Acacia Barber is a No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador working this summer at Jamestown YMCA. The Youth Ambassador program is a ten-week paid internship program for undergraduate students to help end childhood hunger in their communities. Learn more about No Kid Hungry’s youth engagement here.
Back in June at the YMCA’s summer meals kickoff event, No Kid Hungry New York spoke with Acacia about the challenges, opportunities, and impact of feeding kids through summer meals.
This is Acacia’s second year as a No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador at the Jamestown Area YMCA, although she’s been connected to the organization and community for much longer. Her father, John Barber, is VP of Operations at the YMCA, and Acacia has spent years participating in – and later leading – activities at the YMCA.
Although Acacia grew up in Frewsburg (one of the rural communities served by the YMCA’s new non-congregate grab-n-go summer meals program), the Youth Ambassador program has given her the opportunity to see her community in a different light and connect with community members in a different way. Most of all, she’s had the opportunity to assist and serve her community during a tricky time of year, when kids don’t have access to school breakfasts or lunches.
Last year, Acacia was able to develop strong connections with families in Jamestown that regularly visited congregate summer meals sites. During the summer kick-off, Acacia was able to re-connect with these families and share information about this summer’s meals. Acacia truly loves connecting with kids – we were able to see this as she set up obstacle courses for the community block party, welcomed each child and encouraged them to grab snacks and No Kid Hungry sunglasses, and raced the kids through the courses. (She even graciously let a number of kids beat her at the races.)
During her two summers as a Youth Ambassador, Acacia’s eyes have been opened to many of the struggles in her community. With this summer’s non-congregate grab-n-go meals, Acacia has been able to learn more about barriers to access, particularly in rural communities outside of Jamestown. Many families may not have reliable access to a car, which can make attending congregate meal sites a challenge. Many families rely on YMCA programs for their essential needs, whether through summer or afterschool programming.
As Acacia explores her future career path, she intends to take with her the lessons about healthy living and equity she has learned through her Youth Ambassador experience.
