Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Freiburger.
Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small town in rural Southwest Missouri. I was working at the local Pizza Hut after graduating high school and was fortunate enough to find a pathway to Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO. As a first-generation college student, I fell in love with school!
My sociology professors at MSSU encouraged me to apply to graduate school and I landed a spot at University of Central Missouri where I got my master’s degree and then found a pathway to KU for my Ph.D.
I immediately fell in love with Lawrence when my little family (me, my partner and 2-year old daughter) moved here in 2002! Growing up a working-class kid in rural Missouri, I appreciated so many things about my new town such as a bus system, public art, community gardens, the library and the universities that give so much vitality to the community.
Even as I was grateful to be engaged in ideas while teaching and learning at KU; academia ultimately did not feel like home to me. So when I finished my degree, I pursued community work with the hope that I it would be more fulfilling and meaningful.
Along the way to earning my degree, we had a second child and I knew that I wanted both of my girls to grow up in Lawrence!
After earning my PhD, I started working for a Farm to Preschool program. I loved engaging with families and young children – connecting with them through growing, cooking and eating good food. I met people from diverse backgrounds through this work: We gardened, cooked, taste-tested and learned recipes together.
I felt so at home connecting with folks from different walks of life, which is something I missed when I was immersed in academic work. As the grant-funded Farm to Preschool program came to end, I knew this work needed to continue and that it should be expanded to include people of all ages across the community.
My co-worker Emily and I identified a need in our community for bringing people together of all backgrounds and ages – We knew that food could be the vehicle for bringing people together and that social connection is the foundation for a more just community. We didn’t see anything quite like this in our community, so we brought Sunrise Project into existence in 2015. We have tried lots of different activities and programs to connect people to good food and to each other. We landed on our keystone programs that are beloved by the community: Free community meals, Sunday cafés, classroom cooking in our local schools, Lawrence Fruit Tree Project and our community garden. Everything we do is free and open to all!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Learning how to lead community programs while also honoring my own needs has been a powerful learning experience over the years. I love and am good at connecting with lots of different people but, ultimately, I am an introvert! I need lots of alone time to regenerate. I am very out-going and effusive by nature but I have to balance that with a lot of quiet time to sit with my own thoughts, too. I have learned how to prioritize solitude within my very public-facing job. This helps me find the balance I need so I can lead with compassion and love – this authenticity is integral!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the director of Sunrise Project, a Lawrence non-profit that provides space and opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to build an equitable community through education, good food and social connection. We bring people together for community care through shared meals, Sunday cafés, classroom cooking, gardening, collective art projects, laughing and sometimes dancing. We cook together, wash dishes and have a bowl of soup. Sometimes Whitney Houston or Madonna is playing in the background and we can’t help but burst into song or dance. We need inclusive spaces where we can come together for fun and joy and I am proud that Sunrise Project does that!
I write and manage grants, organize volunteers, attend board meetings, keep the website current, cook, clean and so much more. But the most important work I do is connecting. Everything else is secondary. No matter how busy I am, I will always make the time to stop and connect, to listen. To appreciate and to celebrate. We need each other and we need community more than ever.
Sunrise has become a trusted space of inclusivity and belonging. We truly have folks from all walks of life connect with us through our programs. I am really proud of this! We are 11 years old now and I feel so grateful for all of the community support that has helped us on this journey. I feel very honored to lead Sunrise Project and strive to share leadership with my team and the wider community because Sunrise is not mine. It is a co-created, constantly adapting project that thrives because of the many people who contribute their time, talent, energy and love.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that Lawrence is so close to Kansas City! When I visit KC I love to make a stop at Blue Nile Ethiopian restaurant, the Nelson-Atkins and the Kemper.
In Lawrence, I appreciate the social justice work that makes our town a better community. From Lawrence Tenants working on Tenants Right to Counsel, to Sanctuary Alliance & Somos Lawrence supporting our immigrant communities, I feel so grateful to live in a town where this work is part of the fabric of our community.
Pricing:
- FREE!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunriseprojectks.org
- Instagram: @thesunriseproject
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunriseproject
