By A.J. O'Leary
February 27, 2020
Most people come to Zweli’s for the only Zimbabwean food in town, but some come to talk politics. On Friday, Feb. 21, Zweli’s, located in Durham, hosted an Elizabeth Warren presidential campaign event as part of its Dinner Table Talks speaker series. Leonardo Williams, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Zweli, said events like […]
Read moreBy Julia Masters
Beneath the faded New Visions of Africa sign, inside the unassuming barred building, Karen Santoro-Abdullah put a hand to her heart and choked back tears. “I love helping these people because it makes me feel good to give them respect,” Santoro-Abdullah said. “Respect gives people hope; if people are treated with respect and a smile, it could encourage […]
Read moreBy Korie Dean
Erin Riney always knew that some of her students at Durham Technical Community College struggled with food insecurity. But eight years ago, when the college’s Student Government Association hosted a giveaway with 50 free food bags and ran out in less than 10 minutes, she knew it was a more pressing issue than she had […]
Read moreBy A.J. O'Leary
February 13, 2020
Son of the Tater Bread Cafe owner hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps by launching a food truck He started working in his father’s cafe when he was 15 years old. Now, he plans to open a restaurant of his own — on wheels. Harrison Sneed, 24, runs Tater Bread Cafe at 1108 Morning Glory […]
Read moreBy Jazmine Bunch
This is a video series produced and reported for The Durham VOICE. “Documenting Durham’s Voices” will elevate the voices of and put a face to community members in Durham who are working in the community. The video series will also feature notable events that truly define what Durham is. Following the carbon monoxide crisis at […]
Read moreBy Gianna Tahan
January 30, 2020
As South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces (SEEDS) rings in the new year, Interim Executive Director Abby Goodman hopes to make their urban gardening programs more meaningful to all members of the Northeast Central Durham community. Founded in 1994, SEEDS is a two-acre urban garden and kitchen space located at 706 Gilbert St. The organization […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
October 8, 2019
Angier Avenue in historic East Durham has seen its fair share of added concrete, construction, and changes to the neighborhood within recent years. This ever-changing landscape we call Durham is becoming a host to new faces, housing spaces, and local businesses at a dizzying pace. One of those newcomers, Sofia’s Pizza, opened its doors to […]
Read moreBy Arianna Swain
April 10, 2019
The worlds of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open. — Zambian proverb Zambia borders Zimbabwe to the north. And although the proverb above is not from Zimbabwe, it fits remarkably well with Durham couple and restaurant owners Leonardo Williams and Zwelibanzi Moyo-Williams (Zweli). The two […]
Read moreBy Celia McRae and Natasha Townsend
Between 2010-2011, Crystal Dreisbach wrote 200 letters to businesses throughout the Triangle. Her mission toward a more sustainable Durham was just beginning. The restaurants Dreisbach wrote to used Styrofoam, and she wanted to talk to distributors about sustainable alternatives, she said. She was working in public health research at the time, and Styrofoam takeout containers […]
Read moreBy Cheyenne Beasley
February 28, 2019
Everyone goes through ups and downs in life, and Suzanne Clark openly shared that things have been very rough since she became homeless in September. Fortunately, the Salvation Army is helping her. On the morning of Friday, Feb. 22, she stood in a line outside the Salvation Army along with about 50 other people with […]
Read moreBy Hannah McClellan
On a cold and rainy February afternoon, 17-year-olds Samantha Vazquee and Demonte Bolden are not hiding inside – they’re hard at work repotting dozens of plants after a day at school. Vazquee and Bolden are two youth members of the DIG program, a youth-driven, urban farming and leadership development program started by South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable […]
Read moreBy Keeley Gay
February 27, 2019
Zuri Reynolds-Hester, from Durham, 29, hosted Nzinga’s Got Soul Tasting Party on Feb. 21 to celebrate the launch of Nzinga’s Breakfast Cafe’s new menu items and longer business hours. Reynolds-Hester opened Nzinga’s Breakfast Cafe, located at 828 Fayetteville St. Suite 110, in 2014 with a specialty in Southern breakfast and lunch food. Now, she is […]
Read moreBy Johnny Sobczak
February 13, 2019
On an unseasonably warm Saturday morning, Fayetteville Street was even busier than normal as hundreds of Durham residents showed up for the 17th Annual North Carolina MLK Black History Month Parade & Block Party. The event, presented by Spectacular Magazine, is held on the first Saturday of every February. For entertainment columnist Tameka Nichole, […]
Read moreBy Isaiah Ball
November 23, 2018
On the Sunday afternoon of Nov. 18, excited members of the Durham community assembled at 411 West Chapel Hill St., across from the bustling Greyhound bus station for an organic occasion. The upbeat sound from the DJ assisted farmers, entrepreneurs and small business owners in conversation as they gathered under the brightly patterned canopies which […]
Read moreBy Arielle Cummings
November 15, 2018
On the outskirts of the Durham Farmers’ Market – where Foster Street meets Hunt Street, one of the friendliest vendors greets people with samples of liquid sunshine – the best sweet tea. Roman Gabriel, the founder of Romanztea, has traveled thousands of miles physically and spiritually to find himself in Durham, sharing the tea he […]
Read moreBy Deja Finch
November 14, 2018
With the holiday season approaching, many look forward to their once-a- year rituals, but this may not be accessible to everyone. For 40 years, Meals on Wheels has been combating food scarcity among Durham’s senior population. Community Outreach Director Arnette Read explained, “Usually clients are homebound, living alone, unable to cook, and unable to shop.” […]
Read moreBy Cameron A. Rogers
October 5, 2018
“For a quarter of a century, SEEDS has sought to uplift communities in Downtown Durham through growing, cooking and sharing food,” said the SEEDS foundation on their Harvest Dinner invitation. “We hope that you will join us for a celebration of 25 years of SEEDS history and to support the next 25 years of building […]
Read moreBy Corin Hemphill
April 16, 2018
A new pastry restaurant has opened up on Driver Street. Helmed by an award winning owner and a trained staff, this new shop aims to provide the neighborhood with a space where neighbors could meet, grab coffee, and hang out. Enter Ali Rudel and Ben Filippo. When expecting their first child, the couple moved to […]
Read moreBy Zayrha Rodriguez
April 11, 2018
After taking a break from the food industry, Courtney Smith knew that she wanted to start her own food business, but this time Smith said she wanted to have her family involved. After talking with her sister Erika Smith-Punches and their mother Camryn Lawrence Smith, they launched Piri – a food catering business that creates a […]
Read moreBy Caroline Bowyer
Husband and wife team Toriano and Serena Fredericks travel around the Durham area serving a unique combination. Their food truck, Boricua Soul, offers Puerto Rican-influenced soul food. Toriano Fredericks’ inspiration to start a food truck came from being at sea. “I spent years on ships,” he said. “I worked as a merchant mariner going to […]
Read moreBy Sarah Cline
November 23, 2017
Durham food security may take a blow due to policy changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Community members, policymakers, and experts met last Thursday in Durham to discuss the federal policy changes and outcomes. The meeting, entitled, “Can SNAP End Hunger? A forum on food justice,” was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church […]
Read moreBy Vanessa Luo
November 8, 2017
Raise your hand if you have eaten sweet potato leaves before. Sumi Dutta’s request was met with silent, but inquisitive stares. SEEDS, located at 706 Gilbert St., is a nonprofit garden that imparts the importance and knowledge of co-existing with nature through the growing, cooking and sharing of food. SEEDlings is SEEDS’ after-school enrichment program. […]
Read moreBy Vanessa Luo
October 18, 2017
Produce is a tough industry. Ungraded Produce was the winner of Duke’s 18th Annual Startup Challenge earlier this year. It was co-founded by 22-year-old Courtney Bell from Rockville, Md. and 22-year-old Saranya (Anya) Ranganathan from Skillman, N.J. Bell and Ranganathan are Duke graduates from the class of 2017. Ungraded Produce is an online service that […]
Read moreBy Elle Kehres
The South Durham Farmers’ Market is hosting their second annual barn dance fundraiser this Saturday. The fundraiser promises to bring an energetic mix of live bluegrass music, picnic-style barbecue, homemade desserts and a silent auction. The market is located in the Greenwood Commons Shopping Center. The barn dance will help raise money to repair and […]
Read moreBy Camari Jones
October 6, 2017
Downtown Durham is expanding more and more every day. New apartments are in the process of being built, family-owned and small businesses are almost taking over the Durham area. There is also a new taproom that is taking the Bull City by the horns, Bull City Ciderworks. Bull City Ciderworks began with four childhood […]
Read moreBy Alex Zietlow
October 4, 2017
C. Bernard Obie stands behind his turnips and mustard leaves. His hands are pressed into the pockets of his grey sweater, his legs spread two body widths apart from each other. He engages with a young man who has been lingering by his tent. At first, the conversation pertains to the food on his table […]
Read moreBy Chrissy Murphy
On a sunny Thursday morning, Clarice Page walked down the hallway of the second floor of the Holton Career and Resource Center, home to Durham Parks and Recreation. Page was one of many Durham residents walking down the hallway that morning headed for Parks and Recreation’s farmers’ market event for seniors over the age […]
Read moreBy Vanessa Luo
September 20, 2017
How did the meal start? Where did it come from? For many, these are not questions that would cross people’s minds before a meal. But it’s the norm for the children at SEEDlings. In front of them are scrambled eggs and fried rice with eggplant, topped with mint, basil and marigold. The children helped cook […]
Read moreBy Julian Keeler
September 19, 2017
From owning New Visions of Africa to founding Believers United for Progress, Kasib Abdullah has done a great deal of work in the Durham community. Abdullah was born in New Jersey. He moved to Durham in 1995. Along with two other men, Abdullah opened a restaurant called New Visions of Africa in 2004 at […]
Read moreBy Camari Jones
There’s a new generation among Northeast Central Durham trying to make their community brighter and healthier through gardening. Angier Avenue Neighborhood Farm is a community farm located on the corner of Maple Street and Angier Avenue. It was started by Bountiful Backyards, a Durham-based edible landscaping business in 2012 when they raised money through […]
Read moreBy Brian Shurney
April 5, 2017
Some churches are content holding a few services a week with some philanthropy thrown in here and there, but Antioch Baptist Church has bigger fish to fry. Fish Fry Friday is back at Antioch, open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 1415 Holloway St. The church’s fish fry has been serving locals and […]
Read moreBy Molly Smith
The second I set foot inside Meals on Wheels of Durham, I was immediately greeted with an air filled by the smell of sizzling hamburgers, the sound of animated chit-chat and the sight of dozens of smiling faces. After hearing about President Trump’s proposed budget cuts that endanger thousands of local Meals on Wheels agencies […]
Read moreBy Rashaan Ayesh
March 1, 2017
The school bus driver drops the kids off at the entrance of the garden. Kareemah Abdusamad rushes out of the building on 706 Gilbert St. to greet all of the children who are running down the dirt pathway. Abdusamad welcomes each child and asks about their day. She notices that 10-year-old Adrian Platt has a hole […]
Read moreBy Nicole Caporaso
Joe Bushfan has lived in Durham for about 13 years, and he has nearly seen it all. The owner of Joe’s Commissary and Commercial Kitchen, the Boston native also owns the now-closed Joe’s Diner, located at 2100 Angier Ave. on the corner of Driver Street. In addition to running the commissary, Bushfan sells hot dogs […]
Read moreBy Justin Laidlaw
February 22, 2017
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Ali Rubel is taking her passion for baking to the intersection of Angier Avenue and Driver Street with the opening of East Durham Pie Company’s flagship location. A linguistics major in college at William & Mary in Virginia, Rubel got her taste for baking after college as a part-time […]
Read moreBy Brian Shurney
February 15, 2017
Reuniting the Hayti community is Kasib Abdullah’s vision. Kasib opened his restaurant, New Visions of Africa, in 2004 with his former partners Raheem Muhammad and Rasheed Muhammad. The restaurant is located on 1306 Fayetteville St. in Durham. Today, Kasib runs the store on his own. New Visions serves free food to people in the community […]
Read moreBy Ti-Vianna Webster
Many nonprofits come and go, but for more than 20 years, CAARE is still caring for the Durham community. Their sign, bright red, in the middle of Broadway Street in Durham, invites people in. Upon entering they will find someone with a big grin and friendly voice to greet them. The painted walls, […]
Read moreBy Heng Su
October 25, 2016
I was born and raised in an ancient southwestern town in China where spicy food is practically a requirement. Then I moved to attend college in Hong Kong where the local cuisine lacks “serious chili” and features lighter and sugar-based dishes. Then, this fall semester, when I ended up in Durham, I was introduced […]
Read moreBy Dominick Askew
March 1, 2016
The Durham branch of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is a nonprofit organization that feeds their community by partnering with 173 agencies in the Durham service area providing meals, shelter, clothing, and creating programs to educate youth. “Durham Rescue Mission is one of the food bank biggest partners,” said Jennifer Caslin, […]
Read moreBy Rowland Givens
September 18, 2015
Many families around Durham don’t have a lot of money to spend on food. In fact, the latest reports show that 1-in-4 children and 1-in-5 residents worry about where their next meal may be coming from. The Farmer Food Share program, Porch, and the Food Shuttle work in tandem to help families get fresh, nutritious […]
Read moreBy Christina Herring
Since taking over Los Primos 13 years ago, owner Miguel Collado has battled through adverse conditions and managed to maintain one of the only supermarkets in Northeast Central Durham. “When we first came here, this was a very downgraded store with very little services to people,” Collado said. “When we took […]
Read moreBy Palak Patel
September 17, 2015
In an effort to raise money and bring the community together, SEEDS will be hosting its 12th Annual Harvest Dinner at the Pavilion at Durham Central Park on Thursday, Sept. 24. SEEDS (South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces) is central Durham’s nonprofit community educational garden. Since 1994, the garden has been working to promote sustainable […]
Read moreBy Quiani Nzazi
October 24, 2014
The annual Phoenix Fest took place Saturday, Oct. 4, on Fayetteville Street just outside of the Phoenix Square Shopping Center. The festival is a yearly event that allows people to network and socialize. “This goes on every year,” said Michelle Jackson, a vendor at the festival. “I own a business in the complex; I try […]
Read moreBy Andrew Forrest
October 20, 2014
At first glance, the Durham Farmers’ Market looks just like any other farmers’ market. But beyond the rosy red tomatoes, creamy goat cheese and green peppers lies something more. The Durham Farmers’ Market, located at 501 Foster St., accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP), more commonly known as EBT or food stamps. Less […]
Read moreBy Christian Frazier
When I first moved to Durham I was young and lived on Liberty Street. It was interesting. Growing up I noticed drug dealers, streetwalkers and gang bangers and I realized that was not the life for me. As the years go by I began to notice how food brings people together and it changes lives. […]
Read moreBy Andrew Forrest
October 1, 2014
Marya McNeish sits inside SEEDS’ main lobby, decorating signs for the upcoming Garden Hat Party, just one of the many events hosted by the organization. It’s a rainy Wednesday morning, which has forced McNeish indoors, away from her normal outdoor volunteering duties. McNeish is one of the many volunteers who help out during the work […]
Read moreBy Mary Alta Feddeman
Durham teens learn life skills through agricultural education, four days per week. It’s a sunny, breezy Friday in late September, and high school students Andresha McPaul and Lawrence Fields are harvesting peppers. They maneuver their way around the lush, green garden with ease. Sixteen-year-old McPaul has been working with the DIG program—which stands for Durham Inner-city […]
Read moreBy Jordan Bailey
When Joe Bushfan decided to leave his glamorous job as a celebrity bodyguard in order to sell hot dogs in one of Durham’s roughest areas, his family thought he was crazy. “My wife thought I was crazy, my kids thought I was crazy … my dad thought I was crazy too,” Bushfan said. “I went […]
Read moreBy Alyssa Armstrong
March 16, 2014
Want fresh, in season, and affordable produce that is locally grown? Look no further than the Veggie Van. The Veggie Van is a non-profit organization that delivers produce at different locations in Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Kate Floyd, program manager for the Veggie Van, said that the main goal of the organization is […]
Read moreBy Christopher Moore
February 8, 2014
More than 100 students at Eastway Elementary School in Durham are participants in the “Backpack Buddies” program, which sends students home for the weekend with a backpack full of food. “As long as something like that is available, we will take advantage of it,” said Raymond Batts, a fifth-grade teacher at Eastway. “There is no […]
Read more