Author: Eric Williams

When Steve Parks was a young boy in Michigan, his mom taught him “the paradigm of human services is part of growing up.” Their family helped out at a co-op bakery and local food bank, instilling the understanding that paradigm was more than just a slogan.  

All through high school, Steve worked as a short-order cook at Seva Restaurant in Ann Arbor; Seva opened in 1973 and is a going concern today. “You get to meet all kinds of cool people working at a restaurant,” he says.

Today, Steve is a member of the civilian workforce at Fairchild Air Force Base, which specializes in the art of flying the tankers that refuel Air Force jets at high speed in midair. He and his wife both retired from the Army, and he also spent time as a civil engineer in the Navy. His career has been a life of service to our country.  

With economics the way they are today, Steve accesses Second Harvest Mobile Market free food distributions on base, including one on a rainy Tuesday in August. 

Naturally cheery, Steve manages a smile even when he explains “Times are hard.”  Simultaneously, he proudly adds, “We have two kids, 13 and 14. They eat like crazy and are growing like mad.”   

Having a fondness for the intersection of food and people, he’s particularly appreciative of receiving staples; the Mobile Market menu that day included pasta, canned tomatoes and corn, fresh produce, and eggs, to name a few—with a nice pie for dessert.  

“It’s so nice, getting all these little blessings,” Steve says, adding, “Food brings people together.”