunteer Services and Co-Chair of the ABIDE Committee.
The group began as a DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) Committee but as the group has grown and evolved, they have created their own name: ABIDE, an acronym for Access, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity.
As we celebrate Black History Month, we talked with Second Helpings’ Manger of Volunteer Services and Co-Chair of the ABIDE Committee, Michelle Woodruff, to discuss where the group has been, what it’s working on now, and their plans for the future of the organization.
“Like so many organizations, George Floyd’s murder in 2020 was a real awakening to the importance of this work,” Woodruff remembers. Second Helpings shared a response to racial injustice at the time, but there was more work to do.
Woodruff and former Executive Chef Kathy Jones began discussing ways to formalize this work. “Second Helpings should represent, and look like, the community we serve,” Woodruff explained.
With the full support of the leadership team, they formed an internal committee dedicated to DEI efforts at Second Helpings. The committee currently has seven members, representing all departments of the organization.
The ABIDE Committee has also partnered with experts to support this process for the entire staff. The group has partnered with Davyd Hall, Executive Director of the National Center for Racial Equity and Inclusion at Martin University. The NCREI has led training sessions for the committee, our leadership team, and for the entire staff.
The ABIDE Committee’s current focus is building out three subcommittees to involve additional staff around specific areas of emphasis: education, policies and procedures, and community engagement.
For Woodruff, this work is about “building a firm foundation. People need to know where Second Helpings stands. We are a refuge for access, belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity, and we’ll continue working to better mirror our community.”
In addition to being an organizational priority, Woodruff sees DEI work as a critical piece of Second Helpings’ mission to transform lives through the power of food.
“We work to increase access to food. A delicious homemade meal can help people feel they belong and are included. We serve a wide diversity of agencies and people, and we provide training and tools for people to have a fair shot, which is a critical piece of equity.”
“Food brings people together in every circumstance, from the workplace to our neighbors sitting in a shelter. Food is one of the best ways to share love and empathy because it gets all of us together around the table.”