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Feb 20, 2014

"In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it." --Marianne Williamson

A PhD Student Turned Fruit Picker For Her Community

"There's a lot of people who say the problem is so big, nothing we can ever do will fix it," Sarah Ramirez says. "Well, if we all took that position, nothing would ever get done." After getting her PhD from Stanford and becoming Tulare County's epidemiologist, Sarah noticed troubling trends of diabetes, obesity, and food insecurity in her community. She also noticed that much fruit in the region went unharvested because it was deemed unsellable in local grocery stores. Sarah decided to give up the prestige of a high-powered career to start a grass-roots effort she runs with her husband out of their trailer park home. Sarah rescues produce from commercial fields and people's backyards, holds weekend "food labs" (classes to teach people how to incorporate more produce into their diets), and has started a community garden. The improving health of her community is evidence of the power of one person to impact positive change.