WSSU’s Enterprise Center feeds local community
There’s no better way for WSSU to show support for its community than through food. The Enterprise Center and its chefs, in conjunction with Love Out Loud, Chuck Spong, and The Minister’s Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity partnered to provide thousands of meals to our community.
The shared-use kitchen at the Enterprise Center, designed to support food entrepreneurs, has seen a drastic decline in usage as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Most of the local chefs who run their catering businesses from the center have seen their revenues dry up. However, they vowed to keep cooking to make sure no one goes without a meal.
Telissa Ward, manager of the shared-use commercial kitchen, with the help of Chef Shirley George and Chef Demetrius Rolle, spend countless hours each weekend preparing hundreds of pounds of food to be distributed throughout the city. Each meal provides enough servings to feed a family of four.
“We were happy to do it. We see each week that our community needs the food, so it never crossed our mind not to help. As long as we are able, we’ll be here making meals,” said Ward.
The Enterprise Center has been working for weeks in partnership with other non-profit organizations to feed neighborhoods surrounding the university. Volunteers have been preparing and distributing hundreds of healthy meals per day at various sites across the city. Curb-side pickup has able been made available.
“It’s our responsibility to be a good neighbor. We know this pandemic is affecting our minority communities at a much higher rate, so we must do what we can to fill in the gap. We don’t want anyone having to make decisions between purchasing essential supplies and food for their families,” said Carol Davis, executive director of S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation.
The Enterprise Center’s shared-use kitchen is a fully licensed, permitted commercial facility, so community members can take comfort knowing meals are being handled and delivered safely. Free meals will be available for the next several weeks. See a list of food distribution sites.
More: Winston-Salem's first shared-use commercial kitchen opens
About Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University fosters the creative thinking, analytical problem-solving, and depth of character needed to transform the world. Rooted in liberal education, WSSU’s curriculum prepares students to be thought leaders who have the skills and knowledge needed to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. Founded in 1892, WSSU is a historically Black constituent institution of the University of North Carolina with a rich tradition of contributing to the social, cultural, intellectual, and economic growth of North Carolina, the region and beyond. Guided by the by the motto, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” WSSU develops leaders who advance social justice by serving the world with compassion and commitment.
