The story behind Melissa Brown and Brownees Urban Bistro
Melissa is a 32-year-old mother of 2 boys. A recent full-time student, Melissa spent the last 7 years studying psychology and sociology at the University of Winnipeg and addictions & community support at CDI college. Melissa's initial plan was to use her education and life experiences to become a force for positive change and growth within the social services sector working primarily with at-risk youth. However, her plans would change. Upon graduating, Melissa decided she owed it to herself and children to take a year off to fully embrace life, all the joys of motherhood, and to embark on a much needed soul searching journey.
As far back as Melissa can remember, she always loved cooking.
According to her mother, it was at age 4 that her interest in cooking became evident. At daycare, instead of playing amongst other children, she wanted to hang around the kitchen. Wherever there was a cook working their magic, there she was intently observing. At age 7, she was already cooking full meals.
Melissa was born on Treaty 1 land. Raised in a single parent household in Winnipeg's West End; a less then nurturing crime and drug ridden neighbourhood, Melissa, throughout the majority of her life, experienced an immense amount of struggle, pain, and adversity. But it was always in the kitchen, that she was able to forget the ills of her world, restore her sense of normality, and find her peace and healing. Cooking for her was like artistic expression, it was her form of therapy
Looking back at her life, particularly her adolescent and teen years, Melissa recalls how food played a significant and positive roll in the lives of so many inner-city youth.
Food and the opportunity to cook was always the surefire way to engage the youth in the neighbourhood and whenever places like Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre offered either, Melissa and her friends were always there.
Reflecting upon these experiences, the universal love of food, and the profound influence food has on crucial social forces such as family, culture, and connectedness, it only made sense for Melissa to embark on this journey to create an urban Indigenous youth culinary program and Brownees Urban Bistro.