This article was in the top 3 winners of Lookout’s Journalism Scholarship challenge, which invited high school students to highlight an unsung hero in their life. For placing in the top 3 they were awarded a $500 scholarship. Learn more and find all of the winners here.
The kitchen is a chaotic place. Picture this: a room full of nearly 20 teens. Each one is carrying out their job, whether that be working on a recipe that calls for 20 heads of cabbage to be chopped and shredded, scooping large containers of food into 60 trays to be then sealed, dated, and all repeated six more times, or being on cleaning duty, which in itself opens up a whole world of tasks. While you maneuver through the aisles of tables full of chopping, mixing, scooping, and tossing, you’re greeted with the sounds of “behind!”, “sharp!” and the cautionary “hot walking!” Additionally, the pressure is on, as 450 healthy meals need to be cooked and packaged each day to reach the hands of our community’s most vulnerable, those with chronic illnesses, and a panic flows through the room when suddenly a pan of rice falls or the wrong dish is paired with the wrong side. Welcome to Teen Kitchen Project (TKP), the place of hard work and fulfillment.
Running a kitchen full of ever-learning teenagers is no easy feat, and yet, Alexis Keith, TKP’s kitchen manager, takes the lead with grace. “If I had to pick one word to describe this job well,” Keith wrote, “I’d say being adaptable … since we work with kids, there’s always a chance that something will get burned, spilled, or made wrong. In those cases, it’s really important to focus on solutions rather than the problem itself.”
Keith began her career after earning her bachelor’s degree in the science of nutrition, where she worked in long-term care facilities and hospitals as part of the food and nutrition services department. Her love of giving back to her community while also expanding her knowledge of nutrition to others attracted her to this line of work, but she faced many challenges as surrounding herself with those suffering from chronic illness took an emotional toll.
Taking in all she learned from her time in such facilities and departments while having her unwavering goal of helping others, she found herself in the kitchen working for TKP in November 2023 as the grocery program coordinator and assistant chef. A year later, when the position of kitchen manager presented itself, Keith filled in the role, where she plans for the daily cook, makes sure the kitchen has all the products necessary (packaging, aprons, recipes, produce and dry goods) and manages the teen workers, which includes answering all questions and making sure there is a teen for every shift.
TKP is a nonprofit dedicated to building healthier communities through food by providing nourishing meals to individuals with serious illnesses, all the while looking to the youth to create more connected communities by providing work and volunteer opportunities to teens in Santa Cruz County. TKP has touched the hearts and homes of many families in crisis, and Keith plays a major role – if it weren’t for her work and dedication, many families would not be receiving the necessary nourishment that they receive from TKP. When asked what motivates her each day to show up to work and gives her fulfillment, she answered, “Connecting and engaging with the teens, watching their growth … and knowing we are producing healthy and nutritious food.”
In addition to her major contributions to helping nourish the most vulnerable in Santa Cruz County, Keith connects with her employees not only as a boss, but as a friend. “Working hard doesn’t feel so grueling when you’re chit-chatting with a friend,” said Evey Avila, who spent two years as a teen chef at TKP. When describing her experiences with Keith, she writes, “I have gained a lot of invaluable life experience and knowledge… so everywhere I go, there will be a little bit of Alexis sprinkled in my work.”
Alexis Keith is an unsung hero who deserves to be recognized within our community. With her work behind the scenes, she allows TKP to carry out its mission and make lives a bit easier for those in need. She sees the youth as the future of our community, thus putting in all her effort to be both friend and leader, teaching skills of nutrition and problem solving that will follow them throughout their careers. Keith is a true leader and never wavers to the pressure and stress that comes along with it. Truly, as Evey Avila described, after you have worked with her, a little bit of Alexis will be sprinkled in every daily task, whether that be in the kitchen at home or problem-solving your way out of a sticky situation, all the skills she has taught shine through.