Melinda is always busy, you can see the passion and love she has for her work every day. When you don’t see her in the kitchen or in the garden she is getting active or spending time with her husband and little pup Cody.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been at the YWCA

MA: Over six years now. I fell in love with the organization and position when I was moving to Asheville and knew this is where I wanted to work. I was a chef for 20 years in the private education sector and love cooking for children. It’s a rare opportunity to teach and share your passion for good food.

Tell us about what you do.

MA: My daily tasks are a mix of preparing homemade, nutritious food for the children in our programs and developing recipes that meet all the nutritional needs of children throughout the day. I also get to plan educational activities for both children and adults in our programs

What are you most proud of in your work with the YW?

MA: A couple of things, I am very proud of the transformation of the child nutrition program, since I started we’ve moved to fresh, seasonal menus, in house recipes prepared in our on-site kitchen. Then the opportunity I have to work with our community. Good quality food is not accessible to everyone. It hurts my heart. I partner with a lot of growers in this area both to access fresh produce for our programs and to partner on solutions for food insecurity in our community. It is so important to advocate for healthy food for all, I sit on several boards and am almost always the only person of color on those boards. This is wild to me since POC are the majority of who we are hoping to serve.

What are you most proud of in your work with the YW?

MA: A couple of things, I am very proud of the transformation of the child nutrition program, since I started we’ve moved to fresh, seasonal menus, in house recipes prepared in our on-site kitchen.

Then the opportunity I have to work with our community. Good quality food is not accessible to everyone. It hurts my heart. I partner with a lot of growers in this area both to access fresh produce for our programs and to partner on solutions for food insecurity in our community. It is so important to advocate for healthy food for all, I sit on several boards and am almost always the only person of color on those boards. This is wild to me since POC are the majority of who we are hoping to serve. 

What is your favorite activity at the YW?

MA: Farmers market Fridays - I select seasonal food that I pick up at farmers' markets or the growers I work with drop off and we get curious together. I bring it to the classroom and we observe the produce, taste the food and talk about what it tastes like. They give very honest answers, sometimes it's a flat-out dislike but you can see the curiosity of flavors develop and grow.

Who was an important or inspirational woman in your life growing up (and why?)

MA: I recently lost my grandma, “G-mama” (she laughed when I called her that) “Abuelita”. She was always there for me. My mom was a single mom so I spent a lot of time with my grandma. She loved food, and music and was always boisterous and laughing. She introduced me to so many flavors and opened my eyes to expressing love through food. I also had the opportunity to travel with her to Puerto Rico every summer. We spent time in Aguadilla, Saltuse and San Juan. My family comes from a long line of both farmers and fishermen and experiencing that firsthand was so instrumental to my upbringing. I can still taste that fresh mango that was just a little sweeter when you are a child sitting in the tree you picked it from.I know my culinary career started in my grandmother’s kitchen. She would tell me “If you are not happy, don’t cook because people taste it”. Today I remind the nutrition team regularly to be present and ground your energy before you cook, we want our food to taste of love and joy.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

MA: Nothing, I’m open book! I think I only surprise people when I’m quiet.

What motivates you?

MA: Knowing that every child I serve I am offering growth, that each flavor builds a love for food. Without good nutrition, your quality of life changes and I am helping set the foundation of lifelong wellbeing. It seems like such a little change but research shows that it has a lasting impact.