NC Governor Recognizes Ocracoke Strong Kitchen Volunteers
Last fall, after Dorian destroyed our homes and businesses, Ocracoke residents were hungry. We also needed a place to come together for electricity, air conditioning, supplies, news, and camaraderie. Many wonderful relief organizations and their volunteers came to the island to feed us, including the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Baptists on a Mission, and Methodist Men and many off-island churches. They set up at the Community Center and handed out three meals a day to grateful residents and relief workers. Mainland restaurants and food trucks also pitched in to bring delicious meals to the island. Food is love and we felt the love.
We also shared that love and fed each other.
Within two weeks of the hurricane, Jason Wells, of Jason's Restaurant fame, set up a grill behind the fire department and served his community hot, fresh meals. (Read about the beginning here.) A group of local guys started out with some donated chicken and BBQ to cook, and ended up creating Ocracoke Strong Kitchen, the backbone of Ocracoke's recovery over the next four months.
By the time the relief organizations stopped serving regular meals at the end of October, the Kitchen crew was well-established and ready to take over command of the Community Center kitchen. By coordinating with the island churches and local recovery efforts, Jason and the Ocracoke Strong Kitchen were able to ensure that Ocracoke residents could pick up a hot lunch every weekday. (Weekends were often covered by off-island food trucks or churches.)
Jason collaborated with Vanessa Perez, who organized the "Latina Ladies" to make sure we got our Mexican food fix. The Hyde County mainland Hope Mennonite Church also provided regular lunches.
After the holidays, the Ocracoke Strong Kitchen continued into the new year with lunches 2-3 times a week through February 24th. The food was always free and freely given by a smiling group of cooks, cooks, servers, and cleaners all coordinated by Jason.
Jason also did a great job communicating about the Kitchen's schedule and menu through his social media postings. Many off-island friends were moved to donate food and funds to the Kitchen after being inspired by the Kitchen's Facebook page. The last post shows Jason donating the leftover money (over $3500) and foodstuffs to the Bread of Life Food Pantry at the Ocracoke Lifesaving Church, which is still feeding our community these many months later. Jason wrote that day, "Thanks so much to everyone who donated money, food, time, and effort to this endeavor. I love you all, #OcracokeStrong!"
The NC governor's office gives out dozens of service awards each year, but only about twenty Governor's Medallions are awarded across the state. The nominating organization for Hyde County is the Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children (BHPC), which selected our homegrown Ocracoke Kitchen for recognition.
In normal times, Governor Cooper would hold a ceremony and present the Medallion Service Awards himself. But these are unprecedented, mid-pandemic times, so Ocracoke's award ceremony was in the parking lot at Jason's Restaurant on a busy Saturday afternoon. Sherry Clark of BHPC visited Ocracoke for the weekend and arranged to meet Jason for a photo op and presentation on Saturday, October 3rd.
A few days earlier, I had talked to Sherry and her BHPC colleague Kris Bowen, who both told me how impressed they were with the way the Ocracoke community takes care of each other.
Ocracoke Kitchen was an obvious choice for the Governor's Medallion nomination this year, they told me. "We wanted to celebrate the kindness and community spirit of Jason and the others who contributed," Kris said. "What you all have been through and done on Ocracoke is amazing."
I asked Ocracoke's county commissioner, Tom Pahl, if he'd like to comment.
"Those months after hurricane Dorian were an amazing time when generosity and goodness became the norm." Tom wrote. "Jason’s Ocracoke strong kitchen is the perfect representative of that incredible mindset, when the whole Ocracoke community, not just Islanders, but a entire community of Ocracoke supporters, from near and far, showed kindness and love above and beyond anything that most of us had ever experienced.
And it wasn’t just Jason, but his amazing army of volunteers who made this happen. It was an incredible time. Jason and our whole community showed the best that humanity can be. This is such a well deserved recognition. I offer congratulations on behalf of the whole of Ocracoke to Jason Wells and the Ocracoke Strong Kitchen."
The Governor's Medallion Award is shared among many good people. We need to recognize and thank the following for their contributions (if there are any omissions, please let me know!): Celeste Brooks, Eduardo Chavez, Charles O'Neal, Richard O'Neal, Tommy Hutcherson, Raul Ibarra, Chris Waller, Michael & Paula Schramel, Sandy O'Neal, Meredith Rollman, Arleen Burley, Ronnie Ciccone, Kadi Richardson, Marci Mason, Chad Macek, Sidra de La O, Pat Garber, Ann Ehringhaus, Keith & Crystal Hardt, Alicia Peel, Ivey Belch, John & Bonnie Bennett, Sarah Millikan, Johnny & Rauna Conner, Debbie Wells, Laurie Death, Leslie Lanier, Russ Reynolds, Ashley & Red Harrell, Judith Wheeler, Melinda Sutton, Megan Aldridge, Crystal Canterbury, Candice Cobb, Martha McMillan, Chrislyn Wedderien, Janeth Camacho, Kathy Perez, Cira Contreras, Chely Trejo, Liliana Contreras, Selene Rubio, Lucy Romero, Yenny Monter, Luz García, Adela Garcia, Rocio Trejo, Gloria Perez, Alejandra Recendiz, Julieta Recendiz, Angelica Ford, Fide Villanueva, Chely Villanueva, Antonia Ortiz, Norma Morales, Martha Esparza, Carmen Martinez, Olga Santiago, Veronica Flores, Olga Villanueva, Lola Tellez, Eugenia Trejo, and Vanessa Perez.
Thanks also to these businesses and organizations: Fat Fellas BBQ, U.S. Foods, Sysco Foods, Ocracoke UMC, Ocracoke Lifesaving Church (AOG), Hyde County Mennonites.
The Governor's Volunteer Service Award honors the true spirit of volunteerism by recognizing individuals, groups and businesses that make a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service.
The Governor's Medallion Award for Volunteer Service was implemented in 2006 to recognize the top 20-25 volunteers in the state. Medallion recipients are nominated at the county level by the county award coordinator. Only one Medallion nomination is permitted per county. A statewide panel reviews and evaluates all these nominations to determine the award recipients. Medallion Award recipients are honored at an annual recognition ceremony. The medallion is placed around the neck to signify the volunteer's great service to the community.
The official letter, signed by Governor Roy Cooper, reads:
Governor's Medallion Award for Volunteer Service.
This is to certify that Ocracoke Kitchen is hereby awarded the highest designation of appreciation for distinguished volunteer service to the People and the State of North Carolina, and is to be granted and extended all honors and courtesies provided by this Office, entitled thereunto by this certificate of recognition and appreciation.
