Marie Eden, Operations Director at the Cayman Food Bank

Meet Marie Eden, the Operations Director at the Cayman Food Bank. The food bank was established in December 2017 and now helps hundreds of families each month. Marie shared details with Yello on her work at the Cayman Food Bank, how you can support this organisation and what significant developments she would like to see happen on the island in the next decade. 

Describe yourself in three words.

I found this to be a tough question. In order to be unbiased, I asked a few people (who I know like me, of course), and came up with these three – determined, compassionate, and trustworthy.

Tell us a bit about your background. 

I first came to the Cayman Islands as a teenager, having lived in Baltimore, Maryland until then. My mother emigrated from the Cayman Islands to Louisiana with her parents (my grandparents) in the 1940s. My mother returned to Cayman with my siblings and I on a summer holiday, and we never left. Always wanting to be in a helping profession, I eventually studied social work in college. Having been involved in food distribution programmes for many years, I was delighted to be asked to assist with the newly formed food bank when it was founded.

What is the Cayman Food Bank? 

The Cayman Food Bank is a core hunger-relief organisation comprised of programmes such as the islands’ central Food Bank, Meal and Foodstuff Delivery, and Wellness and Sustainability Education. We strive to help feed the most vulnerable populations – children, families, and seniors.  Working together with our network of partners to efficiently and effectively fight hunger, our multi-tiered approach, and comprehensive programmes, are dedicated to nourishing the community while empowering lives.

What is your role in the organisation? 

I hold many roles in the food bank from secretary/director of operations, referee, to bag packer; all of which I thoroughly enjoy.

How can people support the work of the Cayman Food Bank? 

People who want to support our work can visit our website, https://caymanfoodbank.com/how-to-help/, to see how they can help us by volunteering, donating, coordinating foods and fund drives and by becoming a corporate sponsor. 

What significant developments would you like to happen in the Cayman Islands in the next decade? 

In the next decade, I would like to see a serious effort made towards providing affordable housing with programmes to educate and train persons on island in skilled jobs, allowing them to earn a liveable wage, and the opportunity for advancement within their chosen careers.

What do you love most about living in the Cayman Islands? 

What I love most about the Cayman Islands is the fact that over a hundred nationalities co-exist on this small island and regardless of race, religion, socio-economic background, or sexual orientation, we have been able to exist in harmony for the most part.  It’s not perfect, but usually I think we set a good example of how people can and should behave.

What are your hobbies? 

Currently, the food bank requires most of my time, although I do look forward to being able to resume my passion for gardening in the future.

What is your philosophy/approach to life? 

I believe you should treat others as you would like to be treated, and hopefully, I live up to that.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

I’d like to be very, very wise, but unfortunately the more I know, the more I realise how much I don’t know. Therefore, with that said, I’ve concluded that helping others is about the only superpower we can achieve.

Visit the Cayman Food Bank website to find out more about the organisation’s work and how you can lend your support and follow their Facebook page for regular updates. 

By Chantel DaCosta