Hello beautiful. Welcome back to my space! Welcome back to another celebration! This week I am celebrating Kimberly Renee of Might Be Vegan and Food Love! I stumbled across her Instagram page a few months ago and was inspired to say the least!
One of the first projects I saw Kimberly in was The Trap Kitchen. I love Kimberly’s take on making plant-based food fun and accessible! Another way that Kimberly has made plant-based eating accessible is by offering a meal planning service. I’ve seen some of those meals and they look amazing.
When Covid-19 made its way to the US, Kimberly did some research and found that Black and Brown communities were dis-proportionally affected by the virus. She knew that she had to do something, so she launched a program called Food Love that would provide healthy, plant based food to communities in need nation wide! The story about the challenges Kimberly faced when starting Food Love is so beautiful and inspiring, check out the Instagram our Instagram Soulversation for the full story!
I had the pleasure of diving deep with Kimberly through during an Instagram LIVE we talked for over an hour about ALL of the things! Being Black in America, code-switching, language, being Black in corporate spaces and so much more.
Here are some of the highlights from our Soulversation:
Tell me about Might Be Vegan.
It began with a focus on doing in home meal prep and meal planning. It evolved in to focusing on doing community work and working in corporate spaces.
What kind of meal planning services to you offer?
I have a 25 week program where I will plan your meals with a mixture of my plant based recipes and recipes from some of my friends.
Tell us a little about Food Love.
Food Love launched in April, it was a response to news reports that said blacks, indigenous and Latin folks are dying at a higher rate from Covid 19. I had to investigate and there were a few reasons why. Many of them were the result of systemic racism which a lot of us are learning about right now. Living in congested areas, lacking healthy food and being exposed to pollutants are among the reasons these communities have been hit so hard.
I knew I could not solve all of the problems but I knew that I could do one thing! I knew that I could get people food. I thought ‘how can I get these communities healthy, plant based food to boost their immune systems.
What were those first steps?
I reached out to brands to see if they would partner with me and that didn’t go well. They ignored me and essentially let me know which issues were more important. They decided that health care workers were more important. Whats key here though is one is a need and one is a thank you. That is an important distinction for brands to consider. What we cannot forget about is those people who are not gainfully employed. I wanted to keep them out of the hospitals which is also a way to say thank you.
When I got so many ‘nos’ I asked the universe “are you freaking sure, if you want me to do this, you gotta come up with the resources because I can’t do this by myself, I’m just one person”. Nothing happened for two weeks. We had two partners, which was beautiful but we had a whole nation to feed.
We started quietly and fed a few families and checked out our process and worked out some kinks. I made a Go Fund Me and put my own 15 dollars in there. I was mad and unfeeling because I had been given this dream in my heart and didn’t have the money to make it happen.
And then George Floyd died. It was at that point, when the protest started coupled with rioting that people started paying attention to black people. Realizing that the access I now had, was payed for by a black body is such a hard thing to carry right now. It has also been a beautiful thing that so many people have reached out and asked how they can help. We all have to do our part and my focus is on food.
What is something you wish you knew before starting Food Love?
I wish I would have thought more about older adults and non English speaking people. All of my materials are in English and sent through email, and a lot of older people don’t have access to email/computers.
What is your purpose?
I am called to preach. I don’t mean in church. I thought that’s what it meant when I was little. I am called to be a voice. My voice is one that people can relate to. My ability to tell a story and break it down in unique ways, helps people to look at themselves internally. It helps people to not be offended but to self-reflect.
Can you share your vegan story?
Not too long ago, in December going into New Years, I went to a vision board party. I started cutting stuff out of magazines. I put a picture of an attractive man, a cute car, some water, cause I need to drink more water. I saw the word vegan somewhere and thought I have been thinking about eating more healthy so I cut that out and put that on there. I didn’t take this seriously, I just did it because I was in that moment spending time with my friends.
Four months later, I was in the kitchen, cooking and I was seasoning a hen, real good. And then at some point, I look down at the bird and I saw a being for the first time, not food. It hit me and I got a little teary about it and that’s not me, I’ve been eating chicken all my life. I felt compassion for the animal, and I felt like a murderer in that moment, like I killed it.
The food industry does a really good job of allowing us to disconnect from the trauma and the heartache and the murder that is factory farming.
When I had that moment, I decided that I would not cook anymore chicken. I would not cook anymore meat because I couldn’t handle it. I literally started thinking about the who behind the what that was on my plate. I still ate chicken after that outside of the house and then eventually I was like, this is just hypocrisy. After I had a moment with dairy, I slowly eliminated animal products from my diet.
What is one thing you wish you knew before going vegan?
Everything I wish I knew before going vegan I actually put in a book. Its called How TF To Eat More Plants. It comes with an E book and a nutrition guide.
What is one food that you cannot live without?
Pizza, thin crust and lots of veggies
What is one of your favorite simple meal?
Chana Masala because it has lots of protein so it fills me up really quickly and it has so much flavor with the contrast between sweet and savory.
How have you been staying grounded during this time?
Looking at the name list on the Food Love list and imagining their faces and what their house looks like and It’ll say something like”Andrea, family of 10 from San Jose” and i’ll see that and put in perspective my feelings about whats going on. That helps me to stay grounded and to stay focused.
Music is a big part of my life so music helps me to do that as well. Jill Scott, Lucky Daye, Earthgang , H.E.R, Sir, Roddy Ricch, Adrian Marcel, Quincy, Robert Glasper are a few of my favorites.
Who inspires you?
There are certain young women who I see speaking on the front lines of these protests that inspire me. Then there are other black women who are doing amazing things in their business, like Rachel Cargle, the way that she dissects and then disseminates ideas is inspiring.
What is a book that has changed or transformed your life?
One would be Communicating For A Change , it inspired me to use language to change the world. It inspired me to use language to change myself and to be very intentional. It was a book that let me know that I am not alone and that I am seen.
What are simple things that bring you joy?
Cooking brings me joy when I feel free! Decompressing with Lemonade at the end of the day while watching a movie. Spending time outside. Spending time with my little cousin. I love spaying spades on the internet.
What are you favorite self care practices?
Yoga is important! When I do practice yoga I feel grounded.
What are words that you live by?
There are certain fundamental beliefs that I live by. I am forthright and I am authentic, I do my best to always tell the truth. I live my life without regrets.
I absolutely LOVED celebrating and getting to know Kimberly Renee! If you are in the market for a meal planning service, shes got you covered, head on over to Mightbevegan.co ! If you interested in donating here is the Go Fund Me for Food Love!
Thank you so much for stopping by and until next time, Stay Fabulous!
