Work It Mama: Chelsea Huff

Chelsea Huff, 36, MOMS Club of Valparaiso President of the Board

If you have a "day job" job title / company - I am a stay at home mom

Town / city you’re from - I am originally from Fort Wayne, Ind., but have lived all over. Post college I lived in Indianapolis, until I met my husband and moved to Chicago.

Town / city you live in now - My husband and I moved to Valparaiso, Ind. in 2021.

Describe your family. Significant other? Children? Our little family is one of only three right now. It is me, my husband Ted and my two-year-old Theo. We are looking to grow our small family in the near future.

Do you have a license or degree? If so, in what, from where? I have a degree in hospitality and tourism management from Purdue University.

Describe your professional background / history? My career took a unique turn very early on. Once I graduated from college, I moved to Indianapolis and took a hospitality role that paid very little. After making the tough decision to leave hospitality so that I could pay my bills, I found my way into sales. I sold recruitment advertising for about three years before I transitioned to Executive Recruiting. I spent the next six years of my career working in a variety of capacities, headhunting for senior level and c-suite executives in every industry you can imagine.

What led you to join a moms club? When my husband and I moved to Valparaiso, we knew virtually no one. It was difficult to say the least, and despite our strong marriage, it was still very lonely. We had heard about MOMS Club when I was first pregnant with my son and it was something I knew instantly I wanted to be involved in. I just didn’t realize how much it would change my life. Once my son was born, I struggled through postpartum anxiety and depression and various health concerns with my son in his early day this kept me from joining immediately as I’d hoped, and I ended up joining when he was about seven-months-old.

How did you discover this passion? My personality and gravitation towards community is what brought me to MOMS Club, and it is true, it changed my life. Dealing with postpartum anxiety is not something that just goes away one day. Coping mechanisms and therapy help, but in some ways it always lives with you. Finding this community and seeing how it transforms people, seeing the good that comes out of it, not only within the club itself, but in the community as well, is what ignited my passion for the organization. When I got a front row seat to experiencing the way the community embraces us as mothers and as women, and how much good we can do with the power we have as mothers is what drives me every day to pursue this passion.

Tell us about your upcoming event? The upcoming Egg Hunt is the organizations largest fundraiser of the year. What started out in the year 2000 as hosting 100 people in Westside Park is now an event that draws over 600 families from across Northwest Indiana, a huge 2000 plus person party. What many people don’t realize is while this event is certainly for the community to make memories with their loved ones, there is also a huge charitable aspect to the event. We are so grateful this year to be partnering with two incredible organizations who will serve as the beneficiary of our proceeds from the event. Our partner charity, Gabriel's Horn Shelter for Women and Children, is an organization that truly goes above and beyond the call of duty. Additionally, we always work with a food based charity. This year that charity is First Fruit Gives. First Fruit Gives has a truly beautiful story and mission. First Fruit provides fresh food through the work of their farm which has everything from cattle, to chicken and goats. They also plant, nurture and harvest from their garden and use the food directly from the earth to feed those who come to them hungry. They currently feed around 73 families in our area.

Why is this event different from others? Years past? This is definitely a multifaceted answer. In general, this event is different than others because it is an event that raises money, but not for the organization that is hosting it. We host this event every year in honor of the good work other charities are doing. It is a collaborative effort that can have a lasting impact. This is our 25th anniversary so we are bringing all the bells and whistles, but I could not make this year the special event it is without the amazing team of volunteers I am working with. We have received a truly overwhelming amount of support from the community. Everything rom monetary donations, to product donations, activity donations and volunteerism has made it so that we can bring an energy to this year like never before. I feel such a sense of pride when I think about all of the wonderful donors we have, and the wonderful women who give so much to see this event be a success. This year, the event is more than just a hunt, it is truly an experience. This year you will see more than just eggs in a field, you will see activities for everyone in the family. We have crafts and games, bounce houses, face painting, model trains, a touch a truck experience, a pop up dance party, and even free chair massages because mama deserves an Easter treat, too! We will also be visited by some celebrity pups - Bluey, Bingo, and Police Pup Chase. Another incredibly unique aspect to our event is our sensory friendly hunt. This hunt ran for the first year last year, truly speaks to who we are as mothers - advocating for not only our own children’s unique needs, but every child that crosses our path. This event will happen at the beginning of the day, starting at 9 am prior to General Admission arrival. Being early, this hunt will give kids with sensory sensitivities the opportunity to engage in the fun without all the noise, crowd and overstimulation. This is something we are proud to provide and are committed to continuing to bring back year after year.

How do you make this happen? To put on an event of this size, visibility and caliber it truly takes a group effort. I have an incredible group of women, all who have babies at home, who donate their time, talent and knowledge - generously. The moving parts that come along with this event from the online auction, to the food drives, to the hunt itself takes adaptability, consistency and good juggling skills. We are so lucky to have Jenn Pettis, who not only has a kid at home but who also runs and manages her own bakery, volunteering hours upon hours of her time and knowledge to all of our marketing, auction and ticket sales functions. Lisa Zavaleta is our resident Sponsorship Advisor. In addition to managing the development of donors, she also pioneered the Sensory Hunt and brings it back each year. Megan Drever and Carly Pupillo manage all things Egg Stuffing. They store, organize and fill (with a lot of help) over 25,000 eggs - and somehow come back each year for more. Sarah Snider who works, manages a non-profit and mamas two kiddos lends her helping hand with Super Prizes each year. Our kiddos get the absolute top notch experience because she is committed to gathering, storing, and organizing hundreds of bigger toys that the kids get to choose from if they are lucky enough to pick up a highly coveted Super Prize slip. Kelly Baker stepped up this year and is overseeing all things volunteers. It is thanks to her that we don’t have carpal tunnel from filling thousands of eggs on our own. Overseeing vendors and activities, the venue and financials, and the big picture while also fine tuning the details is really where my role lies. In the end, however, I simply could not do any of this without these amazing women.

What mark do you hope to leave on your community? From the very beginning of joining MOMS Club I was vocal about wanting to join, and in doing so, advocate for women struggling with postpartum anxiety and depression. When I was struggling in that part of my journey, I found very few resources in the area designed to pinpoint my very unique (albeit universal) struggle. We all know the numbers, we know that 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and/or depression. Knowing this, I was shocked to learn that even down to available therapists in the local area, none specialized in postpartum. As a mom, we know that postpartum anxiety and depression affect women and their brain in a way very different than generalized anxiety. I learned the hard way that none of my coping mechanisms would work in this distinct situation. So, having said that, one mark I hope to leave on our community is that engaging in that advocacy and supporting organizations who are working to provide better resources for mothers is mental health care and needs to have a specialized perspective. Another mark I hope to leave is is showing people how to use their vulnerability and their circumstance, and turn it into their superpower. When I worked in corporate America I was often told that my outward vulnerability was a weakness. Becoming a mother, experiencing postpartum in the way I did, and still doing the things I have been able to do has shown me that my vulnerability is actually my biggest strength. And outside of real, concrete change in how postpartum is cared for, I hope that is something that can change in the way people look at being genuine and vulnerable at your core in everything you do.

How do you find balance in your life? This is probably the one thing I struggle the most with. It helps when you have a toddler running around screaming and asking you to play “Baby Shark” over and over again. Truthfully though, I believe the balance I am able to find comes from the deep love I have for my family. I am a passionate person, and that passion often runs rampant with new and exciting ideas constantly. I am beyond lucky to have the most supportive and loving husband, who listens to every single crazy idea I have and shows me how I can make that crazy idea a reality. It is in that deep connection, in that pure joy I get from my life at home, and the insurmountable joy I have for my child that pulls me back to earth. It pulls be away from the swirling ideas and the constant noise. It brings me back home, to my boys, pretending to be Dinosaurs and leaving the outside world behind even if only for a moment.

What are you most proud of in your life personally and/or professionally? Personally? That’s easy, my son. He is the single best thing that has ever happened to me. He completes me, and my husband, in ways we didn’t even know we needed to be complete. From the moment I met him it was like he just fit, like I had known him my entire life, like he was always a part of me. Professionally, I would have to say I am most proud of being bold, and deciding to take back control of my career. When I made the decision to leave my corporate job in Chicago, I made the biggest choice of my professional life, to be content in uncertainty. That uncertainty led me here to the beautiful gift of motherhood, where I found a way to rediscover myself. My whole life I heard women say that they lost themselves in motherhood, so imagine my surprise when I realized I actually found myself in motherhood. I wouldn’t say I necessarily struggled professionally, in fact I was always very successful in what I did. The struggle I always felt was in the lack of feeling. I never felt that spark. It was that spark I had in college, that I had lost. I was going through the motions, but never fully letting my heart quite open up to it. As it turns out that spark found its way back into my life in ways I couldn’t have expected. Finding the joy I have in motherhood, finding the opportunity to share my talents, and finding the purpose in advocacy all played a role in making this role, as a mother, the most proud I have ever been professionally.

What advice would you give your younger self? Another woman on the path to finding her calling? I would remind her that life will come to her in shades of gray. It is not a straight line and no decision you make professionally is ever something you can’t come back from. I never thought I would find that same joy I had in college when I felt I was working for the life I wanted, and now I am living my truth again. Sometimes the answer isn’t clear, in fact, most of the time it isn’t. Trusting in yourself and being bold in your choices, no matter where they guide you in the moment, are what will ultimately lead you where you are meant to go. I truly could say the same thing in my personal life. I don’t know how I managed to find this incredible man I am married to, and I am just as shocked as everyone else that he happened to be someone I have known since I was 15. It is just proof that one choice, that leads you away from someone or something, does not mean that another choice exists that will ultimately lead you back.

What do you hope your children learn from you? I hope they learn to be bold. I hope they learn that differences are what make us strong. I hope they learn that seeing the differences in each other, and working to see everyone’s unique perspectives will be what helps you find true happiness. I hope they learn that their inner confidence does not come from their outward appearance, but rather the value they place on their heart, their work, and their compassion. I hope they live full lives because they learned from me to dance through the struggles, find opportunity in every failure, and conviction in every success.

Outside of volunteering/work, what do you enjoy doing? I love to read. Typically I am a romance reader. However, another shout out to MOMS Club, being a part of Book Club has opened me up to new genres and I am loving what I am learning through that! I also love crafting, creating art, and playing games. My sport of choice is definitely tennis, and I enjoy playing with the local group here in Valparaiso during the summer months.

Anything else you'd like to include. I want to just express my gratitude to Nichole and the Mom to Mom team for giving me this platform to brag about the incredible community I get to call home, and the people I am lucky enough to call my friends. I also want to remind everyone that despite ticket sales having ended, and the auction being closed, there are still plenty of ways to help support the Egg Hunt. The biggest being bringing your non-perishable goods to your local Centier Bank location in Valparaiso. They will continue to collect food donations for First Fruit Gives through the date of the hunt, April 5, 2025. Also, if you are a mom experiencing postpartum please reach out to me, or any other mom you know to seek out professional resources; it is manageable even if it feels out of your control. You and your baby deserve to live this postpartum journey with happiness and hope, and while the resources in our area are thin, I have been in conversations with several who are fighting this good fight and I promise you the resources are not nonexistent. Lastly, if you are a Mom in the Porter County area that has said to themselves on more than one occasion “I really should get out of the house” please follow us on social media and reach out about how you can join our community. We would be lucky to be able to call you part of our village.