Meet Chelsea Thomas, a dedicated assistant manager at the City Seeds kitchen in Edgewood.
In her role as a cook and assistant manager at the City Seeds kitchen, Chelsea Thomas focuses on the young people she’s feeding who are taking part in the Freestate ChalleNGe Academy. That means getting to know them and supporting them as they navigate a demanding program.
“I really enjoy building a relationship with the boys and girls in the program,” she says. “They may only see me for an hour, but I do see the impact I have on them. When I see them, they’re excited.”
She also makes sure they are well fed. “I value just making sure the meals are cooked right; these kids are staying here for five months. They’re away from their families and it’s a different diet. I just value making sure I’m cooking the food properly and it tastes good. If they’re dealing with something else in the program, at least they get a good meal. That can help with a lot of issues.”
Chelsea has been with Humanim for two years but has loved cooking for far longer. “I always enjoy cooking. It’s always been a passion and it just makes me happy.”
Chelsea appreciates the family atmosphere in Edgewood and likes giving back to her coworkers, just as they support her. “I think people just gravitate toward me naturally. I’m the type of person who makes people feel warm and that you can come to talk about anything. I’m a safe space for people. That makes people comfortable with me.”
Outside of work, Chelsea stays busy decorating her house and selling craft items she creates on her own Etsy.com channel. And she has fond memories of a “life changing” 2022 trip to the Maldives, a beautiful island nation far out to sea in the Indian Ocean. She also has a side business managing sales in a number of vending machines in the Edgewood area.
Chelsea takes pride in being a budding entrepreneur and learning how to manage her finances after struggling as a young adult.
“When I was younger, I would live paycheck to paycheck,” she says. “At some point, it put me in a bad space, and I felt hopeless. Now I’m really good at managing my finances and being able to live with what I have.”
Chelsea’s story is not just one of culinary skill and professionalism but also of resilience and personal growth, making her an invaluable asset to both her workplace and her community.