Despite rising supply cost Fork Real is doing what they can to feed the community

Rising Inflation has caused more people to struggle to get necessities such as food and one Rapid City business is doing what they can to feed the community despite rising supply costs.

Fork Real is a pay-what-you-can non-profit café, this means people can eat at the café but allows for alternative payment methods.

Fork Real Community Café receives $25 k grant from State Farm

A Rapid City restaurant that helps hungry customers in need received a special grant from State Farm worth thousands of dollars.

VIa Keloland News

Fork Real Community Cafe Wins 25k Grant from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist Program

In just 10 days this spring, 88,000 people cast more than 2 million votes in support of their favorite causes. As a result, 100 communities in 34 states, including Rapid City, S.D., are getting an assist from State Farm®.

State Farm is proud to announce the Top 100 vote-getting causes that have won $25,000 grants to improve their communities. State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic program that empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. Non-profits affiliated with each of the top 100 causes receive grants to address them.

“Put a Fork in It,” a grant submitted by Fork Real Community Café Executive Director Rhonda Pearcy, is the local Rapid City winning cause to receive one of the one hundred $25,000 grants.

Fork Real Community Café is a non-profit organization created to impact some of Rapid City’s major societal challenges – food insecurity and hunger. As a former school teacher, Rhonda noticed her students were coming to school hungry. “Not acceptable,” was her reaction, and she decided to take action by leaving her teaching career to be a change-maker in the community.

Rhonda and her husband, David, opened Fork Real Community Café, a place where every person is invited to have a healthy, home-cooked meal regardless of his or her ability to pay. Since then, more than 10,000 ready-to-eat meals have been gifted to individuals and families in the ongoing effort to reduce hunger and improve food security.

Together, the Pearcys believe it takes a “village” to effect positive change in a community. That’s visible at Fork Real Community Café, where a team of regular staff and volunteers continue to serve their neighbors. The $25,000 State Farm grant award will help negate the rising costs of food and resources necessary to continue the ongoing love for the community.

“Research proves that hunger and food insecurity create stress, health issues, mental health concerns, and more,” shares Rhonda. “Fork Real Community Café provides an opportunity for anyone to dine in dignity with access to healthy meals. The Café also supports families that foster kids and maintains a mini-food bank accessible to anyone.”

“State Farm is happy to celebrate its 100th  anniversary by providing 100 causes with grant money to help them address the needs in their communities,” said Rasheed Merritt, Assistant Vice President at State Farm. “We look forward to seeing the impact these $25,000 grants will have now and in the months to come.”

Four thousand cause submissions were accepted in February at www.neighborhoodassist.com. The State Farm Review Committee selected the Top 200 finalists and public voting determined the Top 100. In the eleven years of the program, nearly 500 causes have received a total of $12.5 million to enact positive change in their communities.

For a complete list of this year’s 100 winners, visit: www.neighborhoodassist.com. 

About State Farm®

For 100 years, the mission of State Farm has been, and continues to be, to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its more than 19,400 agents and approximately 53,400 employees serve over 87 million policies and accounts – which includes auto, fire, life, health, commercial policies, and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats, and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 39 on the 2021 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit www.statefarm.com.​

Fork Real receives $10K grant to support their community-based food security efforts

RAPID CITY, S.D. — One local business was the lucky recipient of a $10,000 grant from State Farm Corporate on Thursday as part of their “Outstanding Community Engagement” program.

With Doors Open to All, Rapid City’s Fork Real Cafe Fighting Food Insecurity

Food insecurity and hunger are present in Western South Dakota, but one couple and their cafe decided they are going to do something about it.

The Fork Real Community Cafe in Rapid City welcomes everyone at its tables in exchange for supporting the group’s mission, paying a meal forward, or for those without the ability to pay, volunteer work.

Calling on Community: Rapid City nonprofit needs local help to get major grant

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Fork Real Café has been a staple of downtown Rapid City since its inception in 2017.

The nonprofit, pay-what-you-can café has reached thousands with meals gifted to those in need.

Now, Fork Real is in real need – of votes.

Vote for Fork Real Community Cafe and help them win a $25,000 grant

RAPID CITY, S. D. – Fork Real Community Cafe is eligible to win a $25,000 grant from State Farm Neighborhood Assist.

Start Farm Neighborhood Assist will be awarding $2.5 million dollars in grants.

Fork Real Community Café Announce Community Partnerships

News Center One recently visited the Café to learn more about the community partnerships being developed.

Broccoli Salad with Fork Real Community Café

Anya Mueller from News Center One recently joined Rhonda in the Café to make broccoli salad, great for a summer side dish.

Easy Sheet Pan Dinners with Fork Real Community Café

Anya Mueller from News Center One recently joined Rhonda in the Café to make an easy sheet pan dinner perfect for busy weeknights!

Cooking with Fork Real Community Café

Anya Mueller from News Center One recently joined Rhonda in the Café for the news station’s cooking series! Click the link below to see what these two cooked up.

Fork Real Community Cafe Offering Thanksgiving Meals

The not-for-profit Fork Real Café in Rapid City is again inviting the community to come share a holiday meal, and as always, it’s pay what you can even if you can’t.

The holiday meals are a tradition that started when the Fork Real first opened in 2016.

They come complete with all the trimmings and your choice of pumpkin or pecan pie.

The café offers the meal to everyone in the community, especially those who have nowhere to go for the holiday.

Volunteer Spotlight: The Palmer Family

We are so thankful to see these smiling faces in the Café anytime they volunteer. The Palmer family: Mom, Gretchen Palmer, and her two daughters Addie and Katie regularly serve with Gretchen’s sister Laura Ericson. We asked the Palmers and Laura some questions to get to know these amazing volunteers a little better!

Gretchen Palmer

Why do you volunteer with Fork Real Community Café?

We love getting to serve as a family, along with my sister Laura.

What is your favorite food you've ever eaten?

It depends on the setting and season, but prime rib is great anytime.

Who taught you to cook?

My mother.

What makes you smile?

A happy family

What else would you like people to know about you?

I homeschool my two daughters, and Laura and I are sisters.

Katie Palmer

What is your favorite food you've ever eaten?

sushi!

Who taught you to cook?

My mom.

What makes you smile?

Addie's antics

What else would you like people to know about you?

I play tennis for Rapid City Christian.

Addie Palmer

What is your favorite food you've ever eaten?

sushi.

Who taught you to cook?

My mom did.

What makes you smile?

Meeting other people.

What else would you like people to know about you?

I do gymnastics for Just, on the Xcel Gold team.

Laura Ericson

What is your favorite food you've ever eaten?

Thanksgiving dinner.

Who taught you to cook?

My and Gretchen’s mother.

What makes you smile?

Pets and traveling

What else would you like people to know about you?

My husband, Jay, and I enjoy spending time with our dog, Daisy and attending Minnesota Twin games.

Rhonda Pearcy: Serving Food & Comfort

We are proud to share that Rhonda was recently featured on the cover of Black Hills Lifestyle Magazine!

“Rhonda Pearcy has happy memories of visits to her grandparents’ home and meals in their kitchen. That same warm welcome and good food is now what Rhonda offers anyone who visits Fork Real Cafe. “My grandmother was a home cook. I would raid her fridge and she thought that was great. (Repurposed) butter containers galore, and it was like a guessing game to find out what was inside,” she said, chuckling. “My Granny cooked because she loved us, and that’s the real reason why she cooked all of the time. That part, I think, I hold fast.” Rhonda taps into those memories, plus knowledge and experience from every phase of her life, to run Fork Real Cafe.”

You can view the magazine digitally by clicking the button below.

Fork Real Café builds community through food and conversation

Fork Real Café started seven years ago when a Rapid City family Rhonda and Dave Pearcy had a vision to fill a need for food security in our community. It turned into much more than just feeding people. The Café is a regular sit-down café with a mom-and-pop feel, but what is special about it is that customers are offered different ways to participate by either paying for their meal, paying it forward for someone in need, or volunteering for their meal.

Via News Center 1

Fork Real Community Café welcomes a 15-year old guest chef into their kitchen

The Fork Real Community Café is a nonprofit designed to help those struggling get a free meal. In the spirit of giving back, Fork Real has granted a local teen a birthday wish, allowing her to come in and be a guest chef and prepare a meal for her family and friends.

Ella Swanson is a freshman at Stevens High School and has had a passion for cooking since she was four years old when she made cupcakes for her birthday party. And now, 11 years later, Ella is still cooking things up for her birthday.

Rhonda Pearcy, Director of Fork Real Community Café, said, “Ella loves cooking. She cooks at school she is taking some courses with that. I’m a former teacher and so I continue to love to teach cooking and so I love it when someone loves to learn about cooking. And so Ella loves learning and she knows so much already and so she is just gonna be amazing.”

Rhonda Pearcy was recently interviewed for the Lay the Course Podcast

Rhonda Pearcy, owner, and founder of Fork Real Community Café was recently interviewed for the Lay the Course Podcast, a podcast featuring women in business, who are pursuing their life’s passion through their work.

She shares her inspiring story and her passion for creating community connections through sharing a meal together. Click the button below to listen to the full interview.

Fork Real Community Cafe Offers Warm Meals During Thanksgiving Week

A Rapid City business is getting into the holiday spirit by offering warm Thanksgiving meals to anyone who needs them.

Tuesday through Friday, Fork Real Café serves people who “pay what they can.” Which means people can pay it forward or volunteer for their food.

During this Thanksgiving week, these meals are free.

“We give meals every day that we are open, but Thanksgiving is just that extra time to be able to say. ‘Hey, you matter.’ And we just want to give thanks to the people in our community,” Pearcy said.

Fork Real Community Café Honored by South Dakota Hall of Fame

Community First: Fork Real Community Café Offers a Space Where All Are Equal

Fork Real Community Café was founded by Rhonda Pearcy in 2016 in Rapid City. It is a non-profit with a “pay-what-you-can” policy. When customers come in to dine at the cafe, they can pay for the value of the meal, volunteer for a meal, or pay it forward, by paying a little extra or paying in full for someone else’s meal. “Anyone and everyone who comes through the doors has the same opportunity to receive a nutritious meal,” said Pearcy. Making time for face-to-face conversations is an important part of Fork Real’s philosophy. “When you’re having conversations, sometimes those are good, sometimes those are hard conversations,” Pearcy said. “We believe everyone should be able to have face-to-face conversations. It’s kind of what we are.”

Fork Real Community Cafe delivers kindness through meals to RCAS staff

As a former school teacher, Executive Director of the Fork Real Community Cafe, Rhonda Percy is knows the stress that back to school preparations can be for educators and school staff. So the cafe decided to provide meals to the staff in the Rapid City School District, to show there appreciation for the educators.

Rhonda Pearcy, Executive Director of the Fork Real Community Cafe, says, “The school year ended crazy and it’s beginning that way and we just wanted to bring a little light to the staff and just wanted to say hey the quote we are in it together, but we are and everybody needs something positive. We all need the light, we see so much darkness and the negativity – we just need to be the light to each other and that is what we are trying to do for the Rapid City District.”

Rhonda also thanks local gardeners who donated produce and community members donating time to make the meals and deliver them, like Porter Muck who is an employee and volunteer at Fork Real Cafe. He gets to deliver meals to North Middle School, where his mom is a school counselor.