January 3, 2013

Rural Roots: Finding a home at Cornerstone

“Cornerstone Theater Company found me at the most crucial moment of my post-grad life.”

I grew up in a rural community in Ohio. Perhaps I should define “rural”. My family ate food every day from our garden, my high school was surrounded by the cornfields of our family friends, and our town center was a grain elevator. I’m sure some of you are google-imaging “grain elevators” right now. Needless to say, my upbringing was very much influenced by farming and the surrounding culture. I had no idea that was the case until I moved to Los Angeles a year ago.

Lea catches the theater bug early through a community Christmas pageant.

I began to learn more about the farming crisis in the US while in college at Ohio University for Theater Performance. I read, I planted, I read some more. I knew this was a passion of mine, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do with this newfound interest. Then Cornerstone fell into my lap and as soon as I found out they were working on The Hunger Cycle, I knew I was in my right place in the universe.

Lea and sister, Tia, play on the farm with grandma.

My story with Cornerstone began by just volunteering to do anything to support them during Café Vida. I did mailings, office work, errands, anything that was needed a couple days a week. Since then, I am so proud to have become a member of the Cornerstone staff, first as the Ticketing Coordinator for SEED, and now as Administrative & Database Assistant.

What this company is doing to support the fight against the food crisis is so crucial to our community here in Los Angeles and all over this nation. It is also extremely close to my heart as someone who was blessed to grow up around agriculture and will fight until the end to promote local and sustainable living.

Written by Lea Blair, Cornerstone’s Administrative & Database Assistant