RCS turns 40! Alex Williams of Kool and The Gang to headline block party "Celebration"

More than forty years have passed since Sister Angela Mary Parker made it her mission to feed the hungry by serving soup from the back of her station wagon in 1982.

The following year, a group of approximately 30 parishioners met with Dr. William Hunt and Sister Parker at Christ Episcopal Church to discuss whether there was a need for such a service in the community. During the meeting, the group decided to include other churches in the area.

The first soup kitchen officially opened on Nov. 5, 1984, in the basement of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, located at 720 Bern St. in New Bern.

From that humble beginning, the New Bern soup kitchen was born and has grown into Religious Community Services, a faith-based organization addressing the basic needs of the community by providing food, clothing, and shelter to those who are in need.

On August 19, 1985, RCS opened its first stand-alone building. Sister Mary Angela Parker served as its first director.

To commemorate its 40th year of serving the community, a block party will be held on Aug. 13 at its offices at 919 George St.

Zeb Hough, executive director of RCS, said 40 years is a milestone for the organization and for the community.

"To think 40 years ago in the early 80's New Bern had this undercover problem with homelessness and poverty that no one had a clue about and 40 years later the marginalized and disenfranchised now have a voice in this community," he said. "I think that's worth celebrating. It's somewhat of a coming of age party for RCS."

There will be live music performed by the Cherry Point 2d Marine Aircraft Wing Band and a special performance by Alex Williams of the award-winning musical group Kool and The Gang.

Additionally, there will be concessions, food trucks, vendors, face painting and a kid zone with inflatables for youth to enjoy.

George Street will be closed from Cypress Street to Guion Street for the celebration.

The event kickoff is at 4 p.m. and the last performance is set to begin at 9 p.m. Set up will be from noon-3 p.m. Anyone interested in volunteering may do so by contacting Ann Marie at adevanney@rcsnewbern.com or by calling 252-633-2767 ext. 105.

The Block Party event will also serve as the Kickoff for RCS' new sustainability campaign with plans to start an endowment for RCS operations and funding reserve accounts so all operations can be maintained.

A leader in the nonprofit community

The soup kitchen, now called the Community Kitchen is open 365 days a year and serves anyone in the community who needs a meal. Food is also distributed to families that may need food in their homes.

Hough said one of the starkest realities that people in poverty face is isolation. People who come to the kitchen have an opportunity to socialize with others while consuming their meals.

There is a 20 bed crisis overnight shelter where people can get out of the elements, feel safe and get a night's rest. During the day, they are not allowed to remain in the shelter.

There are two residential wings that opened in October 2020. There is a family residence that houses five families anywhere from three to 18 months. The families do not have to leave the campus during the day.

Additionally, there is a veterans wing which has four units and a live-in veteran aid who receives housing in return for supervising the house overnight.

Recently opened is a Buy-a-Bag Boutique which houses their emergent clothing program. Customers can purchase a bag for $2 and fill it with clothing and shoes. Donations are accepted for others who may not be able to afford the bag. It also includes the Dress for Success program which is a partnership with Craven Community College and ThreadED, a tri-county clothing program for students in grades K-12.

Other services include transportation assistance, utility and rent assistance, disaster and relief recovery, prescription assistance, enrichment programs and the Employment Readiness Boot Camps with Craven Community College.

Hough said since the earliest stages of RCS it has been their mission to find the needs that were felt most in the community and find a way to meet those needs.

"We know we can't fight poverty in our community without collaboration so RCS has become all about collaboration and I think that comes with maturity," he said. "We're a leader in the nonprofit community here, helping other nonprofits doing the same thing. Building supportive communities is not something we just expect our guests and clients to do, it's something we expect of ourselves as well."

Hough has been the executive director since June 1, 2020 and feels his greatest accomplishment since joining the organization is forming relationships with other nonprofits in the area.

The organization is now looking at its business practices and how to expand and enlarge its capacity. Sustainability is of the utmost importance, said Hough.

"In a recession when inflation is high we don't see 60,000 pounds of nonperishables come through our warehouse in the middle of the summer, he said. "It's imperative that we can weather the storms of our economy."

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Religious Community Service to hold block party to celebrate 40th year