This week on the blog we wanted to highlight one of RYM’s newest partner agencies, Carroll’s Kitchen, opening later this summer in Raleigh. Carroll’s Kitchen will be a “501c3 restaurant with a vision to end homelessness for women in Raleigh and inspire everyone in the city to make a real and positive change.” This summer Carroll’s Kitchen will be one of stops on RYM’s urban walk, an opportunity to explore Raleigh on a deeper level by walking in community members’ shoes. We got to speak with Jim Freeze, the executive director of Carroll’s Kitchen, about how this idea came about, the services they will offer women in Raleigh, and the change they hope to see for their community.

​A few months ago on the blog we introduced a few of our newest partner agencies– Asheville Poverty Initiative and A Place at the Table in Raleigh. This week we’re highlighting one of our agencies that’s been partnering with AYM since the beginning– Children First/Communities in Schools (CIS).

You’ve met Martha, Liam, and Bella— three performance poets and high school students speaking out against injustice in the Asheville area. Now, meet Nora, who brings us her poem, “163,” making us aware of the number of rape kits backlogged in Buncombe County, and the injustice this does to the survivors of sexual assault. At YMCo, we wanted to know why this number is so high and what can be done to change it. We contacted Our VOICE, an organization that “serves all individuals in Buncombe County affected by sexual assault and abuse,” and we spoke with their Court Advocate, Stefanie Gonzales.  Stefanie shed some light for us on the process of reporting sexual assault in Buncombe County, why rape kits don’t always get tested, and what we, and especially our teenagers, can do to prevent that number from rising any higher.

​This week on the blog we’ve got Beth Woodside writing from Clemson University. Read below about her experiences with AYM, RYM, and her plans to make a difference in the world!

“I want to start a nonprofit that takes food that would otherwise be wasted from places like supermarkets, catering organizations, and restaurants and donates this food to homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and food pantries. Phew. That is intimidating to say at 22 years old. It is a daunting and considerable dream. But that’s exactly what it is: my dream.