Wonderfully Made is excited to re-introduce a seasoned writer for WM, Rachel Brown! As the Director of Project Development for the non-profit Touch A Life, she has a heart for children being trafficked as she both helps and learns from them. Aside from the non-profit world, Rachel is a talented writer. Be sure to check out Rachel’s blog Coffee & Tacos, which you can read about in our Q&A with her below, as well as following future articles she writes for Know Your Value!
How did you become involved with Touch A Life, the non-profit focused on rehabilitating children who have been trafficked?
I learned about Touch A Life when I was a senior at Pepperdine University. The co-founder of the organization, Pam Cope, spoke on campus and she & I got to talking about the work she was doing in Ghana, West Africa. God used that conversation as the catalyst to spark the great adventure we’d get to embark on together. I traveled to Ghana with Pam and a group of volunteers in August after I graduated, and I was hired as Touch A Life’s first full-time staff member a few months later. I have been working for Touch A Life since January 2009, and every day I feel so grateful for this path God has put me on.
What do you love most about working in the non-profit world?
The thing I love most about working in the nonprofit world is the people I get to interact with, as we dream and scheme about ways to make the world a better place. The children in our care in Ghana are so inspiring to me – they teach me so much more than I could ever teach them, and they are models of grace, resilience, and perseverance.
Why did you choose to join Wonderfully Made as a contributor?
I wrote for Wonderfully Made a few years ago doing profiles on amazing women who were making a difference in the world, and I have followed WM’s growth ever since. I love writing and when Allie and I reconnected at the Yellow Conference in August, we started dreaming big dreams about collaborations, one of them being me coming back on board with Wonderfully Made. I was thrilled about the opportunity and I jumped at the chance to be a contributor.
What are your main themes to write about for your personal blog, Coffee and Tacos?
I love writing about food, travel, faith & community, all of which are my favorite things to discuss with my family & friends. The blog serves as a platform to share those thoughts with people I haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet in person, connecting with them through these topics and ideas.
What inspired the name Coffee and Tacos?
As you might imagine, coffee & tacos are two of my favorite things (especially when enjoyed together!), which spurred on the name for the blog. But the deeper meaning revolves around the concept of gathering around the table, a phrase coined and its virtues expounded upon by one of my favorite authors, Shauna Niequist. There is nothing I love more than spending time around the table with people I love, enjoying delicious food, tasty beverages, and great conversation.
