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Meet Ashley Paige

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Committee Corner

Committee Corner

Up Close & Personal with Ashley Paige by Gay Malin

Last year I was planning a party for my goddaughter’s birthday. She had just become a vegan and I was nervous about trying to make her a celebratory cake. Since I have always enjoyed the baked goods at HWFC, I decided to order one there. It was a vegan chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and chocolate ganache icing. It turned out to be the best chocolate cake we had ever eaten. Curiosity about who was behind all these delicious treats led me to find Ashley Paige, HWFC’s Bakery Manager.

Ashley joined the Co-op as a Member-Owner in 2012 and started in the bakery on a 4–7am shift. She was drawn to HWFC because it resonated with her values: the same ones she learned as a child growing up in Pittstown, NY, with a close and loving family—people who cared for one another, the importance of community, and being proud of what they do. “The Co-op has an individual style that makes it feel homey,” she told Honest Slate. She could see the value of the work Honest Weight was doing.

Her mother had steered her to the Co-op where she began buying spices to experiment with new recipes, something she continues to do in the Bakery Department. She began filling in a few paid shifts for staff as needed at the previous location on Central Avenue, where both space and staff were limited.

“It’s more than a job.”

When a part-time staff position opened, she was hired and eventually became full- time. Her boss encouraged her to apply for the managerial position when it opened. Although she wasn’t sure she was up to the responsibilities, he told her, “You can do it!”

She loves that employees are treated as individuals and that management is committed to giving back to staff, stating, “It’s more than a job.” Ashley studied psychology in college because she was always interested in how people think and behave. She then spent some time in rural Kenya helping to open two medical clinics with her church. She did whatever was needed—from physical labor to watching children while their parents were being treated.

Ashley Paige is HWFC’s Bakery Manager. Upon returning to the States she earned an Associate’s Degree in Human Services and spent several years working with children and adults in group home settings while attending culinary school with a bakery concentration. This was her true passion and led to her involvement with the Co-op.

Ashley’s other passions include trying new things such as dance and painting classes. She likes to work with her hands. Her mom was always involved with crafts and shared this with her children. Ashley also enjoys traveling. “You learn about other cultures and how other people think and live,” she said. “It expands your mind. The more you understand, the less you are judgmental. You can learn from anyone.”

On her most recent trip to Montreal, she loved that art was part of the city and could be experienced on sidewalks and walls. Future travel plans include Thailand and the Grand Canyon. Also an avid reader, Ashley favors books that deal with self-help and spirituality; she also likes fantasy and fiction and has read the Harry Potter series many times.

She met her boyfriend just as the COVID pandemic began. As a result, their first date was enjoying a walk together. She likes that they are both focused on mutual growth.

If Ashley could change one thing in the world, it would be for people to understand their own power and realize it’s important how we treat others, as we are all connected. She feels the biggest thing that makes her special is that she constantly wants to improve herself and evolve. She enjoys new experiences and having an open mind. Additionally, she wants us to know how appreciative she is of the Co-op and what HWFC is doing in the community.

In the future she would like to buy a home, perhaps marry, and maybe even write a children’s book.

I couldn’t help but be curious about what Ashley’s favorite dessert is. In this we share a passion: tiramisu. I hope someday that I can taste one that Ashley makes!

Gay Malin has been an Honest Weight Member-Owner for over 30 years. If you know of a Member-Owner or Staff person to recommend for an interview, please contact us at honestslate@honestweight.coop.

Did You Know?

The Co-op will be closed Dec. 25.

Did you know that we are only closed for 2 days out of the whole year? Yup! Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only days we close. Read the MOC column (page 8) for more about how investment hours work on these days.

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