Since beginning my Master’s in Public Health courses I have had many interesting assignments, one specifically which asked us to take photos of the world around us and explain how those photos exemplify an aspect of public health. I decided to share one of my favorite photos and its relationship to public health.
During the summer I have been volunteering at a free clinic as many of you know. This past week I noticed that the SF Marin Food Bank outside of the clinic handing out free produce to the community members and our patients. I took this photo because their work symbolized a huge aspect of public health: affordable produce for communities. I had a moment to chat with them and it turned out that the food they were giving out to the community had been left over from their previous packaging sessions. Instead of discarding it, they decided to bring it for those who might not be able to access such resources. I thought it was an interesting concept and one that could be paralleled in other communities.
Before this assignment and the minimal exposure I have had to public health courses, I was under the impression that public health focused mainly on disease prevention. While it’s true that some public health efforts are focused in the health care field, other public health achievements include motor vehicle safety and elimination of world hunger. Learning about the versatility of public health has sparked my interest even more and I am excited to keep learning more about the contributions of public health to the world around us.
