By: TAYLOR BENNETT
Staff Writer
Although I could use nothing but words to prove that volunteering truly changes a person forever through stories of my immense impact on my local community through work with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), I don’t have enough words to describe how important this organization and so many more are to me. Every person I’ve ever worked with or helped in any way has left a large impact on me in unique ways and furthered the empathy I have for others. I know this is something I will continue to show and use in my life, no matter where it may be, and no matter how. I’d much rather use more than words to show people in actions – and in words – just how impactful one person can be on their community, as well as many, many others, through the power of volunteering.
NEDA is a nonprofit organization supporting those who either struggle, have struggled, or have witnessed those struggling with an eating disorder. One of their most well-known ways of supporting the eating disorder community is through NEDA Walks. These walks are similar to other communal walks such as Relay For Life and Race Against Hunger (Turkey Trot) that typically include various forms of fundraising as well as guest speakers. NEDA Walks are generally free for registration and include guest speakers ranging from those who are recovering from eating disorders, their families, and therapists and dieticians that speak and offer help to those that are struggling, free of charge. California, being the most populous state, generally has a few of these walks per year, being in Northern and Southern California. While it is extremely delightful to see multiple NEDA throughout California, NEDA was inaccessible to those in the Central Valley; each NEDA walk ranged from two to five hours away, and most people here don’t have the time and means to do that, as it’s a costly trip. I am more than aware of this struggle because I was one of those people.
I’ve personally witnessed people ranging from family, to friends, to acquaintances at school fighting through eating disorders, and I know the genuine struggle to stay afloat with them every single day because I’ve been there too. Most people who are not educated in eating disorders naturally assume that it is primarily calorie counting, restricting your diet, and other “stereotypes” that mass media makes it out to be. This isn’t always the case, though. Eating disorders hide in plain sight and are seen often in everyday life. Whether it’s the passive comment of needing to “walk off” the food someone just ate, asking someone if they’re really eating that amount of food for dinner or if they are that hungry, and various other remarks that people subject themselves and others to every single day. I have seen this in my own community far too many times to count, and I’ve seen people fall victim to these words and the hardships that come with them. Somewhere in me, I knew they needed to stop. I knew that our community could never truly thrive with these words and unknowingly hurtful utterances, but I never knew how to stop them on a larger scale than a conversation between peers. Something needed to change, and I was going to be that change, no matter what it took.
Since the start of my advocating for better eating disorder awareness and education in schools, I’ve also been working directly with NEDA. I contacted them at the beginning of my senior year of high school knowing this was my last chance to make a lasting impact before college. I expressed my concerns and emphasized that I knew hosting the Central Valley’s first-ever NEDA Walk would change people for the better, and educate a wider range of people here that lack the willingness to listen, or the inaccessible knowledge and understanding of eating disorders due to confirmation bias, ignorance, or simply falling victim to common misconceptions of eating disorders. They offered to meet with me to listen to my concerns and how I wanted to address them, and one meeting turned into another, which turned into every week, which turned into becoming the youngest NEDA Coordinator as a senior in high school, and the first NEDA Coordinator of the Central Valley. My work with NEDA both as a volunteer and a leader has changed who I am deeply, and I know that this impact is going to be long lasting on both my community and myself, as I plan to return to the Central Valley every year to lead this walk, no matter where I end up in college and in life.
In starting this article, I expressed that I could prove so much more with my actions – not just words. I stand by that statement, but I am also grateful for this opportunity to express my gratitude for NEDA presenting me with the opportunity to volunteer and to benefit my community in various ways. NEDA has saved lives and serving my community has genuinely saved mine in a multitude of ways. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the ability to volunteer.
For more information on eating disorder hotlines and how you can seek help, please visit:
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/