Clockwise from left: Tracey Patterson (Food Guardian Coordinator), Antonia Williams, Jazz Vassar, Kenneth Hill
Tracey Patterson, MPH, coordinates the Food Guardian project and staffs the Southeast Food Access Working Group (SEFA). Before joining the SEFA team, Tracey led a strategic planning process to create coordinated school health programs, and managed community-based participatory research and interventions that dealt with barriers to physical activity and food access in New Orleans. Prior to that, she coordinated community-based nutrition and cooking skills programs, and managed an outreach science and gardening education program for youth in New York City. She has a MPH in Urban Community Health Education and a BS in Environmental Studies.
Kenneth Hill, father, student and SEFA Food Guardian- has been working to improve the health of his family and community since his awakening to social justice issues at City College of San Francisco, where he is currently studying to earn his A.S. in Health Education. A Food Guardian since January 2010, Kenneth has documented this work by writing and submitting articles to a number of local media outlets. Along with the other Food Guardians, he advocated for the groundbreaking Healthy Meal Ordinance, and developed and administered a community-based participatory survey to assess the need for improvements at Bayview’s only full-service grocery store. Kenneth looks forward to continuing to improve his family and his community’s health, working as a Food Guardian and furthering his education to bring about social justice and change.
Jazz Vassar is a SEFA Food Guardian, a passionate San Francisco State University student, and a Bayview Hunters Point resident, by way of Pasadena, CA. She is currently working to finish her Bachelors degree in Dietetics and devotes her time to promote positive health and nutrition awareness. On campus she helps operate the student nutrition clinic, empowering her peers to make healthy food and life style choices. She also assists diet technicians in nutrition interventions for patients at S.F. Veterans Hospital. She enjoys preparing tasty vegan meals, crocheting, and has an amorous affinity for dance. Ultimately she envisions working with undeserved youth, helping them to open the door to healthier food for themselves, their parents, and their community.
Antonia Williams is a SEFA Food Guardian and a life-long Bayview Hunter’s Point resident. She has been working since the age of 12 to better her community. She has a strong background of working with community-based nonprofits, including working for the San Francisco Conservation Corps, where she started as a youth worker and worked her way up to Crew Leader and Driver Specialist. She also worked for Hunter’s Point Family at the seasonal Hunter’s Point Farmers’ Market, where she was a youth leader for the program. She is currently employed as a SEFA Food Guardian and as a Store Manager for a small business on 3rd Street in the Bayview. She plans to go back to school to pursue a certificate for Community Health Workers and a degree in Criminal Justice.
