San Diegan Kesha Spoor says parenting while leading a nonprofit is about taking it “one day at a time.” Spoor — who has led philanthropy, program strategy and communications at Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas for more than four years — said she manages the busy life of being a mother to two young children and a thriving nonprofit career by handling each day as it comes.
“Admittedly, I am less able to plan weeks or months in advance in the way that used to feel so natural to me,” Spoor said. “Being a working parent has given me the gift of presence — having a full plate sometimes means I can only address the task immediately in front of me. I am forced to evaluate priorities and am critical about how I spend my time.”
These days, Spoor spends her time living her passion for the nonprofit world. Prior to joining Coastal Roots Farm, she worked in gang violence prevention and sexual health education, among other nonprofit work. She joined the Encinitas nonprofit in 2018 because of its goal to target hunger relief.
“Every day I feel incredibly privileged to do meaningful work nourishing thousands in our community while taking care of our planet,” Spoor said. “I believe that nonprofits exist to solve societal problems or fill gaps where business and government fall short. Our community believes in, and relies on, nonprofits’ ability to address needs from hunger to housing, climate change, health, education, arts, animal welfare, and more.”
As a parent, her personal and professional lives often intertwine.
“Just as being a parent shapes my leadership at Coastal Roots Farm, what I learn from being at the Farm also shapes the way that I parent,” Spoor said. “I carry my children on my shoulders as I bear the weight of that responsibility and am proud of the Farm’s programs, which create climate activists through our ‘cradle-to-career’ environmental education programs.”
Spoor’s work at the farm is also where she finds her greatest inspirations.
“I am inspired by mothers of all kinds, leaders who listen, people who have overcome hardships and still choose to be kind, and by today’s youth who are leading the way on today’s most important causes,” she said. “Ultimately my greatest hope is that my girls grow up recognizing their own worthiness and trusting their own judgment. I want them to do good in the world and be happy.”
For more information about Coastal Roots Farm, go to coastalrootsfarm.org.
San Diego Moms is published every Saturday. Have a story idea? Email hoaq@timesofsandiego.com and follow her on Instagram at @hoawritessd.