Food for Thought

Article originally published in Portfolio Magazine

Chelsea’s Gourmet provides great value for customers and

so much more. When entering Chelsea’s Gourmet, customers receive a dose of health and happiness through our delicious sandwiches, amazing juices, and fan favorite salad bar, not to mention a plethora of other options.

However, did you know Chelsea’s Gourmet uses the proceeds to constantly

improve the lives of others? It starts with compensating employees above the

competition, reinvesting the profits into the business to improve customer value,

and donating to charities that support education in places ranging from India to Thailand. And yes, we partner with and sponsor a number of local charities as well. In the past we’ve worked with the Cultural Council, Humane Society, Riverside Theatre, Healthy Start Coalition, Indian River Land Trust, Hibiscus Children’s Center, Habitat for Humanity and more.

Why do we do all this? Well, our mission is to serve health and happiness. In that sense, we are mission driven. Our bottom line is a measure, not a goal. We see service as a way to give back and an opportunity to achieve real goals, like providing scholarships for girls in rural India or providing lunch for migrants in Thailand, neither of which might be provided otherwise. Health is an integral part of being able to provide service, for someone first needs to provide for and strengthen their own mind, body and spirit to be able to serve and help others. And happiness is not only crucial for health, but is a goal worth pursuing in its own right, at least according to John Stuart Mill.

The children I met in Mae Sot Thailand had been through quite a bit. They were poor beyond what the average American can imagine. They had fled an oppressive regime that often persecuted them for their identity, whether ethnic or religious. They built their own homes and a school with the little resources they could find. Their parents toiled away in factories for the majority of the day, sometimes not allowed to leave and without compensation. And yet, the children were happy. They had a school they could go to where smart and selfless adults were fighting for their right to have an opportunity for a better future.

Next time you shop at Chelsea’s, look at the person across the counter and know that you are helping that person achieve a better future. Know that your small investment in your own health and happiness is also touching the life of someone on the other side of the world. And enjoy the sweet and savory taste of progress.

To learn more, visit ChelseasGourmet.com or stop by the store and ask to

join the Food for Thought campaign.