Episode 27: Cheffing Up Love & Advocacy for Vulnerable Populations featuring Shonah Jefferson

Shonah Jefferson began her culinary career at the tender age of 11 – by helping her dad at his local Houston restaurant.  After spending many years in business and as a practicing attorney, she returned to her culinary roots by managing the family restaurant for a few years while obtaining a degree in Culinary Arts from San Jacinto College.

Shonah has always had an interest in giving back to others because “to whom much is given, much is required.”  Being a Chefs for Seniors owner and personal chef gives her an opportunity to “do well by doing good” and to combine her love of people, business and the culinary arts.  She and her team of chefs primarily serve the seniors of the North Houston area.

Shonah attended The University of Texas at Austin, where she received a B.B.A. in Finance and a B.A. in Plan II Honors Liberal Arts.  She also has a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law.  She brings over 25 years of business and legal experience to the table as the owner of Chefs for Seniors – North Houston.

In this episode, Shonah, an avid green tea drinker, shares her journey of doing well and doing good. Her career in law was inspired by her senior thesis on transracial adoption and the Honorable Judge Hatchett, who years ago shifted her career from corporate law to presiding as juvenile court judge. Similarly, Shonah shares why she chose to leave a 6-figure job to work in spaces that fed her spirit.  A question she asked herself that is relevant to us in the work is "Can I bring this work home with me?". Better yet, "is this work where my heart is?" Driven by faith and her conviction that faith can indeed be centered in her work, Shonah invested in her entrepreneurial journey to blend advocacy and culinary arts. Now in the space of cheffing up meals, love and meaning for an undervalued and often overlooked population, the elderly, Shonah reminds us of the importance of our elders. With personal and professional reflections on mental health, depression and disparate rates of suicide in the aging community, Shonah offers up wisdom on what we should bear in mind for our elders and the Black community at large.

We feed our spirits, cultivate our minds and center faith in the work as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Shonah on LinkedIn Chef for Seniors website and Facebook. 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.