Cristen Aiken

I am drawn to mission-oriented work, and that's what inspired me to get into the nonprofit sector. The opportunity to make a real difference in people's lives, especially knowing the work we do within the food bank is directly supporting families, children, and seniors who are all facing food insecurity - that gives my work a deeper purpose. I'm focused on combating hunger in our communities, within our neighbors, in our neighborhoods. Being part of an organization or a family like Harvest Hope allows me to connect with the community in very meaningful ways and gives me the ability to serve, which makes the impact incredibly rewarding. As Community Engagement Manager, I oversee food drives, our volunteer program, and any type of community events or community engagement events. I've always been inspired by the power of community, and working in the nonprofit sector allows me to bring people together around a shared mission. Seeing volunteers become partners to fight hunger truly reminds me every day of why I do what I do. One of my greatest achievements was during the government shutdown and SNAP crisis, when I connected and held over 350 food drives during that time frame, bringing in thousands of pounds of food for us to distribute across the 20 counties that we serve. Since taking over the volunteer program, I think one of my greatest strengths has been strengthening our volunteer engagement and creating positive experiences for them.