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Volunteerism and Ice Cream: A reflection on my time at STL Food Angels

By Nishkala Shivakumar, Director of Operations

My dad has this saying, “How do you eat a mountain of ice cream? … Answer: One scoop at a time.” It’s not at all eloquent or really even logical much like the majority of my dad’s ramblings. Sitting through the past 4 months, however, has brought new relevancy to this adage. In these unprecedented times, it quite literally feels like we are sitting before the heavyweight champ of ice cream mountains with the caveat that the ice cream is far from delicious. It’s like one of those Harry Potter jellybeans where it looks like green apple but tastes like fecal matter. The curse of this mountain is that every time you finish a scoop, another two scoops appear in its place. The last 4 months have brought painful circumstances, painful revelations, and painful memories. As we muddle through the time ahead, it seems like there will be no end to the pain; examining one pain only reveals more of the same. It was in this environment that I began working with STL Food Angels as the director of operations and joined a lovely, enthusiastic team in choosing to do so. 

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The Importance of Nutrition for Diabetics During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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By Hamza Alvi, Director of Food Hub at STL Food Angels

Nowadays, it feels impossible to tune into the news without a mention of COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. This microscopic virus has crept into every corner of our lives and infected our lives and infected our bodies, our society, and our lifestyles. But SARS-CoV-2 does not affect everyone equally. COVID-19 poses a higher threat for the elderly, especially if they also are victims of an underlying chronic disease, such as lung disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes [1]. Most of the people infected with COVID-19 show mild flu-like symptoms, or some don’t develop symptoms at all. While others rapidly deteriorate with viral pneumonia. The novel coronavirus can cause detrimental effects for seniors (65+ years old), including higher rates of hospitalizations, increased ICU admissions, and deaths [2]. On April 18, 2020, CDC reported 3,310 deaths seen in people aged 65 and up. Comparatively, only 15 deaths were seen in a person aged below 24 [3]. 

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