We loved having Hannah Jones with us this summer as our first Sustainability Intern!
Environmental Management Student at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs | Hudson & Holland Scholar | McKinney Climate Fellow
As I prepare for the upcoming semester, I want to reflect on my time as a Sustainability Intern for Second Helpings through the McKinney Climate Fellows program. My primary goal this summer was to update recycling and composting procedures within Second Helpings and to communicate such changes to staff and volunteers. I worked with the recycling and composting vendors for Second Helpings to determine which materials we could recycle and compost as well as what conditions materials needed to be in to reduce recycling contamination. After developing updated signage to be put up around the building, I worked with the graphic design team to ensure that the new signs communicated recycling changes effectively and equitably. I also presented updates on recycling and composting during lunches to keep staff and volunteers informed. In addition, Second Helpings allowed me to gain experience in benchmarking and communicating sustainability efforts. Throughout the summer, I researched food rescue organizations to observe how they demonstrated their sustainability achievements and used studies and tools from the Environmental Protection Agency to translate Second Helpings’ data into sustainability benchmarks. I also proposed updates to add under the Environmental Responsibility tab on Second Helpings’ website and suggested sustainability initiatives that Second Helpings can implement in the future. Working with Second Helpings was an absolutely amazing experience, and I am immensely grateful to Nora Spitznogle and Linda Broadfoot for being the most supportive and welcoming mentors. Thank you to Elspeth Hayden, Ava Hartman, and the IU Environmental Resilience Institute for the opportunity to participate in such a great program. I look forward to implementing the skills and knowledge I gained from my internship into my work as a student!