Greene Living 2019 Greene County North Carolina by Cooke NC

A P L AC E TO G R O W. T H E WAY TO L I V E. GREENE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

2019

BEHIND

THE

SCENES

Billy Beer The Barn at Nooherooka

Greene County Interfaith Greene Street Wellness Center Volunteers Diner

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

Contents 6

Billy Beer: Behind the scenes

The Barn: Creating memories

Wellness Center: Promoting healthy lifestyles

Interfaith: Keeping families fed

Greene Street Diner: Serving up goodness THE COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY DONNA MARIE WILIAMS

Greene Living 2019 EDITION

A N G E L A H A R N E , P U B L I S H E R & E D I TO R A M B E R R E V E L S - S TO C K S , S TA F F W R I T E R D O N N A M A R I E W I L L I A M S , S TA F F W R I T E R TO M L I T T L E , A D V E R T I S I N G B E C K Y W E T H E R I N G TO N , L AYO U T & D E S I G N

Established in 2018, Billy Beer serves as “America’s light craft beer” with the ability to create custom made labels to fit customers’ needs.

Greene Living© is published annually by The Standard newspaper. Contents are the property of this newspaper and may not be reproduced without consent of the publisher. To advertise in this publication, contact The Standard at (252) 747-3883. Greene Living Magazine 2019

Billy Beer Behind the makings of America’s Light Craft Beer STORY & PHOTOS BY DONNA MARIE WILIAMS

stablished in 2018, Billy Beer Inc. has continued to make a name for itself after becoming the producers of “America’s light craft beer.” Billy Beer is located in Greene County’s Industrial Park in Walstonburg and was the first business to call the district home. The brewery, located at 50 Capital Drive, Walstonburg, employs six. Billy Beer is a sister company of Greenville’s Uptown Brewing Co., which is owned by Billy Dunn. Dunn, along with a handful of his business partners, were attracted to the area thanks

to the eﬀorts of Greene County’s economic developer Rick Davis, Greene County manager Kyle DeHaven and Pat Adams, the chairwoman of the Greene County Board of Education. The 10,000-square-foot production facility lies on 4.3 acres of land and houses both the brew house as well as the canning operation. They do not have a public taproom yet, but all of their beer can be found on the guest taps at Uptown Brewing Co. in Uptown Greenville. The Billy Beer name came to popularity in the late 1970s, when it was synonymous with Billy Carter, brother to

Greene Living Magazine 2019

Billy Beer’s brew master Drew Cheshire inspects the brewing operation.

Billy Beer owner Billy Dunn (left) and Ossie Kearney, the owner of Nooherooka Natural, have a growing partnership. Nooherooka Natural feeds Billy Beer’s spent grain to its cows.

then U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Dunn purchased the name when he saw the opportunity to build a brand around one of Uptown Brewing Co.’s popular beers — a light lager. Although the name is the same, the taste is different. “We hope they remember the name for the nostalgia but realize that the liquid is different from the original beer,” Dunn said, adding theirs has a light, crisp taste. Along with a different taste than the original Billy Beer, the current brand uses a more updated and modern trademark label. The original label carried a quote from Billy Carter endorsing the beer. Similarly, Billy Beer’s label will also carry an endorsement message: “I’m a connoisseur of light beer, so I had this one brewed just for me. I think you’ll like it, too.” signed by Billy Dunn. Billy Beer’s signature brew is simply titled Billy Beer and is a

Greene Living Magazine 2019

light lager designed as a crushable craft beer. “I wanted something I could drink all day. The craft beers that are in the market now can be a little too strong. You can drink two of them, and if you’re at the ball game, you forget about seeing the ball game. You can crush (Billy Beers) all day long and enjoy them,” Dunn said. The beer’s creation began at the request of Dunn and resulted in a light lager crafted to please the taste buds of even the most cynical light beer drinkers. “It’s a crisp, clean, light lager,” said Ross Dunn, Billy Beer’s eastern North Carolina sales representative. Because the beer was loved and desired by many, including Food Lion, Harris Teeter and also East Carolina University, the time came for Billy Beer to create its own brand, separate from Uptown Brewing Co. Along with developing a canning line for the light lager, Billy and

Billy Beer’s team is comprised of (L-R) Brad Dunn, Billy Dunn, Ross Dunn and Drew Cheshire. Officials and Billy Dunn break ground on the brewing facility in Walstonburg.

his team have added several new beers to their portfolio, including Billy’s Wild Weekend, a Mexican style lager; Black Tie Affair, a coffee porter; Boartercycle, a pale ale and the Tartsicle Series. “I’ve brewed similar beers already, so I created recipes based on them. We felt like these brews broadened our portfolio while at the same time, not getting too crazy,” said Billy Beer brew master Drew Cheshire. The Tartsicle series was created in conjunction with a professor of brewing science from N.C. State University and Lachancea LLC, a company that specializes in natural yeasts derived from insects. “Together, we developed a base Lambic recipe using the yeast, tested a wide variety of fruit and flavor additions with the recipe and brewed the beer on a much larger scale than it has been brewed before,” Cheshire said. The series features several flavors, including orange creamsicle, watermelon and black cherry, and is distributed across Billy Beer’s distribution areas with different areas receiving different brews from the series. “That’s the craze right now,” Billy said. To create their beer portfolio, the Billy Beer team has worked vigorously to research what is trending and can set them apart from the mainstream along with establishing a brewing process that brings out the best in each brew. ”When my team is working in their 8

respective territories, I like for them to engage and learn what bar managers are looking for in new beer styles to add to their tap lineups” said Megan Tomlinson, the director of sales for Billy Beer. “In addition to our current footprint covering territories east of Interstate 95 with Carolina Eagle Distributing in Greenville and City Beverage Company in Elizabeth City, we are proud to announce that we have signed with FreeBird Distribution based in Raleigh and Wilmington.” The company expanded their distribution footprint to the Triangle area in September 2019, just a week shy of their one-year anniversary. “We are very excited about the expansion and growth of our business into the Raleigh area market and can’t wait to have a presence west of Interstate 95,” Billy said. Billy Beer’s products can be found in bars and restaurants, as well as Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Lowe’s Food and Piggly Wiggly’s throughout eastern North Carolina. Billy Beer does not pasteurize or filter their beer. Billy Beer also does not add rice to their brews. “Most rice is flavorless and is a way of adding alcohol,” Ross said. Billy added, “We want a full flavor. A lot of people use it because it’s a cheap ingredient.” To create their Mexican lager, Billy Beer uses flaked corn, according to Cheshire.

“We use it in Mexican style lagers, but that’s what gives Mexican lagers lots of flavor,” Ross said. To make the best crushable beer, Billy Beer operates from a three-vessel 20-barrel brew house. Their brewing process begins with malted grain, which is grain that has been wet and dried with heat. “The grain is where 90 percent of your beer comes from. All the sugar that you get comes from your grain. More grain equals more alcohol,” Cheshire said. Greene Living Magazine 2019

Empty cans proceed down a shaker to be filled with Billy Beer’s signature brew. (opposite page) Brad Dunn stands in front of pallets of Billy Beer cans.

The grain begins its journey to beer in the mash, where the grain is sprayed with hot water. The grain sits and steeps in the hot water of the mash for the brewer’s desired amount of time while a metal rake constantly stirs the grain preventing it from being stuck on the bottom. When the grain is finished steeping, it is then known as “wort,” an unfermented beer. The wort travels to its second vessel, the kettle. The wort is then brought to a boil and continues to boil for an hour. It is during its journey in the second vessel that special ingredients and hops are added to the wort. When the wort is done with the kettle, they are sent to whirlpool, which is the third vessel on their journey. “Some breweries don’t have a whirlpool,” Cheshire said. The wort enters the whirlpool at an angle near the bottom of the vessel. They are then spun around. The spinning process allows for unwanted particles to be removed from the wort. The unwanted particles then form a cone in the whirlpool with the wort being easily separated from them. After the whirlpool, the liquid goes through the heat exchange. This is when it is cooled oﬀ. “After the heat exchange, it goes into fermenters,” Cheshire said. Billy Beer has Greene Living Magazine 2019

five 60-barrel fermenters at its operation in Walstonburg. “That’s where the beer sits and ferments,” Cheshire said. It is also where yeast and oxygen are added to the wort to create the beer. “Yeast is the main ingredient in beer. It’s the main thing you need to make alcohol. Beer is yeast eating the sugar in grain. We give it just enough oxygen to make the beer the way we want to,” Cheshire said, adding this is how the “beer becomes beer.” At Billy Beer, the beer typically ferments for two weeks. Aside from the diﬀerence in taste, Billy Beer is also set apart from other craft beers due to its coloration, which is not milky or thick. The reason behind this lies in the use of the centrifuge. “It’s very useful and not a lot of breweries have it,” Cheshire said. The centrifuge is used once the beer is fermented. The fermented beer enters the centrifuge where it is met with a number of rapidly spinning plates. Solids, like hop debris, brewing proteins and yeast, spin from the beer and are ejected. The beer remains in the center of the centrifuge and carried away. The process allows for the beer to be filtered without exposing it to oxygen. “It gets it that much clearer than just

filtration,” Ross said. Once the beer has completed its brewing lifespan, it is ready to be canned or place in a keg. Empty cans are placed on a pallet, lifted high and continue down a shaker to the canning machine. The machine then fills each empty can with Billy Beer’s desired product. Each can is weighed after it is filed to ensure the proper amount of golden liquid has been dispensed before it is sealed. Cans too empty or too full are ejected from the assembly line to ensure customers receive the perfect can. Billy Beer also owns its own labeling machine and can custom make labels depending on customers’ needs. The brewery has created specialty labels for Billy Beer Light Lager and Billy’s Wild Weekend — both sold in Dowdy-Ficklen stadium at East Carolina University football games. Billy Beer strives to be good stewards of the environment and recycles the leftover grains from the mash. Nooherooka Natural, a farm in Greene County, uses the spent grains to feed their cows. Billy Beer hopes to continue to be the go-to light craft beer for its customers and wants to expand its business in the future. “We have some big plans, but we want to get a good solid base under our legs before we take on too much,” Billy said. 9

Greene Living Magazine 2019

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

T he B arn at Nooherooka Creating memories to LAST A LIFETIME STORY & PHOTOS BY DONNA MARIE WILIAMS 14

Greene Living Magazine 2019

Ossie (center) and Mary Betty Kearney cut the ribbon at the the opening of The Barn at Nooherooka, as Miranda Mersman, the director of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce, looks on.

wned by fifth generation farmers Mary Betty and Ossie Kearney, Nooherooka Natural continues to make itself a staple in Greene County with its expansion of The Barn at Nooherooka. Nooherooka Natural specializes in producing premium and pasture raised beef and pork products. Animals on the farm are treated humanely with respect and are pasture raised without antibiotics, hormones or feed additives. The farm is unique in that all feed given to the animals is grown on the farm and the farm utilizes spent grain from local breweries. The property also houses The Benjamin W. Best Country Inn and Carriage House, a bed and breakfast run and lived in by the Kearneys. It is a pre-Civil War Greek Revival house with large expansive rooms and has been the location of many weddings. It was the weddings at the bed Greene Living Magazine 2019

and breakfast that helped inspire the Kearneys to transform one vacant turkey house into a venue site. Prior to its transformation, the barn was a home to a turkey brooding operation. Due to Ossie’s health issues, the Kearneys decided to stop their turkey brooding operation. The Kearneys pride themselves on being recyclers and did not want to see the turkey house go to waste. “We have a heritage appreciation. We are the ultimate recyclers. We had to do something with these buildings. If we couldn’t have this income from being an integrator, we would have to do something else,” Mary Betty said. The Kearneys began thinking of various ways to use the building. “We’ve done weddings at 15

our bed and breakfast since we opened. The bed and breakfast is a nice space. It’s a large home but not enough to (accommodate) 250 people or more,” Mary Betty said. Weddings held at the bed and breakfast were held outside and required tents, tables, chairs and other items to be rented. Wedding attendees were also susceptible to the weather and insects. “We had to rent tents; you’re susceptible to all kinds of weather. You never know if you can execute what you planed,” Mary Betty said. The Kearneys desired to solve these problems by converting

“

There is just endless potential. We don’t have a place in the county where we have a big venue space” Mary Betty said. Renovations for The Barn began in May 2018 and were a slow process as the Kearneys perfected their vision of a venue space that would be accommodating to diﬀerent types of events. The Barn is a 14,400-squarefoot facility that can accommodate approximately 400. It features a rustic, farmhouse look with screened windows, a custom built bar and large table, dance floor and rustic barn doors. A rustic floor completes the scenic picture.

We have a heritage appreciation. We are the ultimate recyclers. We had to do something with these buildings. If we couldn’t have this income from being an integrator, we would have to do something else. - M ARY B ETTY K EARNEY

”

the turkey home into a venue space that would not only serve as a picturesque setting but would invite more people into the county. Though inspired by weddings held on the grounds of Nooherooka Naturals, The Barn serves as more than a wedding venue. The Barn can be used as a venue for other events such as birthday parties and conventions. “I’m not sure how Greene County will utilize it, but being able to host events in this magnitude is a wonderful thing. 16

“One of the first things I wanted to do was to screen in the building,” Mary Betty said, adding the screens help keep unwanted critters out. The screens are also functional as users of the building can attach photos or frames on the screens. Lights attached to string are strung across the ceiling help to create a romantic ambiance to the building. “We think (the lights) gives it the ambience. They’re all energy eﬃcient. They’re sort of mystical. When you come into Greene Living Magazine 2019

the building, it’s the first thing that grabs you. At night when the sun sets, I feel like it puts a twinkle in people’s eyes,” Mary Betty said. The entire barn is heated in the winter by tube heaters and cooled in the summer time by setting controlled fans. It is also WiFi compatible. “We also have a great sound system,” Mary Betty said. Adding to the uniqueness of the venue is the availability of a handicapped accessible restroom, which is atypical to similar venues spaces that use port-a-johns. “I looked at other barn venues, and they didn’t have restrooms or the restrooms weren’t convenient. We felt that would be an enhancement. A lot of places have port-a-johns. We felt like if we were going to have a go at it, we would make it convenient,” Mary Betty said. Like the facility itself, diﬀerent aesthetics inside The Barn are also recycled, including the base shoe molding and bar top. Both were created from refurbished timbers from the historic Elaney Wood House and log cabin. Mary Betty had the beams relocated to her property after the Elaney Wood properties were destroyed by a tornado in 2011. “We salvaged those as a tribute to Frank Warren. I intend to put a plaque up in memory of Frank. I wanted to get those out of the weather, and this is the only way I knew to salvage them,” Mary Betty said. The Barn, while unique in its own construction and design, is also unique to Greene County since it serves as a multi-functional venue space that can accommodate a large amount of people. Greene Living Magazine 2019

“There is just endless potential. We don’t have a place in the county where we can have a big venue space,” Mary Betty said. The Barn can accommodate weddings, conventions, family reunions and birthday parties. The size of the barn allows for inflatables to be blown up inside the facility as well. “Caterers love using the building because of the convenience. You can drive in the very back doors and leave your vehicle in there. You can serve right from the vehicle. It makes it more convenient, especially in inclement weather being able to serve,” Mary Betty said. The Barn opened in November 2018 and has since served as a venue for a craft and vendor fair and multiple weddings and remains booked for the fall 2019 wedding season. During the Barn’s first Winter Fest in December 2018, vendors across the state sold their artisan crafts from under The Barn’s roof. It also served as the venue for Greene Central High School’s 2019 prom bringing the event back to the county for the first time in at least 10 years. “This is so exciting. It’s on Greene County soil. It’s on a working farm, and that’s what Greene County is — a sustainable agricultural community,” Marry Betty said before the prom. The Barn at Nooherooka is located at 2029 Mewborn Church Road, Snow Hill. For more information or to make a reservation, visit nooherooka. com online or call 1-866-6330229 or 252-747-5054. 17

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

Walstonburg: A Great Place to Live

Greene Living Magazine 2019

Greene County

Wellness Center STORY & PHOTOS BY ANGELA HARNE

ecreation has a new home in Greene County. In 2013, Greene County’s recreation director Mike Anderson noticed issues with the roof at the recreation’s gym, which was housed in the old junior high school. The roof was leaking on the 1938 structure. In 2014, part of the roof caved in during a summer basketball camp. Thankfully, no one was injured. The gym was closed for use, and discussions to build a new gym began in July 2015. Elected oﬃcials and county staﬀ agreed more was needed than just a gym. They started planning for an indoor recreation and wellness facility. “Recreation is more than just 20

sports,” Anderson said, explaining the county wants to provide cultural arts experiences for children and adults, alike. The wellness center provides an outlet for citizens, “age 5 to 95,” said Greene County commissioner Bennie Heath. The Greene County Wellness Center, which opened its doors Oct. 3, 2019, features a gymnasium, stage, two stage dressing rooms, concessions area, three classrooms, workout room, locker rooms with showers, indoor batting cages that can convert into a indoor soccer field, storage area and loading dock. The classrooms will be home to arts and crafts classes, along with Greene County Public Library programs. Yoga and Tai Chi classes will also be taught at the wellness center. County oﬃcials hope to host the

regional Senior Games at the wellness center, too. The center will enhance athleticism and cultural arts in the county and surrounding areas. “We hope to make the wellness center a destination place by incorporating athletics and theatrics,” said Greene County commissioner Susan Blizzard. Greene County recreation will serve as the host to the 2020 Southeast Regional 9U baseball tournament. The hope is Kids on Stage, the county’s local children’s theatre group, will utilize the facility for its production, which are now held in the music room at Greene Central High School — a space they have outgrown. “We are excited about the opportunities the wellness center presents to our citizens,” said Greene County manager Kyle DeHaven. Heath added, “We are proud of this state-of-the-art facility, and encourage Greene Living Magazine 2019

Greene County Wellness staff is comprised of recreation director Mike Anderson, Russell Brann, Malcolm Dawson and Patricia Taylor, plus (not pictured) Horace Taylor and Jamie Harris.

use of it.” Greene County is the “hub of the universe” situated in the middle of Kinston and Wilson and Greenville and Goldsboro, Heath said. “This facility shows what we can do when we pull together. That’s what it should be about — families coming together for wellness,” said N.C. Sen. Don Davis. Many partnerships joined forces to fund the $3 million project. The state and private donors contributed to the project, including a $500,000 Parks and Recreation Trust Fund 5050 matching grant, $350,000 from the state and a $200,000 cash and $100,000 in-kind contribution by the Rouse Family Foundation. Tommy Rouse of the Rouse Family Foundation is “proud of Greene County and proud to be part of ” the project, he said. “This is an incredible facility that will bring the community together. I believe in this facility,” Rouse said. Greene Living Magazine 2019

D. Reid Wilson, the chief deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, added, “Recreation provides a common ground … all have access to it. This building will be popular and become overrun. It will be a draw for the local economy with visiting teams … parks and recreation centers are gathering places that connect us where we can play, relax and get our health back. People are the heart of places like this.” The 28,000-square-foot facility’s gym bleachers can hold 600. During stage productions, an additional 250 seats can be added on the gym floor. “This is the best indoor training facility I’ve ever seen in the area,” said Nate Halubka when touring the indoor batting cages. Jeremy Anderson, the president of the recreation advisory board, said, “I have lived here my whole life, and I never thought I would see anything like this in the county. Our kids now have the opportunity to play in a state-

of-the-art facility.” The wellness center will have an economic impact on the county making it a destination. “This is an awesome day for Greene County,” said Mason Dyer, the vice president of the recreation advisory board, at the grand opening. “When our talks began four to five years ago, we knew we needed a gym, but we had more opportunities (to tap into) with a plethora of ideas that all came together as one.” Initially, the batting cages were proposed as a multi-purpose room, but the recreation advisory board believed the batting cages would be more profitable, Dyer said. “The batting cages can be removed for indoor soccer and puts everything in one central location,” he said. Anderson added, “In our planning, we looked ahead for the future. We wanted to build something that would last and serve our county for years to come.” 21

Greene County recreation oﬀers basketball, baseball, softball, T-ball, tackle and flag football, soccer, cheerleading and volleyball for children. It has an adult softball and basketball leagues and hopes to add more adult programs. The center will also assist the department in increasing its programming for children, age 13 and older, Mike Anderson said. “Now that we have the space and facilities, we can close the gap,” he said. “It is not that a kid is bad. The kid is bored. We can give them the opportunity to not be so bored.” Recreation can also teach children how to be successful in life, Mike Anderson added. “Sports teach competition, which translates into the competition found in school, college and the workforce,” he said. “We compete to get into a particular college or for a promotion at work.” Recreation also teaches a child how to cope with defeat. “Experiencing failure is not always a bad thing,” Blizzard said. Heath added, “It is OK not to win.” Recreation makes a child an “allaround good person,” Blizzard said. It teaches responsibility, teamwork, organizational and leadership skills and 22

respect, Heath added. Greene County recreation is home to outstanding volunteer coaches, Mike Anderson said. “Our coaches teach our kids to give their best and be the best they can be,” he said. BJ Corbett has been a volunteer basketball and football coach for three years. He is not a father, but wanted to “give back to his community,” he said. “Coaching is very important,” Corbett said, adding it is more than just teaching the fundamentals of a sport. “We are teaching them life skills, how to be respectful, a team player and good sportsmanship.” Corbett loves to watch his players mature over a season. He feels he is making a diﬀerence. For some of his players, he is the only consistent male role model in their life. That is the same case for fellow volunteer coach, Derrick Corbett. “I feel like I’m making a diﬀerence

just being there to listen,” he said. Derrick Corbett has been coaching basketball and football since 1997. He also does not have a child in the recreation program. “I love working with kids and try to encourage them to keep their grades up and teach them responsibility and to take pride in themselves,” he said. Along with numerous volunteer coaches and Mike Anderson, Greene County recreation employs Malcolm Dawson, who has been with the department four years, Russell Brann, who recently joined the organization, and Patricia Taylor, who has served as the department’s receptionist for 22 years. Part-time employees Horace Taylor and Jamie Harris round out the team. “Mike Anderson is a vital and central component of our recreation. He was vital in getting this facility oﬀ the ground. Without his outstanding leadership, I don’t know where we would be. He has a lot of expertise,” Blizzard said. Greene County recreation employs four full-time and two part-time staﬀ members. The Greene County Wellness Center, 84 N. Perry St., Snow Hill, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays. Greene Living Magazine 2019

Standard THE

THE FARMVILLE ENTERPRISE, THE STANDARD LACONIC and THE TIMES-LEADER are now The Standard and will continue to be your most trusted source of local information!

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GREENE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2019-20 CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ray Holloman, President Dianne Andrews, Vice President

Judy Darden, Treasurer Neil Murray, Secretary Susan Andrews Susan Blizzard

Misty Chase Michael Fulcher Georgia O’Briant Lee Heath

Amber Stocks Steve Rouse Allison Thomas Paula Wilson

2019-20 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY American Legion Shirley Hill Post 94 Annette W. Turik B&S Enterprise Beare Garden Plantation Animal Rescue Bennie Heath Benjamin Best Country Inn & Carriage House Billy Beer Boat Lift Warehouse LLC Borden Parker Boys and Girls Club of the Coastal Plain Carraway Law Firm Chele’s Cafe CopyPro Cutter Creek Golf Club Darden Bookkeeping Service Inc. Debra Dail Catering Dixon Foods Group/McDonald’s Don & Lynn Davenport Doug Henry Diversified Opportunities Inc. Edward Jones Erika Churchill Farmer and the Dail First Citizens Bank Frank H. Harper CPA GCTS South Greene Alumni

Carraway Office Solutions Inc. of Wayne County Greene County Arts Historical Society Greene County Farm Bureau Greene County Health Care Greene County Interfaith Greene County Greene County Parks & Recreation Greene County Schools Greene County Transportation Greene County Public Library Greene Gin & Cotton Greene Light Logistics Greene Lamp Greene Machining Co. Greene Ridge Racquet Club Half Moon Marketplace Ham Produce Co. Inc. Happy Jack Inc. Hardy’s Appliance & Furniture Harper Insurance Agency Henry & Dora Pasour Heritage Family Health and Wellness PA Holden Ridge Hookerton family practice Hoots Hauling Inc. Imelda Pate

Jak Moulding and Supply James and Janette Fulghum Law Office of Cynthia A. Mills Lenoir Community College Lenoir Greene United Way Little Shoppe of Flowers Margie Jones Mary Lou Jones McDavid Associates Inc. Michael Rhodes Moreen Insurance Agency Morris Barbeque Murray Hall N.C. Community Foundation/NCCF NfinityLink Communications Nooherooka Natural Partnership Property Management Printworks Inc. PIP Marketing Signs Print Pruitt Health Rand Wade Oil Co. Realo Discount Drug Store Of Greene County Ribeyes Inc. Ribeyes of Snow Hill River Neuse Group LCC Greendale Forest Nursing & Rehab Center

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

STORY & PHOTOS BY DONNA MARIE WILLIAMS

Interfaith lends

helping hand

for 20 years

Since its inception, Greene County Interfaith Volunteers has been at the frontlines in Greene County’s war against poverty by providing needy families with groceries and financial counseling when needed. It also serves as Greene County’s only staterecognized disaster agency. Established in 1999, Interfaith was born from the chaos and devastation caused when Hurricane Floyd left many Greene County residents in need. The organization was created by a group of Greene County residents who volunteered their time to help families aﬀected by Hurricane 26

Floyd. The organization expected to dissipate once Hurricane Floyd relief eﬀorts concluded, but that was not the case. “They saw the need to continue the service,” said Interfaith’s executive director Dianne Andrews. Interfaith soon grew to encompass a food pantry. Organizers operated the food bank and disaster recovery eﬀorts from a non-descript cinderblock building at 398 U.S. 58 S., Snow Hill until 2013, when the organization learned they would have to move. “The day after I was hired, we

were told our building had been sold and we would have to move to a new building,” Andrews said. A search for the perfect location soon commenced, and a building committee was formed to assist with fundraising eﬀorts for Interfaith. In 2015, Interfaith moved into their new home at 412 Kingold Blvd., Snow Hill. Funding for the new building came from a variety of sources, including grants and several fundraisers that were held to benefit the construction project. Rooms in the new facility are named in honor of those who Greene Living Magazine 2019

(opposite page) Dianne Andrews, the director of Greene County Interfaith Volunteers, joined the organization in 2013. Interfaith strives to feed hungry Greene County residents and serves as the county’s only statedesignated disaster recovery center. Volunteers Linda Speight and Beulah Albritton (far left) load boxes with food for Interfaith patrons.

donated $10,000 or more. Additional funding came from grants from the Duke Endowment, Walmart, Rouse Family Foundation and Cannon Foundation. However, it has been the support of local individuals, businesses, churches and schools that made the diﬀerence, Andrews said. “We could not have built this building for what we raised, if not for the donations and in-kind services we received,” she said. Local building contractor, Albert Holloman of Holloman Construction

The new home is a 4,000-squarefoot facility. The new center is equipped with a built-in full building generator to ensure that frozen and refrigerated foods can be preserved during power outages. The interior consists of a waiting room, two office spaces, a conference room, large kitchen and two spacious, handicapped-accessible restrooms, spacious food warehouse with an office, storage room and a large, walk-in refrigerator and walk in freezer. The facility also houses a small barn to keep its disaster recovery equipment. The walls and high ceilings are painted bright yellow and trimmed in white. The furniture and Established in 1999, accessories are recycled Interfaith was born surplus items. Inspirational from the chaos and quotes and artwork by devastation caused by local painters decorate the walls, and the black and Hurricane Floyd, which white theme throughout left many Greene County is accented with brightly residents in need. colored accessories. The new facility allowed for Interfaith to operate donated all his services. Donations and at a higher capacity than the previous discounts of supplies and labor came location. in the way of everything from roofing, “When I first started, we were only granite countertops, flooring, crown doing 69 boxes every two weeks. We were molding and blinds to office supplies, prepping boxes as people came in. We artwork, furniture and sod. found out that wasn’t very feasible (when Because of the generous donations of we began serving more customers). We land, money, time, building materials had tables built for boxes. We made it and in-kind resources, the new Interfaith more efficient and streamlined,” Andrews facility was constructed debt-free. said. “We are really proud that our building The organization’s increased capability is paid for,” Andrews said. was much needed, especially since the Greene Living Magazine 2019

organization began helping even more citizens in need. “I started doing a lot of outreach because I wanted the people who needed anything to get what they needed,” Andrews said. Today, Interfaith feeds more than 1,000 individuals on a monthly basis and distributes 140 to 179 boxes of food every two weeks. Interfaith distributes food to their clients the first Tuesdays and first and third Thursdays of the month. Distribution is held Tuesday night to allow for clients who work to receive food. “We have distribution for people who work and fall through the crack. It’s just people who are working and having a hard time making ends meet,” Andrews said. The need to feed the hungry in Greene County is great, according to Andrews. “Greene County is a tier one county. We’re poor. We don’t have the available help. The income here is not as great as it would be in Durham or Raleigh. There are a lot of people whose income is under the poverty level. People do not realize how hard people struggle here,” Andrews said. “We have a lot of need here. When you go from 69 boxes to almost four times that, the need is growing, not diminishing.” More than 95 percent of clients at Interfaith receive food stamps. “We do intake the first Wednesday of every month. During that time, people come in and sign up. We make sure they qualify for the food. If they are food stamp recipients, they automatically (are 27

Interfaith warehouse manager Georgia O’Briant (left) and Interfaith director Dianne Andrews restock a pantry. (pictured far left) Volunteer Gay Owens assists with intake forms.

accepted),” Andrews said. “What we do is try to give people the options, so they can supplement their income and (buy things they need) like medicine.” Interfaith has expanded the services it oﬀers since opening in the new facility and now holds the title of the only school pantry in eastern North Carolina. “We deliver about 40 boxes a week to schools in the county,” Andrews said, explaining Interfaith delivers more than 40 boxes per week dependant on the need. The school pantry consists of food items children can make for themselves and do not require cooking. Interfaith works with the county schools to determine students in need of food items. Food items are delivered to the students in a confidential manner. “We deliver them to school guidance counselors and they distribute the food to the students,” Andrews said. Interfaith’s helping hand also extends to children participating in summer programs with the organization providing a summer feeding program for Greene County parks and recreation and Greene County school camps. This past summer, Interfaith fed more than 2,200 students through the program. At Christmas, Interfaith volunteers wear Santa hats as they assist families and individuals. In 2018, they also provided gifts to 33 families through donations by churches and businesses. Interfaith also partners with Rouse’s Restaurant to provide hot Christmas meals to families. Interfaith has broadened its reach through its business 28

partnerships. “We have relationships with a couple of the restaurants. We also work with the schools, social services, churches, senior center and Social Services. We have developed a large community outreach to form a partnership to assist our citizens,” Andrews said. Interfaith has two vans used to pick up food and deliver boxes and meals to clients. “They stay on the road all the time,” Andrews said of the vans. Concerned about the affects natural disasters could have on the county’s less affluent residents, Interfaith’s founding volunteers decided to make disaster relief one of its core missions. “When disaster hits us, we take off our food pantry hats and put on our disaster relief hats,” Andrews said. As a state-designated disasterrecovering center, Interfaith is qualified to receive state aid to help residents in times of a disaster. “We pair with United Way and other volunteer agencies and FEMA to help (residents) get going in the right direction,” Andrews said. Interfaith also provides hot meals to first-responders and town staff, who work around the clock in times of emergency. When Hurricane Matthew hit Greene County in 2016, Interfaith fed 8,852 people. Interfaith receives food donations from a variety of sources, including purchases made from the Greenville Food Bank. Donations are also received from local farms and local stores.

“We hand pick our food. No one gets anything to eat that we wouldn’t eat,” Andrews said. Boxes given to families include cereal, canned goods, pasta, bread, fresh produce and various meat items. Recipes are also included. “If they prepare the food correctly, it should last them two to three weeks,” Andrews said. Feeding Greene County is not only a mission for Interfaith volunteers, but also a passion. Interfaith hopes to continue to grow to help serve the needs of Greene County residents. “What we’re trying to do now is add onto the building. We’re getting too big for our britches. We’re outgrowing,” Andrews said. Interfaith would like to add a small barn to the facility to store tools and other needed items in conjunction with disaster recovery. The organization would also like to convert its kitchen into a commercial kitchen. This would allow for volunteers to serve hot meals to clients. Interfaith has more than 100 volunteers. The organization does not receive funding from the county, state or federal government to operate. “We are really proud of our volunteers. If it wasn’t for them, we couldn’t do it,” Andrews said. Volunteers and donations are welcome. To make a donation, mail checks to Greene County Interfaith, P.O. Box 1041, Snow Hill, NC 28580. For more information or to volunteer call 252-747-1090. Greene Living Magazine 2019

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

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Greene Living Magazine 2019

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Diner continues LONGSTANDING TRADITION of good food & family

reene Street Diner sits in the heart of downtown Snow Hill. Its bright blue building and cheery façade welcome patrons from across the county and beyond. But it is not the first restaurant to call the building home. “Our history starts several years ago with Aggie’s,” said owner Crystal Ford. “Aggie’s was my very first job. I was 15 when I started. I worked with Aggie’s for about six years. “I was pregnant with my daughter 34

STORY & PHOTOS BY AMBER REVELS-STOCKS

(Amyah), while I was working here. The owners were like family to me, and I almost purchased Aggie’s many years ago when I was 18 or 19 years old.” Ford was partnering with someone else to purchase the restaurant, but decided to leave the partnership. “That was probably the biggest blessing in the world,” she said. “I just stepped away from it.” She left the restaurant business entirely, working for Doctors Vision

Center for nine years before becoming a pediatric dental assistant. Ford and her family still lived in Greene County, so they continued to eat at Aggie’s, even though the original owner had sold the restaurant. “The owner that had it at that point wanted to get out of it,” Ford said. “Every time I came in, he’d joke with me about buying it.” She kept telling him no. Then Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016. Greene Living Magazine 2019

“They had some family issues before that. The owner’s mom had passed away overseas, so they had closed down for a week or two before,” Ford said. “They had roof damage during Hurricane Matthew and never came back. “He literally just left everything, even in the food, in the building.” Ford had great memories of Aggie’s, so it distressed her to see the building closed. “To me, Aggie’s was like a downtown staple for Greene County, so I started talking to some of the bigger people in Greene County (about opening the restaurant back),” she said. “They told me there was nothing they could do for me. There’s no loans, no grants, nothing. I thought there would be more (support) available for people like me, and there really isn’t.” Fortunately, the Ford family found someone who believed in them and their vision for the restaurant. The investor helped them financially. “I love serving people. I love hosting. When the opportunity came from this particular person who believed in me so much to do it, I knew it was one of those situations where — If you don’t do it, then you never know, and if you fail, at least you did it,” Ford said. “I had to quit my job as a pediatric dental assistant and go full force into it. It was so scary.” Ford and her husband, Steve, got the keys March 17, 2017. That is when the renovations began. “I had a GoFundMe set up to help us renovate,” she said. “There were a lot of community volunteers, people from church and my friends. People would

“

come in to help us paint. JAK Molding donated all the wood. Somebody donated cabinets. “It was truly a community eﬀort.” All of the items in the diner, including the booths and tables, are refurbished. In addition, the décor is purposely mismatched. Each booth has a diﬀerent theme, whether it is copper baking pans or letters made out of wooden serving utensils. Each table also has individual paper towel holders and salt and pepper sets. No two are the same. “That’s supposed to make you feel like home,” Ford said. “I want you to feel like you’re coming home. All of our regulars, we know them by name and usually we know what they’re going to eat. A lot of the Snow Hill PD eats in here four or five times a week. They make their own drinks. We want them to feel like this is their second home. We have a lot of kids come in with their parents, so we have coloring books and toys for them. “I don’t want this to feel like a restaurant. This should feel like you’re coming to your friend’s house to eat. I want you to feel comfortable here. The kids come in and give us hugs. Everybody just feels like family.” Greene Street Diner opened in July 2017. The couple purchased the building in December 2018. “My goal was to bring back life to what Aggie’s was, so a lot of what we do is similar to what it was,” Ford said. “My point was to bring back life to what was here already, to bring back what I loved about Aggie’s. … It’s an old school Mom and Pop kind of diner. My goal was to do that.”

Crystal (center) and Steve Ford want to make sure Greene Street Diner feels like home for patrons’ children as much as it feels like home for their children, Amyah, 18, Isabella, 7, and 17-monthold Levi.

This should feel like you’re

coming to your friend’s house

to eat. I want you to feel comfortable here. The kids come

in and give us hugs. Everybody just feels like family. Greene Living Magazine 2019

”

- CRYSTAL FORD 35

It has not been easy. “We opened in July and got pregnant in September, so we opened a business and had a baby all in the same year, which was really fun,” Ford said with a laugh. “It’s hard enough to open a business. You throw a baby in there, and it’s like a new ballgame.” Originally, the diner started serving breakfast, but Ford’s morning sickness took a toll on her. “Being here at 4:30 in the morning was difficult, so we had to stop breakfast,” she said. “Then we only opened up at night. … Our hours have changed since we started, but so has my life. You have to adjust.” Now, much of the menu consists of popular diner food, such as subs, sandwiches and hamburgers. “We do make you feel good food. I want to keep it cheap. Our loyal customers come in three or four times a week. You can come in here and get a BLT, chips and a water and walk out for $3.21,” Ford said. “It’s diner foods. … We’re not a gourmet burger, but they’re not McDonald’s either. They’re worthy of a $5 burger.” Greene Street Diner also has Wednesday night specials and Friday night seafood. “We want you to feel like you’ve gone to your grandma’s house (on Wednesday nights). It’s all piled on the plate,” Ford said. “We want it to feel like you’re family.” Specials are determined by a Facebook poll. People also suggest ideas of what they would like to see served. “Wednesday specials are posted on Tuesday, so people can decide if they want to come by,” Ford said. “We’ve done chicken and waffles, spaghetti, hamburger steak and gravy.” When the weather turns cooler, she makes shrimp stew, chili and other cold-weather favorites. Friday night seafood starts at 4:30 p.m. That’s typically our biggest day because of our seafood,” she said. “We have travelers come from out of town. People have come from Kinston or Wilson.” However, the diner has also had some difficulty with getting customers to visit its part of downtown Snow Hill. “For some reason, it’s very hard 36

to get people to come down Greene Street. They either turn at the corner (onto Second Street) or stay straight on Hwy. 13,” she said. “The other day, a lady told me she has been driving from Greenville to Kinston for 15 years and always turned at the light. She never knew there was a restaurant here, but this building has been a restaurant for a pretty dang long time.” That diﬃculty is part of why Ford makes sure to support her neighbors and Greene County. “My goal is to bring everybody together. My family supports everybody,” Ford said. “We go to (several local restaurants). … We try to support each other because this is a small town where everybody knows everybody. It’s not a competition. Greene County is very blessed with a lot of nice things. We have nice eating places. We have nice gift places. It’s amazing. Share the love. “When you spend your money in Greene County, it stays in Greene County. We pay our taxes in Greene County; we live in Greene County. By supporting your local businesses, you’re supporting our county.” To raise awareness of the organizations and businesses in Snow Hill, Ford hosts the annual downtown fall festival on Halloween. “Last year, we did a fall festival, and it was probably the biggest event downtown in years,” she said. “All the businesses in the community came together to hold the festival. We shut down the street to hold a free event for the community. …The good thing about it is that the schools, Interfaith, Greene County Transportation, all the businesses downtown, come together for this.” Ford hopes to give children and their parents a safe space to enjoy trick-or-treating. “My whole point is to give them a safe zone,” she said. “Back in the day, you could go trick-or-treating door-to-door, but you can’t do that anymore. You bring your kids in, they get a bag full of candy, something to eat, and then you take them home and put them to bed for school the next day. And you don’t have to worry.” Ford’s 18-year-old daughter, Amyah, works at the restaurant now. Greene Living Magazine 2019

“It means a lot to me to have her here now. I was pregnant with her when I was working here, and now here she is,” Ford said. “She’s worked here since we opened; this was her very first job. Now, she can do everything. She can cook, she can run register, open, shut down, everything. She’s come a long way.” Ford is proud of Amyah, who is in school to become a certified nursing assistant and hopes to become a nurse. “This was my very first job, and it got me through a lot because I was young and pregnant. It built me into the person I am today,” she said. “Now I own it, and I see

her doing it. It means a lot more to me than just a diner.” She hopes that her two younger children will work at the diner as well when they are old enough. “Every teenager should be a server and learn to cook because it gives you a whole diﬀerent perspective on life,” Ford said. “I’ve had kids who worked here who didn’t know how to mop. I’ve had them come in and not know what American cheese is. … We’re hard on the kids who work here, like we’re their parents, because we want them to learn what they need to know to be adults. A business with a heart, located in Historic Snow Hill, NC. A venue for local artisans with a wonderful selection of fashion, and gifts.

“A lot of them are still in school and have this as a first job for the summer. I love being their first job and teaching them what they need to know. Now, that has its ups and downs, but I love all of them like they’re my own youngins.” Greene Street Diner, 213 N. Greene St., Snow Hill, is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays. Mondays feature alternative music Bingo and trivia. Wednesday night specials change weekly and Friday’s seafood night starts at 4:30 p.m. For more information, call at 252-7471748 or like them on Facebook at Greene St. Diner.

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