Meet Toyah Brooks: Director of Operations at Second Harvest

What’s your role at Second Harvest Food Bank, and how long you’ve been with SHFB?

I am the Director of Operations at Second Harvest, and I’ve been here for about a year and a half. I say a lot that this is my dream job because I always wanted to do something that had to do with food insecurity. And, you know, it is just very exciting for me to be here.

What is the most valuable piece of advice that you’ve learned?
Both of my parents say this all the time and it’s not revolutionary – it’s “work smarter, not harder.” There is a lot of working hard when it comes to our mission, and being smart, thoughtful and strategic about it is really important, especially in operations.

What does Feeding OC mean to you?

When I think of feeding OC, I think about providing food to this specific county. And that means focusing on the impact you’re going to make in the county – not spreading focus and resources too thin, so you can maximize your impact on individual lives.

What do you love most about working at Second Harvest Food Bank?

I love basically everything, especially the people. I am a laugher, and I love that while the mission is serious, I get to have fun as we do it. I get to enjoy what I’m doing. The job description talks about knowing every day you will make a difference. And it’s true – our decisions make a real difference in someone’s life.

What does nutritional security mean to you?

When you think of security on its own, a lot of times people don’t think about nutritional security. They think of job security or physical security and safety. And so in that word “security,” you’re not really worried. When you have job security, you’re not worried about whether you will have a job the next day, the next week, or the next month.

And when I think of food security, I think of a lack of worry that you will have meals. It’s not just about food and nutrition. It’s also about having a source of income to get the food. So to me, food security gives you a reduction in stress and an improvement in the quality of your life.

With nutrition, I didn’t realize how many college students experience nutritional insecurity. What are they eating? Are they having cheap food that’s easy to make in a microwave but full of sodium? Are they in situations where fruit is a delicacy? Maybe they’re not hungry, but they’re not getting nutrition.

What has been your favorite memory from working at Second Harvest Food Bank?

Each year we undergo an independent audit to ensure we meet strict food safety and cleanliness standards. After the completion of our most recent audit, my favorite memory was not learning that we earned a Superior rating of 995/1000. My favorite memory is what happened afterwards. Our Director of Food Safety and Facilities and I brought together our teams to thank them for their work. I introduced them to what I call the Circle of Love. Our group of 25 stood in a circle, and each person took turns saying something they appreciated about the person they stood next to. I could tell they appreciated being appreciated – not just by us, but by their peers as well. So that’s my favorite memory.

How can the community support Second Harvest Food Bank?
The community can get involved by volunteering and providing financial support. People can also become advocates for change, and our website provides a lot of information on this. One more way to support us is in a way a lot of people don’t think of – sharing expertise. Having the opportunity to learn from other specialists and organizations is an important way to get involved and help us strengthen our operations.