Meet Market Assistant Jenni Morales

We’re only as great as the people who make the magic happen—our amazing staff. We’re especially grateful for our four incredible Market Assistants, who not only help power our pantry each month, but also receive food from PORCH. Their perspective, dedication, and energy are a big part of what makes our market so special!

PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro co-founder Susan Romaine sat down with one of our Market Assistants, Jenni, recently to discuss family, food, and community.

Check out our last Market Assistant highlight on Tonya at this link!

Question: Can you tell us a little bit about your family?

Answer: Liam is 7 years old and attends Northside Elementary, where I was just selected as a member of the School Improvement Team (SIT). My daughter, Aaliyah, is 16 and attends Chapel Hill High School. She is a wonderful poet. I’m very proud to say that she was recently recognized as the first-ever District Poet Laureate of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and invited to recite her poem at a Governor’s Mansion reception that was hosted by the Governor’s wife, Anna Stein.

Family means everything to me, so I have really prioritized spending time with my kids. They grow up too fast, time goes by so quickly. I do my best to always be there for them, by volunteering in their schools, attending as many of their extracurricular events as possible, and sharing meals with them. 

Question: You’ve been working as a Market Assistant at the PORCH Community Hub since its opening in October. What is it like working there? 

Answer: The Hub is a really rewarding place to be, personally and professionally. I get far more out of it than I put in. That’s because families that shop at the Hub are always really appreciative of the food–and special items such as birthday kits for their kids, and incentives for bringing in reusable grocery bags. When I check families in or out, I am always thanked. I also really like the sense of being a part of a team. It takes a lot of logistics to get over 700 families through the Hub each month. It can get really busy at times, we all need to work together–volunteers and staff–in both back-of-house and front-of-house. 

We are living during a very stressful time, constantly being pinged by breaking news alerts. The national news can feel very heavy, at times. But when I work at the Hub, it is uplifting. I think that’s because everyone working at the Hub genuinely cares about each other and the families that we are serving. It is a very special place to be.

Question: That’s great to hear. What are some of the things that you like to do when you are not working at the Community Hub?

Answer: I work with two nonprofit organizations: the Refugee Community Partnership, as a Spanish language navigator for participants seeking health care; and Kramden Institute Inc., teaching tech literacy to parents in the community. I really love the work and the sense of giving back.

Even though I never enjoyed cooking when I was growing up, I’ve learned to do it for my family–family meals are so important. Some of our most special times are at the dinner table or in the kitchen. At the table we set more than dishes; we set the stage for laughter, stories, and love. Our family celebrations are often centered around food so cooking for my family is now more purposeful. My son, Liam, sometimes joins me in the kitchen–he is becoming a very good cook!

Question: How does your work with PORCH influence the way you think about potential cuts to nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP? 

Answer: Some of our elected officials just don’t understand–families are not sitting around asking for hand-outs. That is so far from the truth. The families that shop at the Community Hub are much like me, they are working hard–very hard–to raise a family and stay afloat. I have worked odd jobs and been very thrifty so that I can be at home with my kids as much as possible. Others are single parents working two full-time jobs but with the high cost of rent in this area, they can’t make ends meet. Everybody is doing their best, yet some just can’t make it. They need less shaming and more grace–that’s what makes us a community, we are here to help each other.