Raleigh nonprofit cafe gets $100K donation
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina announced a $100,000 donation to Raleigh nonprofit cafe A Place at the Table.
The contribution will help the cafe with operational expenses and provide 20 free meals per day for those in need for a year.
A Place at the Table opened last month in the old Cafe de Los Muertos space at 300 W. Hargett St. in downtown Raleigh. Before securing a permanent home, the restaurant held pop-up meals at various local restaurants. The project was in development for three years. All food and beverages are pay-what-you-can.
The pay-what-you-can model allows people to pay in one of five ways:
- pay what they can afford
- pay a suggested donation
- pay what they would typically pay plus a donation
- pay specifically for someone else’s full meal
- pay by volunteering
Blue Cross' donation is part of its initiative to support local nonprofits. The company recently announced it will host a two-day festival featuring culinary events and discussions on issues including hunger and food insecurity.
Thrive NC is planned May 10-11 in downtown Raleigh.
The two-day agenda includes event like:
- Thrive NC Summit (May 10): Experts on food systems will discuss how our communities can impact some of North Carolina’s most pressing issues, including childhood obesity, access to fresh and healthy food and ongoing food insecurity.
- Food Festival (May 10-11): Top chefs from approximately 50 North Carolina restaurants serving food and drink samples and live music.
- Community Service (May 11): Focusing on access to fresh and healthy food.
Tickets for the food festival go on sale later this month. More details can be found on the event website.
