Sharita Rouse: More than candy apples

More than Candy Apples

Sharita Rouse has been offering up free meals from her candy apple stand since the early days of the pandemic.

JARED FORETEK | INSIDENOVA

Manassas shop owner plans to keep helping long after COVID-19

JARED FORETEK jforetek@insidenova.com

For most, there isn’t much more to Sharita Rouse’s Old Town candy apple stand than meets the eye: an old-school shop window serving up old-school treats.

But for others, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crash it caused, it’s something of a lifeline.

Rouse estimates that she feeds about 250 individuals and families a week, giving free meals to whoever needs one from Tuesday to Friday, as long as she isn’t out.

A group of rotating volunteers help her prepare hot food, and at times she’s had assistance from other Manassas restaurants. But the whole operation depends on her, and what she can put together for those in need from day to day. In recent weeks, she says she’s seen the number of people coming by for free meals increase.

“There are families that are depending on me,” Rouse says. “Some people, if they see my truck out back, they’re right here in front [of the store].”

Some days, according to Rouse, the demand for hot meals outpaces business for her sweet desserts. And lately she’s had trouble keeping up, so she turns to

“I don’t care if you’re a child or a less fortunate adult. If you come to the window and ask for something to eat, you’ll be able to get it.”

— SHARITA ROUSE

simple, high-volume dishes like big pots of pasta.

“I’m hoping it gets me through a couple of days, but no,” she said.

Rouse has had the shop since 2016, when she moved to Manassas from North Carolina. She’s long offered free hot meals for those in need on weekdays but says she’s never seen so many people asking. She even has a list of people who can’t make it to the store and volun teers who will deliver meals to them.

When the economy largely shut down in March and April, she said she was fielding more calls than ever from people asking to be put on a delivery list.

“Sometimes it’s just an older couple; the husband is working and the wife is laid off and they have a child. Well, I’m going to feed everybody,” Rouse said. “I don’t care if you’re a child or a less fortunate adult. If you come to the window and ask for something to eat, you’ll be able to get it.”

Business, Rouse says, hasn’t taken too much of a hit since March; paying customers are still showing up to her window for the apples, and she’s even branched out to cakes and other baked goods to help bankroll the free meals.

A Christian, Rouse attributes much of her drive to help others to her faith. She hopes that once the pan demic is over and more people have returned to work, she’ll have fewer people to feed. But she says that she’ll still give out what she can. There were hungry people before the pandemic and there will be hungry people long after.

“It’s just, trusting in God every day,” Rouse says. “... It’s OK, just as long as I’m here to help somebody, I’m good.”