Meet three generations of the kitchen team working for City Seeds, a Humanim social enterprise, serving the Freestate ChalleNGe Academy: Brenda Clash, her daughter Niki Crawford and Niki’s son Omarion Crawford.
It’s a family affair in the Edgewood kitchen where Humanim prepares meals for young people in the Freestate program.
Brenda, affectionately known as Ms. B or Momma B around the kitchen, is a cook and assistant manager who has been with Humanim for over a year but has been working in kitchens for decades.
Daughter Niki Crawford joined the Humanim team at Edgewood about ten months ago. Her son, Omarion, started a couple months later, and all three enjoy the chance to team up to serve young people in the program.
“I love working with my mom. I’ve been working with my mom for years,” Niki says.
The Clash-Crawford family shares a love of cooking, especially baked goods. Niki’s known for her apple crumb and 7-up cakes; Omarion whips up a mean cheesecake – and they like bringing in desserts for the City Seeds APG kitchen team.
Outside of work, Brenda likes NBA basketball (the Lakers, Spurs and Heat are her favorites), playing spades with friends and listening to jazz. And she loves spending time outside of work with her family.
“My husband passed away 11 years ago, and for the first time in my life, it was just me,” she says. “My children are grown and live their lives. I’m learning to be independent.”
Her colleagues may not know that she used to drive in street races on country roads. “We’d race on a lonely highway,” she says. “I did a lot of that and just prayed I didn’t get a ticket. I can be a silly person; I do silly things, as long as nobody gets hurt, life is beautiful.”
Niki, an assistant manager at Edgewood, loves old school R&B, reading poetry and going out dancing.
She enjoys her job and the opportunity to grow. “I really value the things that you learn, the skills that you learn. I never stop learning; I’m always learning something new. I’m not closed off to that.”
Omarion, a utility worker who handles set-up, prep, and clean-up, has been cooking since he was a kid, learning from his family and online videos and TV shows like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” He also plays music – trumpet, trombone, and sax – and dreams about opening an enterprise with music and food.
Working in the kitchen with his mom and grandmother comes naturally after so many years of cooking as a family. “I’ve shared a few shifts with them, usually my mom and sometimes with my grandmom. We both know what to do so there’s no yelling or anything. I got it, and I enjoy it.”
With every dish they prepare and every moment they share, the Clash-Crawford family leaves an unforgettable impression on City Seeds and the people they serve. In the kitchen, family is the secret ingredient and the key to their success.