By Jonathan Alexander

My family and I reside in the city of Crowley. My wife and I are heavily involved in the community here in Tarrant County. 

I am a business major at Tarleton State University and a student worker at the university library. I am a part of the media and culinary ministry at our church. I work full time for Lockheed Martin as a configuration analyst, and I am the proud owner of Alexander’s Cuisine. So there is never a dull moment in my life. 

I grew up in southwest Fort Worth. All of my family is from Opelousas, Louisiana, where I learned a lot of recipes, not to mention being a sous chef for two world-renowned chefs.

Even as I sleep, I am often blessed with vivid dreams of how to give and improve the lives of others. The seeing spirit is also something that I gathered from my Louisiana roots along with my culinary skills. 

Philanthropy is really big for me. I literally use myself and my business as an open vessel to transport blessings. 

The food is simply the starting point. One thing that I am most proud of is the selfless attitude that the business runs off of. You see, none of what we do is about us. There is a philanthropic dynamic to this business. 

Alexander’s Cuisine’s motto is “Gives kids a head start, with a warming heart.” 

Did you have fully paid tuition or a full ride to the college of your choice? I certainly didn’t. Every spring we host a scholarship contest in which we offer scholarships to high school seniors. The head start. 

Every winter, typically at Christmas, we accumulate blankets and coats to donate to the surrounding unhoused communities. The warming heart. 

That’s how the business’s motto came to be.

Sleeping in a car, getting evicted from multiple apartments, and fighting for my life while spending over six months in the hospital are not far removed from me. I believe it has shaped, cultivated and built me for this journey. 

Cooking and giving are not simply pastimes — they are passions. 

Crowley

Total population: 17,977
Female: 50% | Male: 50%

Age
0-9: 15%
10-19: 18%
20-29: 12%
30-39: 15%
40-49: 15%
50-59: 10%
60-69: 7%
70-79: 6%
80 and older: 1%

Education
No degree: 9%
High school: 30%
Some college: 35%
Bachelor’s degree: 18%
Post-graduate: 8%


Race
White: 47% | Black: 22% | Hispanic: 26% | Asian: 2% | Two or more: 3%


Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings:

Jonathan Alexander and his family live in Crowley. He works for Lockheed Martin, owns a catering business called Alexander’s Cuisine and attends Tarleton State University. He grew up in southwest Fort Worth.

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Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise reporter for the Fort Worth Report. His work has appeared in the Temple Daily Telegram, The Texas Tribune and the Texas Observer. He is a graduate of St. Edward’s University....