Tiffany was a very curious baby. She always wanted to know how things worked, and that included her food. She was always taking her food apart to see what it was made of. At some point, she decided that she only ever wanted to eat chicken, so when her mom was having a hard time getting Tiffany to eat, she would tell Tiffany that it was chicken (even if it was actually a salad).

Tiffany also knew growing up that the food she was eating and the clothes she wore weren’t the most expensive available. “I didn’t always like what I got, but now that I’m grown, I appreciate how hard my mom had to work just to provide the basics of life,” Tiffany says

Her upbringing and natural curiosity led Tiffany to serve others as an adult. She earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Maryland and then started working with refugees and asylum seekers.

Today, Tiffany is the Executive Director of Asylee Women’s Enterprise (AWE), which serves women and children seeking asylum and other forced migrants in Baltimore. Her agency helps women and children by providing services like housing, classes to learn English, job training, and supplies to raised children. AWE also has a hot lunch program and food pantry that distributes more than 25,000 pounds of mostly fresh produce ever year.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without help from others,” Tiffany says. “And now I can make a difference to others.”

Are you a WIC Baby? We would love to tell your story! Email us at MDH.WIC@Maryland.gov or message us on Facebook or Instagram @MDH.WIC.