Star (Joyce) Granger was born and raised in South Philly and grew up in prison. She brings to FPAC her wisdom from working in a PA Correctional Institution’s central kitchen for 18 years. She reflects on her time working in the central kitchen with gratitude and sadness. She is grateful for the beautiful time she spent working with a team to put out three meals a day in an institutional kitchen. She feels depressed recalling the effects of the privatization of the kitchen — following orders, stretching food that couldn’t meet demands, and being forced to adapt recipes to be less flavorful and nourishing, like replacing water for stock and milk in recipes. While being away for 35 years, she completed her GED and a Food Apprenticeship Program which provided her with her food service license. Upon returning to Philly, she was impressed by the gardens and community projects she experienced in North and South Philly that she hadn’t experienced as a young person. Star also brings to FPAC her experience working as a cashier at Fresh Grocer, a consultant with the ACLU’s Incarcerated Women’s Working Group, and an organizer with the People’s Paper Co-op to FPAC. She wants to serve on FPAC because everyone needs to eat. She hopes to learn something new and exciting and be a part of something great with beautiful people.