Feeding People and Building Systems to Feed People: The Heart of What I Do

by Annette Pinder

Talia Rodriguez recently received one of the best holiday gifts ever: she won a seat on the Buffalo Public School West District School Board by 11 points. “Now I’m trying to get comfortable with the feeling of accomplishment and responsibility,” she says.

Along with her duties on the school board, Talia serves as the health equity coordinator at the Seneca Street Community Development Corporation (SSCDC), where she is carrying out a place-based health survey. She explains, “We are surveying community residents through a two-year grant-funded project to see how residents of the Seneca Babcock neighborhood are affected by limited access to healthy food and medicine. Without a local grocery store, many worry about food insecurity impacting their families, as well as lack of access to doctors and dentists.”

SSCDC, a nonprofit organization in the Seneca Babcock community between South Buffalo and the East Side, supports neighborhood children and families through various programs and provides a free nutritious meal every day. During the summer, children in grades K-8 participate in enrichment activities and receive free garden plots so families can grow their own food. For their annual Christmas party on Saturday, December 20, children will bring their own crafts and enjoy pizza, face painting, and more, along with a visit from Santa. Talia will also spend part of her holiday season volunteering at local soup kitchens with her 8-year-old son, Arcadio Juan. “We bag up products, bring them to soup kitchens, and make cards for the children.”

In addition to her role on the school board and work with SSCDC, Talia writes a monthly column about Latina women for The Buffalo Latino Village newspaper. “I recently wrote about a young woman pursuing her nursing degree. I thought that was important because, since the COVID pandemic, the percentage of Latina licensed practical nurses has fallen by 8%. Many left the workforce to care for family members as the costs of childcare and transportation exceeded their wages.”

As one of five children, Talia says, “My dad came from New York City, and my mom has lived on Buffalo’s West Side for generations. We call ourselves “The West Side Story.” My dad moved to Buffalo seeking new opportunities and education because of the urban decay and violence that plagued New York.

Over the years, service has played a significant role in Talia’s life, both personally and professionally. She helped establish three West Side food pantries with nutritious, culturally sensitive food. She states, “Feeding people and building systems to feed people is at the heart of all I do.

Reflecting on her early years, Talia shares that when she first started elementary school, her command of English was limited. Like many children on the West Side, her home language was Spanish. “It took me longer than my classmates to learn to read. I struggled, got lost, and wasn’t fully literate until third grade. It was a tough challenge, especially because I didn’t want to disappoint my family. It felt devastating to think I was failing. Luckily, one teacher spent six months working with me, helping me catch up, and it made all the difference. It made me realize that we need more mentors like her.

Talia surpassed everyone’s expectations by earning a BA in Political Science, an MS in Social Policy, and graduating from UB with a law degree at age 25. Although she isn’t currently practicing law, she is a certified mediator and plans to stay in the legal field, aiming for a doctorate in education or educational leadership. She is also honored with the Business First 2025 Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Awareness Award.

A single mom, Talia loves spending time and volunteering with her 8-year-old son, Arcadio Juan. Arcadio loves sports and plays football and baseball for West Side. He also has his own YouTube channel and branded content project, creating digital literature for bilingual kids. Arcadio says his books help him process his own experiences and share them with others. As an only child, Talia says that Arcadio acts more like a little adult. “He takes his work very seriously and is passionate about advocating for himself. We both discuss the importance of seeing more diversity in literature, a topic Arcadio emphasizes in his videos at https://www.youtube.com/@AjsHybridDinos716/videos.

Regarding those still embarking on their own path to finding the best career choices for themselves, she says, “Start with service. Explore your own passions in serving others. We can all help.”