Today we’d like to introduce you to Tavia Mick.
Hi Tavia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story didn’t begin with a business plan. It began in my grandmother’s kitchen on Christmas Eve.
Every Christmas Eve, we baked cookies together for our entire family. It wasn’t just a holiday tradition, it was where I first fell in love with baking. We still carry on that tradition today, making more than 200 cookies from her scratch-made sugar cookie recipe so every family member has a tin to take home. Some of my oldest recipes are hers, and every year they remind me where it all began.
I’ve always had a unique relationship with baking. People often say everyone has a special gift, and I truly believe mine is my sense of smell. I rarely use timers. Instead, I simply know when a cake or batch of cookies is ready, and somehow it has never failed me.
My love for cooking came from my mom. As a single parent, she found one of the most creative ways to teach me. After school, I would come home to thawed meat in the microwave and a handwritten note card on the counter. The card would walk me through the first few steps of preparing dinner. Once I reached a certain point, it simply read, “Now call me.” I would call her at work, tell her where I was, and she would guide me through the rest of the meal over the phone until dinner was in the oven. Before long, I was cooking complete meals on my own. Looking back, she wasn’t just teaching me recipes, she was teaching me confidence.
In 2013, after losing my best friend unexpectedly, I wanted to honor her in a way that reflected what we both loved most; food, family, and bringing people together. During one of our last conversations, I asked her what kind of birthday cake she wanted me to make, and with her signature sense of humor, she replied, “A crab cake.” That answer still makes me smile. In her memory, I founded A Bite of Heaven Bakery.
By God’s grace, what started as an idea grew into two bakery locations. My vision was to create more than a bakery; I wanted to create an experience. One location even featured a window where children could watch the baking process, inspiring the next generation to fall in love with the kitchen the way I had.
Long before opening the bakery, I had also begun volunteering in my community by making bag lunches for people served through Our Daily Bread, especially those who missed the hot meal service. What started as 50 lunches eventually grew into hundreds with the help of volunteers. I also partnered with local organizations to adopt families during the holidays, providing food, clothing, and everyday essentials.
As those efforts continued to grow, I realized the need extended far beyond one meal or one season. That realization became the foundation for Heart of Angels.
Today, Heart of Angels is a mobile nonprofit dedicated to meeting people where they are. We provide catered-style hot meals, meals to go, clothing, hygiene products, and, most importantly, dignity. Rather than deciding what people need, we ask them, and then do everything we can to provide it. We’ve partnered with the Maryland Food Bank to help deliver meals in food deserts, supported Baltimore City Public Schools families with everything from uniforms to furniture, and continue serving communities throughout Baltimore with compassion and respect.
When I look back, I can see how every chapter prepared me for the next. My grandmother taught me the joy of baking. My mother taught me the confidence to cook. My best friend inspired me to build something meaningful in her memory. Together, those experiences shaped not only my career, but my purpose. Today, whether I’m preparing a meal, serving my community, or leading Heart of Angels, my mission remains the same: to use food as a way to bring hope, restore dignity, and remind people that they are seen, valued, and loved.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I believe every obstacle has helped shape who I am today.
One of the greatest challenges I have ever faced was losing my best friend in 2013. She passed away unexpectedly on her birthday while preparing to move to Maryland to be closer to me. I was driving to pick up the keys to her new home when I received the phone call that changed my life forever. I was her last phone call, her last voicemail, and her last text message. The grief was overwhelming, and for a long time I struggled to understand why. I was married at the time with a young son, and there were days when simply getting out of bed felt impossible.
Eventually, I realized I had two choices: allow grief to define me or let it give my life a new purpose. That decision led me to create A Bite of Heaven Bakery in her memory.
Like many small business owners, I then faced another unexpected challenge when the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. After building two bakery locations and creating a place where families could gather, I was forced to pivot. It was heartbreaking to watch something I had poured so much of myself into come to an end, but it also reminded me that my purpose was never tied to a building. It was always about serving people.
That realization led me to invest even more deeply in Heart of Angels. Building a nonprofit has brought its own challenges. Much of the organization has been funded through my own personal finances, along with membership dues and the generosity of volunteers and community partners. While we have been incredibly blessed by food donations and partnerships, there are always more needs than resources.
Most recently, I experienced another major setback when I lost my government position during the federal workforce reductions. That loss didn’t just affect my family; it affected Heart of Angels as well. The nonprofit relies heavily on my personal support, and without that income, projects like restoring our 1976 Ravens-wrapped Winnebago, which allows us to serve communities throughout Baltimore, have had to be put on hold.
Despite every setback, I have never questioned the mission. I’ve only had to rethink the path. Every challenge has taught me resilience, strengthened my faith, and reminded me that purpose isn’t measured by how easy the journey is. It’s measured by your willingness to keep showing up, even when the road ahead is uncertain.
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that God can use even our greatest losses to create opportunities to serve others. Looking back, I wouldn’t have chosen many of the hardships I’ve faced, but I can honestly say they have shaped the woman, leader, and servant I am today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At my core, I am a servant leader, chef, entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, and writer. While those titles may seem very different, they all share one common purpose: creating meaningful experiences that improve the lives of others.
Professionally, I’ve worn many hats throughout my career. I’ve worked in government as a technical writer and analyst, owned and operated A Bite of Heaven Bakery, served as a personal chef, coordinated events, and now lead Heart of Angels, a mobile nonprofit dedicated to serving underserved communities throughout Baltimore. I’m also a Certified Kitchen Manager at Chapelgate Christian Academy, where I have the privilege of serving students every day. Every role has taught me something valuable, but they’ve all centered around one thing; serving people with excellence.
Working at Chapelgate has become one of the greatest joys of my career because it combines my love of food with my love of people. Every day I have the opportunity to interact with students, learn their favorite meals, encourage them, and simply be a welcoming face in their day. If I could get paid for every hug I receive while working the serving line, I’d be a billionaire. Those moments remind me that sometimes the greatest impact comes from the smallest acts of kindness.
I specialize in creating systems and experiences that bring people together. Whether that’s designing documentation, preparing meals, organizing large-scale events, or coordinating community outreach, I enjoy taking an idea and turning it into something that has a lasting impact. I believe details matter because people matter.
What I’m probably best known for is using food as a way to build relationships. To me, a meal is never just a meal. It’s an opportunity to make someone feel seen, valued, and cared for. That’s why Heart of Angels doesn’t simply distribute food. We ask people what they need, listen to their stories, and serve them with dignity and respect.
What makes Heart of Angels unique is that we bring catered-style hot meals directly into the community. We don’t believe people should have to sacrifice dignity because they’re experiencing hardship. Whether we’re serving a family in a food desert, providing uniforms for students, helping furnish a home for someone transitioning out of a shelter, or simply sitting down to have a conversation, our goal is to remind every person they matter.
What I’m most proud of isn’t opening two bakery locations or building a nonprofit. It’s the relationships we’ve built along the way. Seeing volunteers become family, watching community members return just to say thank you, watching students run over for a hug before grabbing lunch, and knowing someone felt loved because of something we were able to provide. That’s what success looks like to me.
If there’s one thing that sets me apart, it’s that I don’t chase recognition; I chase impact. I believe leadership means being willing to serve first. Whether I’m writing a document, preparing a meal, mentoring someone, or leading an organization, I want people to leave feeling better than they did before we met. If I’ve accomplished that, then I’ve done my job.
Any big plans?
The future is something I’m incredibly excited about because I believe Heart of Angels is just getting started.
One of my biggest priorities is restoring our 1976 Winnebago so we can get back on the road serving the communities that depend on us. The RV isn’t just a vehicle—it’s the heart of our mobile mission. It allows us to bring catered-style hot meals, clothing, hygiene products, and hope directly to people where they are. My goal is to continue applying for grants and seeking funding opportunities that will help us complete the rehabilitation so we can expand our outreach.
I’m also focused on growing meaningful partnerships. We have been incredibly blessed by the generosity of local businesses and organizations, and I hope to build even stronger relationships with grocery stores, food banks, restaurants, and community partners who share our passion for serving others. Every partnership means more meals served, more families supported, and more lives impacted.
Beyond Heart of Angels, I plan to continue combining my love of food, leadership, and service in every role I have. Whether I’m serving students at Chapelgate Christian Academy, leading nonprofit initiatives, or creating opportunities to bring people together, I want my work to continue making a difference. As a single mother to two boys, I also hope to show my sons that compassion, resilience, and service to others are values worth living every day. I want them to see that even through life’s challenges, we can choose to lead with faith, purpose, and love.
Looking ahead, I don’t measure success by the size of an organization or the number of awards it receives. I measure it by the number of people whose lives are changed because someone cared enough to show up. My prayer is that Heart of Angels continues to grow into an organization that not only feeds people but also restores hope, builds community, and reminds every person we serve that they are seen, valued, and loved.
If there’s one thing I hope people remember about my journey, it’s this: food may bring people to the table, but love is what keeps them coming back.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heartofangels.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartofangels_baltimore?igsh=M3Fkb2kxdjlycTJo&utm_source=qr
