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Kara Teresi
Relationship Manager
Feeding Children Everywhere
August 19, 2014

When did you know that you wanted to work in food?

I met Don Campbell, founder of Feeding Children Everywhere (FCE) at my church a few weeks prior to my journey to Haiti. Our church hosted a hunger project and packaged 10,000 meals for Haiti. It was an unforgettable experience. Don inspired me by his life's work and his faith. Children are our future. While serving at an orphanage in Haiti, I saw children who were receiving an education and a healthy meal. Many of these children have their only meal of the day at school. I knew I could devote my life's work to seeing lives changed.

How did you get your current good food job?

When I got back from Haiti, I had a voicemail from Don Campbell about working with FCE. We met at a Starbucks in Tampa during my lunch break. I was living and working in the Bay area at the time and I started shortly thereafter.

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

I have always had a heart for nonprofits. Helping others is something that resonates in everyone. In high school, I received the Anne Frank Humanitarian award. In college, I was a semi-finalist for Athletes for a Better World-Coach John Wooden Citizenship Cup. After college I took my fourth internship with a small company and traveled to Guatemala for a soccer mission. Internships are so important in preparing you for future employment. Our FCE Intern Program is the best! (Shameless plug, I know.)  All of these experiences prepared me for my role at FCE.

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?

Moving. Funny enough. I love traveling and lived in Georgia for 4 years during college, but home has always been Tampa. I was connected there with family, church and friends. I needed to move to Orlando to continue my work with FCE. I was nervous about the move even if it was only less than 2 hours away. I almost considered calling it quits, but thankfully I had some mentors in my life encourage me that sometimes the best decisions in life are not easy. I have been in Orlando 2 years now and I can certainly call it my home. I have family, church and friends here and I love my dream job!

What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?

Unity. People desire to work together. We are less divided now more than ever before in our work environments. Everyone can join in and rally behind ending hunger. Collaboration and teamwork are buzzwords in companies today. Ending hunger is possible. Our mission is to empower and mobilize people to assemble healthy meals for hungry children. Together, we are Feeding Children Everywhere. More than awareness-Join the solution.

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

Hugs. The average person receives less than 4 hugs per day. I've heard we need at least 18 hugs per day to be emotionally stable. Hugs from children are the best. I love going to church and having my kids in the nursery run up and give me the biggest hug ever. It means the world to me. No dollar amount will ever beat the value of a child's love given through a hug.

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