Danielle Thompson

I wholeheartedly believe that good food nourishes the soul, inspires creativity, and cultivates community.  I feel fortunate in retrospect that as a child I had access to good and clean food and that my parents prioritized family meals each night to allow us to connect and feel secure with each other.  Growing up in south Florida, we didn’t grow our own food, but we grew to understand the value of food culture through back yard cookouts, formal holiday meals and special birthday dinners at our favorite restaurant.  Through my adult years, I’ve often turned to food as a tool to learn and express myself.  Preparing and serving a home cooked meal to friends and family can say everything you feel without uttering one word.  

I moved to Denver in early 2017 eager to engage with my new community in a meaningful and tangible way.   One of my friends invited me to volunteer with Grow Local which included tending to and then harvesting a garden we planted in an urban plot in Denver.  My experience with Grow Local broadened my perspective on the local food economy and led me to Slow Food Denver.  In 2019, I volunteered in the Lil’ Sprouts program and was awestruck by the way the children in the program lit up as they harvested their school garden and made a delicious snack with those same vegetables, herbs and fruit.  The experience was incredibly rewarding for me as a volunteer but, more importantly, I could see how impactful the program was to each child.  The programs and volunteer opportunities organized by the Slow Food Denver team align perfectly with the global mission to inspire individuals and communities to change the world through good food.  The impact this organization makes is subtle and explosive in the same moment.  I am honored to support Slow Food Denver as a board member and to join the inspiring Slow Food Denver team who share with me a drive and desire to impact our community through food that is good, clean and fair for all.  We may just have some fun while we’re doing it!