How do you deepen your active citizenship and continue your commitment to solving complex challenges? Whether you are exploring mission driven career paths, or looking for ways to contribute to your community regardless of your day job, Melissa Acedera, Founder and Director of Polo’s Pantry, says that the key to getting started is understanding yourself, and plugging into your local community.
On the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, co-hosts Anne Friedman and Aminatou Sow discuss all things society & culture, as best friends do. In a recent episode, they talked with Melissa Acedera, who works at the intersection of food justice and homelessness, to explore the topic of deepening your relationship with causes you care about.
In the interview, Melissa Acedera talks about how she became involved in mutual aid work, and ultimately created Polo’s Pantry, a mobile food pantry dedicated to serving unhoused and marginalized communities in Los Angeles, CA. Her advice for gaining knowledge about where to start? Start small, start with what you love, and start local. Find someone who’s already doing the work and be open to speaking to folks who already have some knowledge.
Looking for someone to connect to? Use The Herd to find alumni who share your interests and value and who have volunteered to talk to current students about what they do.
