Meet the 2019 ABLE Team Leaders!

Meet the 2019 MAP ABLE Team Leaders!

This summer we have four incredible ABLE Team Leaders who lead our teens through all of their programming and employment during our summer program.

Neena

Six years ago I didn’t know what food security was. Now it’s something I’ll be fighting for, for the rest of my life. Hi, I’m Neena Hussey, a current senior at Syracuse University majoring in Food Studies, social justice activist, and lover of food. I first stepped into MAP’s doors when I was 15. I was both excited and nervous to start my first job. I still remember my first few days; playing the name game, going over rules, and talking about what MAP does. Looking back now, I can’t remember when or how it started but this place began to feel like home. I’m so grateful for the time I’ve continue to have here and the people that have inspired me and my new life’s mission to help create a more just world where farm workers are protected, and access to healthy affordable food is a right no matter a person's race, culture, religion, sexuality, or class. This time next year I’ll be graduating with my Bachelor’s in Food Studies. I’m excited to see some familiar faces and meet our new youth! I hope by the end of the summer, they feel more empowered and know that their voice matters. I hope they have the confidence to go after their dreams whether it be related to food security or not. 

Dillon

My name is Dillon Hill, I was born in 1997 and have worked at MAP since I was 14. Some of my favorite activities outside of MAP are trying to cook, reading, listening to music, and traveling. I’m not great at cooking, but I like trying to cook anything anyways. I originally started working to save up money to get a car, but I quickly found out I do not like driving and I enjoy working. Nowadays I use my money to travel as much as I am able to. I like to go to new places, and to just go back to places I really like. Since I have been at MAP so long, I have done a lot. One of my best memories from a MAP summer was when we went to Beaver Meadow in maybe 2016. We all got to go canoeing, which I had never done and I had a blast that day because of that. 

Tyler

My name is Tyler Bauer, I was born in the early morning of January 1st, the second child born in Buffalo in the New Year of 1991. I grew up on a farm that grew hay, corn, and even strawberries for a time. I always loved sports but by my mid-teens I was a self-avowed hippie and music connoisseur. How the world looked from behind a camera inspired me to major in video production in college. A trip to India in 2013 then ignited a passion for travel and culture that has since taken me around the world. I love spending time with my friends and family, but as an introvert, I require plenty of quiet as well. I consider myself to be funny, empathetic, and honest to a fault. I’m both idealistic and cynical, which has helped form my distinctly leftist politics over the years. 

Gabe

I’m Gabriel Cohen, and I will be an ABLE team leader this summer. I have worked with MAP for the last two and a half years as a Growing Green youth. This will be my first summer as part of the ABLE team, and I am incredibly excited for this opportunity. I was born and raised in the Philippines, and moved to Buffalo about 4 years ago. I attended I-Prep High School on the west side, and will be leaving Buffalo at the end of this summer to attend SUNY ESF this fall. I have learned so much through my time at MAP. My hope for this summer is to teach the new youth about nutrition, food justice, and cultural significance through our lunches this summer.