Get to know Maria Kelly, founder of AMOR Healing Kitchen

What do you love most about what you do? Every single day is different and I’m constantly learning.

What inspired you, and how did you become involved in your current career(s)? I planted the seed of AMOR Healing Kitchen after a 14 year career in teaching high school in Charleston County. My love for plant-based food, local farms, working with teenagers, and supporting people in a time of need is the foundation of AMOR.  I had been with my mom during her journey of a Colon cancer diagnosis and she was the one that instilled in me a love of cooking and healthy food.  Growing up, no matter how busy everyone was, we always sat down together at the dinner table. I learned at an early age, that food connects us and heals us. I would often cook for  my mom and take her food when she wasn’t feeling well and I felt that  was a little bit of comfort and strength that I could offer her during that time. Being a teacher for 14 years showed me that the youth have so  much to offer in shaping the future of our community if you offer them the tools to guide them.  When I learned of an organization in California that works with teens and serves people with health challenges,  I just had this deep feeling of connection and that something similar could work in Charleston.

How do you start your day and end it? Start - coffee, breathing practice, sitting outside listening to the birds. End - Cooking, eating dinner with my husband, watching a show, going for a walk, and then reading.

Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment. The moment I took the leap and decided that I was going to leave my teaching career to start AMOR.

Who or what gives you creative inspiration? A lot of creativity comes after my breathing and meditation practice. Being in nature, traveling and surfing makes me feel an innate sense of freedom and inspiration as well.

Rapid Fire

Morning person or night owl? MORNING 100%

Summer or winter? SUMMER

Mountains or beach? BEACH BEACH BEACH

Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction for books, nonfiction for podcasts