Lighthouse Free Kitchen Opens as a Grassroots Disaster Relief Effort to Provide Free Meals in Rocky Point, North Carolina
Dr. Bronner’s and Organic Valley Sponsor Grassroots Partnership of Volunteers and Natural Product Brands Coming Together to Serve Meals to Anyone in Need
October 4, 2018
Rocky Point, NC – The Lighthouse Free Kitchen, a non-profit effort sponsored by top-selling natural brand of soap, Dr. Bronner’s, and Organic Valley, America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and a leading organic brand, with support from Carolina Disaster Relief, the Cajun Navy Foundation, and Sandersen Farms, is providing food, water, and other basic services to those in need, in the wake of Hurricane Florence. The kitchen is located at the Lighthouse Worship Center at 98 S. Trade St., Rocky Point, NC, and is open from 10 am to 8 pm daily.
“We have set up the Lighthouse Free Kitchen at the Lighthouse Worship Center in Rocky Point, NC, an area that has been heavily impacted by Hurricane Florence,” says Amanda Krause, co-founder of this effort. “Our mission is to serve high quality meals and provide water, and other basic services to those in need. We welcome volunteers and donations of food and other supplies.”
The kitchen opened on Friday, September 28, and served 730 meals its first day; more than 1,000 meals were served on Saturday, September 29, and 1,700 on Sunday, September 30. The head chef of Lighthouse Free Kitchen is Chef Mike Perez, of Dr. Bronner’s in San Diego, and is leading the preparation of healthy, nutritious fresh meals for this effort, along with a crew of 5-10 volunteers in the kitchen to support meal preparation and cleaning.
“Dr. Bronner’s is proud to support this important effort,” says David Bronner, CEO of top-selling natural brand of soap, Dr. Bronner’s. “We have procured equipment, and are financing key staff on the ground to set up and manage the operation while coordinating with local community organizers and volunteers. In times of crisis, it’s awesome to see our partners in this effort step up and put progressive values into action. This effort truly embodies the ‘All-One’ spirit and message of my granddad, our company founder, Emanuel Bronner.”
The Lighthouse Free Kitchen is open to all those who come for a meal, regardless of religious, racial, gender, class, national or political identity, and seeks to be a safe space for the community to gather and heal, during recovery from Hurricane Florence.
“Organic Valley has been on the front line in responding with in-kind products, equipment, volunteers and financial support through many disasters over the years,” says George Siemon, CEO and a founding farmer of Organic Valley. “It’s been rewarding to me personally, along with staff and many of our farmers, to serve in these times of disaster.”
For more information on the kitchen, to donate, or volunteer, please contact Amanda Krause: help@grassrootsaidpartnership.org.
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About Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. Dr. Bronner’s commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability and progressive business practices is part of the company’s mission to put into practice the principles that inform the philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels written by founder Emanuel Bronner. The company is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and widely renowned around the world. Based on 2017 sales, a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every 2.2 seconds throughout the year. For further information, please visit: www.drbronner.com.
About Organic Valley
Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents more than 2,000 farmers in 35 U.S. states and achieved $1.1 billion in 2017 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces a wide range of organic dairy, eggs and produce. With its regional model, milk is produced, bottled and distributed right in the region where it is farmed to ensure fewer miles from farm to table and to support our local economies. For further information visit www.organicvalley.coop. Organic Valley is also on Twitter (@OrganicValley) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/OrganicValley).