Ragina Saunders opened Dorchester Road pay-what-you-can Destiny Community Cafe in 2015 when she realized there was a need for affordable/free food in North Charleston. The cafe serves buffet-style lunch Mon.-Fri. to at least 50 people a day, utilizing fresh ingredients prepared by volunteers, up-and-coming chefs, and occasionally guest chefs. But serving healthy meals to customers who sometimes can only donate a few dollars, or their time, is not easy to sustain.
Help the cafe raise money for food and building costs at a special pop-up dinner Sun. Sept. 16.
Chef Raul Sanchez (Maya del Sol, R Kitchen) will cook up a four course meal (with food donated by R Kitchen owner Ross Webb) for $45 with two choices of apps, three entrees, and two dessert options. Diners will be able to choose shrimp ceviche or chorizo stuffed jalapenos for the first course; chicken in mole sauce, a carnitas platter, or ninos envueltos (Mexican pigs in a blanket) for the second course; and guava cheese cake or tres leches cake for dessert.
The cafe will also host a Health & Wellness Expo on Wed. Sept. 29 starting at 9 a.m. They’re still looking for vendors:
Sign up as a vendor for $25 and give a five-minute speech about your business for $75.
On the event’s Facebook page, co-coordinator of the event Raine Mertz says they are looking for vendors who “offer clients and patients natural health options that help maintain a healthy lifestyle.” This can range from massage therapy to naturopathy healing.
Guest tickets are $7 and each attendee will receive a $5 voucher to spend with any vendor they choose. Proceeds from the event support the pay what you can program at Destiny.
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