We are thrilled to have a new FoodCorps service member, Elena Greenberg, serving with the Prescott Farmers Market this year. Elena’s 11-month service term began on September 1 and she hit the ground running. Elena was born and raised in San Diego, California. She comes to us fresh from Northern Arizona University where she received a degree in Environmental Studies. Among her experiences and accomplishments, she founded the Flagstaff Food Recovery Network, a chapter of a national organization that takes food that would otherwise be thrown away and donates it to food banks. Through her leadership, over 1500 pounds of food from NAU dining halls were donated to Flagstaff food banks in the first six months of the program. She also has experience teaching children, coordinating volunteers and farming.
This year, Elena will serve students weekly at Mile High Middle School, Granite Mountain School and Lincoln Elementary. At Mile High, she teaches healthy cooking to 200 students in their life skills class, helps with gardening lesson development for all subjects, supports Andy Binder with his after school garden club, and frequents two special needs classes to engage students in cooking and gardening. At Granite Mountain Elena will be leading two after school classes as part of the 21st Century program: a science-based garden class and a beginning culinary class. At Lincoln, she will partner with health educators from Yavapai County Community Health Services to run an after school gardening club, also through the 21st Century program. Elena will also be a guest educator at the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe’s after school education program and in the Humboldt Unified School District as her time allows.
In addition to serving kids in schools, Elena is the brains behind PFM’s weekly education booth, which serves kids and adults alike. She’s sure to have a busy, rewarding year of service in our community and we’re excited to share with you her successes in the months to come. Welcome to Prescott, Elena!