Just over four years ago, Chelsi Lewis moved back to the DMV, determined to finish her college degree and build a better future for her three kids. Originally from Alexandria, VA, she had spent several years in Georgia, where she worked as a case manager at the Salvation Army and ran a small food pantry. That experience sparked her passion for helping others, even before she had a name for it.
“I didn’t know the term ‘food insecurity’ existed,” she says. “I just thought it was my situation.” There were times when food was scarce, and Chelsi often skipped meals so her kids could eat. Those moments shaped her resolve to make sure others wouldn’t have to face the same hardship.
After returning to Virginia, Chelsi began working towards her degree when she received an email inviting her to apply to the Client Leadership Council (CLC), a Capital Area Food Bank program that equips individuals with lived experience of food insecurity to use their voices for change. Members train in advocacy and storytelling, learning to turn their experiences into leadership.
For Chelsi, joining the CLC was the start of something bigger. It gave her a platform to share her story and advocate for solutions to hunger in her community. During her time in the program, she testified before the Maryland House of Delegates in support of universal school meals, a cause she cared deeply about as a parent. That testimony led to a life-changing moment: Maryland State Senator Cheryl Kagan approached her afterward to share information about a scholarship program. Chelsi applied, was selected, and used the funds to complete her final year of college.
“Without the food bank and the CLC, I would have never had that opportunity,” she says.
Chelsi graduated with her degree in history, taught high school for a time, and continued speaking out for families who struggle to afford food. When she learned about an opening for a Neighborhood and Community Organizer at the food bank that oversees the very same Client Leadership Council that helped launch her advocacy journey—she knew it was the perfect fit.
She calls it divine intervention. The program that once gave her a voice now gives her the opportunity to lift up others. “The CLC taught me how to own my story, not be ashamed of it, and use it to create change,” she says. “To be leading it now feels like life coming full circle.”
Chelsi’s leadership is infused with the same kindness and authenticity that drew people to her as a member. She’s focused on creating an environment of trust and encouragement, where participants feel seen and supported. “They’ll know they’re not alone,” she says. “They have someone who understands what they’re going through, and who truly cares.”
As she looks ahead to this year’s CLC class, Chelsi is excited about new partnerships and expanded opportunities for members, including nutrition workshops and access to counseling services. “It’s opening up even more possibilities and avenues for learning,” she says. “I’ll be learning right alongside them.”
For Chelsi, the journey has been transformative. She’s proud to represent an organization that made such a difference in her own life and now empowers her to do the same for others. “Being able to make a change and represent the food bank just makes me feel so proud and blessed,” she says. “I feel right at home.”