This Thanksgiving, Let’s Think Outside the Box to Build Stronger Communities.
On Thanksgiving, most of us sit down with family and friends at a dinner table overflowing with more food than we can possibly eat. But many of our fellow Virginians are not so fortunate. Food is typically the second largest slice of a lower-income family’s budget, after housing. One Virginia nonprofit housing provider is doing something about both of these challenges.
HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Existence) in Wytheville just launched the Open Door Café. The Café operates on a “pay what you can” basis and follows a model being tested in other communities across the nation. (It’s just the second in Virginia.)
Customers who can’t afford the suggested price just pay what they can, while others offset that by paying more. HOPE CEO Andy Kegley notes that access to affordable housing and food security go hand in hand. The Open Door Café will not only help low-income households have access to healthy food, but Andy hopes that profit from the enterprise can also support HOPE’s housing programs.
Stop in to the Open Door next time you’re in Wytheville and pay what you can. . . or more.
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at HousingForward Virginia!
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