PL Spotlight: Miranda Everitt Stenger

[HandsOn Bay Area]

Tim Szarnicki, Blake Brown and Miranda on their way to a HOBA VISTA team-building event!

> What’s your favorite HOBA project (and why)?

OBUGS! Since I've moved to the Bay Area from Ohio (where I never saw a vegetable that wasn't from a can), I've started to think about how important it is to learn that food is made of plants at a young age. I'm pretty jealous of the kids in the OBUGS program, who are learning this first-hand (and how to cook what they grow!) Plus, it's just really nice to be out in the sun on a Saturday morning, getting your hands dirty. Despite having whatever the opposite of a green thumb is, I can still feel I contributed to growing something, which is pretty great. And I had a raspberry there once that was the best thing I may have ever eaten.

> Why did you decide to become a Project Leader?

Well, it was sort of mandatory when I started my job at HOBA. I was never one to put myself out there and be a leader but I found pretty quickly that HOBA is contagious. So it's really easy to rep HOBA and our volunteers.

> What do you do when you’re not leading volunteer projects?

I work at HOBA, writing grants and working on our website, this newsletter, and whatever else needs doing that I know how to do. The VISTA salary has made me kind of pathologically deal-obsessed, so I spend way more time than is probably healthy looking for good prices at thrift stores and record stores and online. I'm also kind of addicted to this computer game called "Jo-Jo's Fashion Show" (which is as silly as it sounds.) I like to play it while listening to 60s country Best Of records. My mom is so proud.

> Why volunteer? Why HOBA?
I started volunteering in high school kind of because I had to -- a line on my resume to show colleges I'm well-rounded. My first assignment was story time with kids with Ohio Reads. It turns out I loved the kids' stories (made up and true), and their reactions to the stuff we read. I have a few children's' book authors that were dear to me even at that age and sharing them with someone new was pretty much the most exciting part of my week. Volunteering is great for a lot of selfish reasons, but it's also often the only way I'd ever meet people who are very different from me. Later I volunteered at a women's shelter and I found that out firsthand. Now I think that experience is totally necessary and refreshing, and it's one way I started to get to know San Francisco when I moved here.

I do it with HOBA because it's just so much easier to carve time out to do it -- and I can always try something new without all the scary unknowns.

Either/Ors

> Mashed Potatoes or French Fries

Mashed potatoes. If it were possible to have a diet only of mashed potatoes and not get rickets, I would.

> Blackberry or IPhone

I have a Blackberry and my husband has an iPhone. They're so distracting but I am kind of jealous sometimes because the user interface is just so pretty.

> Live band or DJ

My parents were DJs when I was a kid, so I'll always have a soft spot for them. But in practice they're totally cheesy. I was looking at this choice for my wedding reception last year and eventually we decided on just playing stuff on our iPod -- bands are way expensive and DJs, well ... you just can't be sure they won't play the Electric Slide.

> Movie Theater or Video Rental

I hate popcorn but I love movies in the theater. If you've lived in the Bay Area your whole life you have no idea how lucky you are. Now I mostly only see the $5 movies at the Paramount (if you haven't gone: AMAZING. GO.) but someday I'll have the disposable income to justify seeing something new once a week like I used to when I was a teenager with all this time on my hands. Except, instead of the choice between Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and The Tooth Fairy there's, like ... good stuff to see.

> Pink or Purple

Purple (because Purple Rain is one of my favorite movies everrr.)

[Rick Ortiz]

Hey where's Miranda's picture >:) but what's really funny is that she actually listens to the best of 60's country music makes since though because she's from the big country.

[Miranda Everitt Stenger]

ok, rick, i added one! It's so weird writing about yourself... so I included some of the HOBA VISTA team looking their best!

when are you going to be in the spotlight?

[Sue Allen]

Are those guys stalkers???

[Annie Suzio-Granett]

I love Miranda.