Contactless cookouts give free meals to Durham residents despite meat shortages

A mutual aid group in Durham that hosts "no-contact cookouts" to give food to those in need is not letting food shortages stop them from cooking this July.

The meat shortage is bad news for Feed Durham, because during the pandemic more people are turning to Feed Durham for a food source.

Katina Parker, founder of Feed Durham, said that the volunteer collective expected an influx of people coming to their cookouts.

"We got a feeling that people are going to be hungry and hopeless," she said.

Last month, Parker said these cookouts fed 1,700 people. Most of what is served at this cookouts is flavorful meat -- like smoked chicken and barbeque.

Parker sees the need in Durham for the program and is going to continue to put the program on as long as she can.

"I’m willing to do it as long as people are willing to pull resources together so that we can help one another," Parker said.

A day at the cookout

With the help of money raised through her GoFundme page, Parker coordinated a team of volunteers to help with their 3-day, no-contact cook out.

The first day, volunteers set up an an outdoor kitchen. To limit the spread of the coronavirus, volunteers wear masks and gloves and try to maintain safe social distancing.

Parker stores the food for Feed Durham at her home. For two days, volunteers work to prepare meals. In addition to smoked chicken and barbecue, volunteers also prepare baked beans, grilled onions, smashed yams, grilled squash and grilled beets.

The cookout in July is only the third time that Feed Durham has hosted an event.

"By the time we finish this July cookout, we will have cooked for close to 5,000 people," Parker said.

One volunteer, Caleb Buchbinder, said he stayed at the cook out for 72 hours straight. He said his dedication is shared with the other volunteers.

"We’ve got a lot of folks helping out with their full heart and spirit, and it’s a beautiful thing," Buchbinder said.

Parker said it's not enough to simply cook the food -- she wants it to be tasty.

"We’re smoking a lot of stuff," Buchbinder said. "It takes time, it takes love, but people experience that and feel that, so we feel good about it"

Feed Durham also redirects surplus vegetables from local farms to shelters and food banks. The volunteer collective delivers several thousand pounds of food to places like the Durham Rescue Mission, Urban Ministries and The Helping Hand Mission.