Our Founder
Meet Alessandra
Chef, mother, educator — and the heart behind A Dash of Kindness.
Alessandra de Freitas
Alessandra de Freitas is a chef, mother, and community-minded educator whose lifelong connection to food began during her humble childhood growing up in a lower-income home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The second youngest of seven children, Alessandra grew up in a close family environment that learned to work together and make the most of what they had. After losing her mother at the young age of seven years old, she watched her father work tirelessly to provide for the family. Cooking became an important part of everyday life — not only as a way to keep everyone fed, but also as an expression of care, cooperation, and love.
Alessandra learned by watching her grandmothers and aunts prepare meals. Her grandmother was one of her earliest inspirations because of the way she combined different food colors, ingredients, and flavors. Alessandra was naturally curious and constantly wanted to understand why certain ingredients worked together and how she could recreate the same results herself.
One of her strongest childhood food memories is bacalhau, a traditional salted cod dish served during Christmas and other special occasions. Even today, its aroma reminds her of family gatherings, celebrations, and home.
By the age of 12, Alessandra was already preparing meals for other people on her own. Since then, she has gained experience through years of family cooking, small-party and event catering, working in professional kitchens, helping with school fundraising events, and volunteer work supporting local charities. Her primary culinary style blends Brazilian and French influences, although she also enjoys Mediterranean cooking and exploring many other cuisines.
Now living in the Chicago suburbs, Alessandra is the mother of three grown children — two daughters and one son. She is a compassionate, creative, resourceful, and hardworking person who is deeply committed to her family and community. Alessandra is a certified chef educated at the College of DuPage culinary arts and hospitality center. She holds professional certifications in preventive controls for human food, HACCP and good manufacturing practices, food sanitation, allergen awareness, and responsible beverage service.
Fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, she also brings extensive volunteer experience involving community outreach, student education, environmental service, charitable events, language programs, and donation drives. Her culinary training and commitment to service provide the foundation for A Dash of Kindness and its focus on safe, practical, and inclusive food education.
Why She Created A Dash of Kindness
Alessandra understands firsthand what it means to grow up in a lower-income household where food must be used carefully. In her childhood home and throughout her neighborhood, wasting food was not an option. Families learned to transform basic ingredients into meals that were flavorful, filling, and nourishing.
As Alessandra continued developing professionally as a chef, she noticed that many teenagers entered culinary programs without basic kitchen skills. Some had never learned how to safely use kitchen equipment, prepare simple ingredients, or turn the food available to them into a complete meal.
She began to imagine what could happen if children learned those skills much earlier.
That idea became A Dash of Kindness.
The organization is being created to teach children practical cooking and kitchen skills that can help them become more confident, independent, and resourceful. Rather than simply giving someone one prepared meal, Alessandra wants to give children knowledge they can use throughout their lives. She believes that teaching a child how to cook can help that child care for themselves, support family members, avoid unnecessary food waste, and discover the joy of preparing food for others.
“Teaching someone to cook is about more than feeding them one meal. It gives them a skill they can carry for the rest of their life.”
— Alessandra de Freitas, Founder
The Story
The Meaning Behind the Name
A Dash
A “dash” is a small cooking measurement — like a dash of salt added to a recipe. Within the organization, it also represents the care, time, encouragement, and love contributed by Alessandra, volunteers, donors, and community partners.
Kindness
“Kindness” represents people coming together to serve their communities and give children opportunities to learn valuable life skills.
Even a small amount of kindness can make a lasting difference in a child's life.
A Message From Alessandra
Alessandra wants every student to feel happy, welcomed, excited, challenged, and proud of what they accomplish.
To parents, she wants to emphasize that safety and cleanliness will always come first. Children will learn how to respect the kitchen, use equipment responsibly, and maintain a clean environment while preparing food.
To potential volunteers, her invitation is simple: “If you love cooking and working with children, we have a place for you.”
To children who believe they cannot cook, she wants them to know that cooking is a skill anyone can learn. It does not have to become their profession or greatest passion, but it can help them care for themselves and the people they love.
Alessandra's story began with humble roots in Rio de Janeiro. She later came to the United States with the dream of creating a better life and raising her children in a country that offered her family new opportunities. Through A Dash of Kindness, she now wants to give back — both to communities near her home and, someday, to children in Brazil.
“If there is one thing I want people to remember about me, it is this: food is healing, food is love, and food is family. That is why I have such a strong passion for cooking, and that is why I want to continue using food to put smiles on people's faces.”
— Alessandra de Freitas
Inspired by Alessandra's Story?
Join her in making a difference — one kitchen, one child, one meal at a time.