Meet Chef Roxie

“Food and people are my passion…I’m just a kid from Pacoima building (life)

and loving life!”

Roxanne Wilson (aka Roxie) came to NVCS as part of “starving student” program when she picked up food from the pantry and also met NVCS Executive Director Manny Flores. She has never looked back.

There is a love that occurs through the sharing of food that brings folks together and this love has always been part of her life. When given the opportunity to pursue a culinary career, she was all in. In 2017 during her time at culinary school, Chef Roxie met Chef Margoth Fuentes and created Community Chefs

Community Chefs Roxie and Margoth began attending NVCS on pantry Fridays and picked proteins, vegetables and fruits from the distribution and created delicious dishes from donated food. Every week, the Chefs would introduce the community to unfamiliar foods and demonstrating how to cook them deliciously. The Community Chefs did not stop there, they also began providing NVCS kids with lunches, catering events such as NVCS marathon party and cooking meals for NVCS youth camp.

“Having fun with food and NVCS youth keeps me inspired. It reminds me how much that played a part in my childhood. The NVCS family was a natural fit as I was widely accepted with my forever changing hair styles, my love for bacon but my greater love for community.”

Chef Roxie graduated from Los Angeles Mission College Culinary Arts program with Dean’s Honor recognition award and gained culinary experience at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, Sony Movie Studios, Pillars Café and Sweetgreen.

At Happy Insides, is Chef Roxie’s catering business, where her food creations, personal experiences and passion exude from her soul. Her family-style dishes draw on Italian and southern food influences from her childhood. Shrimp-chicken grits is a signature dish which is loaded with jumbo Argentinian shrimp, bacon, Cajun chicken, sautéed peppers, onions and smokey creamy grits-- truly a trip to the south!

Look for Chef Roxie in action with photos, videos and announcements of her community food events on Facebook and Instagram.

“Life’s recipe is a blend of spice & sizzle.”