Remi Holden started volunteering for us in early October last year, and we knew we had struck gold when he became a core Selma Cafe helper.  By the new year, Remi had taken on the challenging and exciting role of Friday Mornings@SELMA expeditor.  The expeditor’s job is to work directly with the chef and the volunteers, and make sure that the food gets on the plates, looks terrific, and gets to the people quickly. Remi has done a terrific job, and I wanted to be sure to interview him for this feature before he leaves town for his latest adventures. Good luck and safe travels Remi!

Remi, please tell us about yourself:

I am an Ann Arbor native.  I went to school in the Selma neighborhood. I have spent many hours running in Eberwhite woods, and it was such a pleasure to discover SELMA in my own back yard where I grew up.  I care a lot about health– my own, and the health of the community. This translates into 2 really big loves of mine: running and food.

What is your role at Selma:

My role at Selma is to make people happy! I want guests and volunteers who come to Selma to have an enjoyable experience. I want them to enjoy local food and to meet interesting people.  I like helping people become invested in the local food systems. So, my role at Selma is expeditor– I get things from the chefs to the plates and out to the guests, and I coordinate with the volunteers so that they feel comfortable in their volunteer roles, learn new skills, and feel that they have contributed to the mission of RP&F.

What work do you do when you aren’t helping out at Selma?

I’ve been an educator for 5 years. I began as a middle and high school teacher. I now work in the field of educational technology.  Most recently I was teaching at the U-M Flint campus where I was working with teachers who are interested in creating new learning technologies, and then implementing those new technologies in their classrooms.  I’ll be teaching and traveling in Europe for the next month, and then I’m off to the University of Wisconsin to begin my PhD. research with the Games, Learning and Society research group.

Tell us 3 things that people don’t generally know about you.

First, I’m a dancer– I grew up in a dancing family, and one of my most meaningful college experiences was choreographing dances for a student produced dance program.  The second things is I really love minor league baseball.  I love attending games and reading about players. I’m inspired by how people pursue the American dream through baseball.  And third, I am a juggler.  I can juggle apples and take a bite out of one while I am juggling.

What is your favorite food and drink?

These days I’ve been experimenting with different types of vegetable dips. So a zucchini and cashew dip served with grilled pita, or a fava bean puree served with raw veggies is really good.  I make my own electrolyte running drink, as a substitute for corporately produced electrolyte drinks. I make it with tart cherry juice, yerba mate tea, local michigan honey and a bit of salt.  It tastes great and it keeps me really hydrated when I run.

What else would you like us to know about you:

I wasn’t expecting to move back to ann arbor a year ago, and when I did, I was so beautifully surprised to find the Selma community, which, when I was growing up, didn’t exist in this self sustaining kind of way.  It’s been so meaningful for me to be part of a community that combines food, friendship, and a commitment to the local economy and local politics.  Selma Cafe builds community, and it supports the livelihood of small business owners and farmers. I know that during times in the past I talked about supporting those things but I wasn’t active in doing so, but through Selma I had the opportunity to do that, and be part of it, and it has been deeply gratifying.

~*~

We are really going to miss Remi.  He has become a good friend as well as an awesome volunteer.  Thanks for everything Remi!

~Lisa