Getting to Know Nellie Mejia

Triangle Family Services would not be able to provide the help to the families in need if it were not for their hard working staff. Nellie Mejia is one of many that have helped Triangle Family Services become the successful non-profit company they are today.

Nellie Mejia

Nellie Mejia was born and raised in El Paso, Texas but was forced to move when her husbands job brought them to North Carolina. A good friend of Nellie’s worked for Triangle Family Services and told her of an opening that had become available and told her she should apply. Nellie is Bilingual which is exactly a trait Triangle Family Services was looking for in a person to hire. Nellie wanted to make a difference in the world and what better place to do it than Triangle Family Services. She now is an IFC Intake Coordinator here at TFS and said she could not imagine ever wanting to work anywhere else. “The most rewarding part about working here at Triangle Family Services is seeing the changes clients go through while successfully going through their treatment” said Nellie during our interview. This shows the kind of person Nellie is and how much she cares for the families that come into Triangle Family Services day in and day out. Nellie continued by saying “There is no else to work that is so rewarding.”

When asked to give her favorite quote Nellie Mejia simply said “Be the change you want to see” which I believe not only sums up the entire interview but the entire staff here at Triangle Family Services.

Culinary Corner: An interview with Pastry Chef Jill Leckey of the Fearrington House Restaurant

It might be too early to play holiday music in the office, but all this talk of our Gingerbread Benefit has the entire TFS staff in the holiday spirit! By the way–did we mention that we’re reeeallly excited for the event? It’s only 30 days away! Many of the area’s top chefs are preparing to create tasty masterpieces to auction off at our event. Last week we introduced our “Culinary Corner” posts with an interview with Chef Daniel Benjamin of Herons Restaurant. This week, we’re honored to introduce pastry chef Jill Leckey of the Fearrington House Restaurant. Reading her interview, I can’t wait to see what her gingerbread house will look like!

Jill Leckey, Pastry Chef at the Fearrington House Restaurant

What or who inspired you to become a pastry chef? Who do you look up to in the field? I have always just loved being in the kitchen and creating delicious things. Jacques Torres was my first employer right out of pastry school. I still look up to him, and have great admiration for his amazing pastry and chocolate skills.

When you start a project do you have a vision or goal in mind, or do you figure it out as you go? I usually try to come up with a general idea of how I am going to accomplish the goal. Then I am open to let the idea evolve and change if need be.

What are your three favorite ingredients to work with?
Dark chocolate, star anise and scented geraniums

What will the inspiration for your gingerbread house be? I think that I am going to try and create a gingerbread house that has some sort of structural or design element that I have never attempted to create before. I love to challenge myself with things that I might not be able to do, but am willing to attempt.

The 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit is to be held on December 1, 2011 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the event are available online at https://tfsnc.org/index.php/gingerbread-benefit/purchase-tickets-online

Buy now–before the event sells out!

Check us out on Facebook!

Fianancial Workshops

Triangle Family Services is offering a mortgage zone financial workshop to address the key mortgage issues that affect most of their client base. This workshop will be offered on November 16th and December 7th and will be located at 700 Blue Ridge Rd, Suite 101, Raleigh, NC 27606.

To register for this workshop call the receptionist number at 919-821-1770. The workshop time will be at 6pm and will last approximately two hours. All instructors are staff counselors certified in credit and housing counseling. You may request follow up contact with your initial instructor to maintain information continuity.

Culinary Corner: An Interview with Chef Daniel Benjamin of Herons Restaurant

Only 44 days are left until our 9^th annual Gingerbread Benefit! Our office is filled with busy little elves preparing for the holiday event who are getting more excited minute by minute!  Of course, we can’t have a Gingerbread Benefit without gingerbread houses and we are honored that some of the area’s top pastry chefs have agreed to participate this year. In fact, we’re so thrilled that we’d like to offer you a little preview of what’s to come, and share the masterminds behind the masterpieces of the Gingerbread Benefit.

Meet Daniel Benjamin of Herons Restaurant at the Umstead Hotel and Spa

Pastry Chef Daniel Benjamin of Herons Restaurant at the Umstead Hotel and Spa

What or who inspired you to become a pastry chef? Who do you look up to in the field? I don’t think I was inspired by any one thing, or person; it just seemed very natural.  [I look up to] anyone who doesn’t give up and keeps trying to do better and new things, but can also keep a respect for things from the past.

When you start a project do you have a vision or goal in mind, or do you figure it out as you go? I generally do not like to just figure it out as I go.  I usually have a vision in my head.

What are your three favorite ingredients to work with?
Smart people with a sarcastic dry sense of humor
Really nice fruit
Nuts, particularly pecans, pistachios, almonds, and hazelnuts

What will the inspiration for your gingerbread house be? At this point in time I think I will be making a “tree house” I have a vision of it in my head finished, but am not sure how my team and I will build it.

When do you feel most rewarded for your work?I feel rewarded when I get to see people eat our creations and they make that face that says, “This is really good,” and then you see them make the person they are with taste it too.

The 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit is to be held on December 1, 2011 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the event are available online at https://tfsnc.org/index.php/gingerbread-benefit/purchase-tickets-online

Buy now–before the event sells out!

Check us out on Facebook!

9th Annual Gingerbread Benefit: Tickets Available

The title of this post says it all!

As if you weren’t still talking about all the fun you had with us a mere 3 weeks ago at our first annual Wake Up with TFS breakfast, now you have something else to look forward to. Tickets to our 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit are available now online! Please click here to buy your’s today.

President Obama Speaking at NCSU Today

President Barack Obama will be making a speech at North Carolina State University (NCSU) today in begin developing support for his new American Jobs Act. Obama will be speaking at about 1 p.m. and you will be able to watch his speech live on WRAL and WRAL.com. Keep in mind that many roads around the NCSU campus,  Apex, RDU and downtown Raleigh will be shut down and drivers in the area should expect delays.

True Colors

National speaker and leading trainer with Leading to Change , Eric Rowles, was with our staff on September 6 to present one of his top workshops, True Colors: Living Your Legacy By Building Leaders Around You. This was a hands-on inventory aimed at assessing our organizational and leadership styles of each member here at TFS.  For more information about Leading To Change and/or the True Colors workshop, visit their website at leadingtochange.com. Thank you Eric for joining us and providing such wonderful information to the entire staff!