Cory’s Time at Yad Ezra!

For today’s blog, we are going to be featuring another one of our JOIN interns, Cory! Cory is a rising junior at Kalamazoo College studying English and Spanish. When speaking with Cory, we got to hear all about their wonderful experience being an intern in the Giving Gardens. Let’s dive into Cory’s internship experience!

The first word that came to mind when reflecting on their time here was fun! While working in the garden, Cory was surrounded by an amazing hands-on garden experience and got to learn new things in a fun and uplifting setting. Cory hadn’t gotten to do any in-depth work with a garden prior to the internship, but in their short time here, they have learned so much, from identifying plants to understanding how a garden comes together season by season.

Cory touched on the technical skills they’ve learned as well as the interpersonal skills. Working with produce and plants every day, Cory learned detailed garden skills such as how to prune tomatoes, which was their favorite, using a hedge trimmer, and more. Having learned so many new skills, Cory always felt proactive and could always find something new to work on. Working in a supportive environment, they got to share their input and make a difference within the garden, which gave them a real sense of ownership over the space.

Cory wasn’t working alone, either. As mentioned, Cory’s was working in the garden alongside other garden staff, including three other garden interns. When you put that many people together, it can be tricky to manage a fair workload or make sure everyone always has something to do – but not for Cory’s team. The workload was well balanced amongst the interns, and they got to choose what they wanted to do for the day based on personal preference. It was also nice to have a team of garden interns since there are multiple garden spaces to cover. Cory’s favorite Giving Gardens space is located on Harvard Road in Berkley. This space has a nice layout and is home to a lot of flowers!

Next, we asked about Cory’s time working on the Garden Distribution Program. Leading up to their first garden distribution session, they had heard great things about it and had heard so many wonderful stories about the clients that came to the distribution. Once Cory started working it each week, they began putting names to faces and enjoyed seeing the produce they grew go directly into clients’ hands. Moreover, Cory enjoyed the format change of pace that came with it – going from being outside all day to being inside during the distributions. Overall, this was one of the most meaningful parts of their internship, and they got to see firsthand the impact fresh produce has on client families.

To finish this blog, we asked Cory about their overall time in the JOIN internship program. Being in the program, they got to visit other Jewish agencies across Metro Detroit with other interns in the JOIN cohort. At each seminar, they felt a sense of community across the agencies and got to see how the different agencies work together to give back to others. It was also rewarding for Cory to be with their peers and go through this learning experience together.Ultimately, Cory had a meaningful and amazing internship at Yad Ezra. Although gardening isn’t their main focus in school, they will take the skills they’ve learned and apply them to future careers, studies, and passions.