The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service will welcome new executive director Jackie Jenks with a community meet and greet Monday, May 1, from 6 to 8:00 p.m. at the Carrboro Century Center.

The IFC officially announced the hiring of Jenks February 28 to replace co-interim directors John Dorward and Kristin Lavergne. Jenks began work in her new role April 10.

She previously served as executive director of Hospitality House in San Francisco since 2001. The community organization offers services for employment, housing and leadership development, and Jenks said the IFC’s vision and mission lines up with work she was already doing there.

“Working with folks experiencing poverty and homelessness is something that’s near and dear to my heart,” she said. “So, the work that IFC has been doing was very attractive to me.”

That work will continue to evolve with Jenks as director, as she inherits some of the IFC’s projects, particularly the FoodFirst program.

The program would combine IFC’s food pantry and community kitchen under one roof in a new three-story building at 110 West Main Street in Carrboro. FoodFirst, which has caused controversy among local businesses in the past, will undergo a public hearing with the Board of Aldermen May 23.

Jenks emphasized the importance of continuing that plan and preparing to pay for it to continue to provide resources to the community. She said the FoodFirst program carries a cost of $5.2 million, money that would need to be raised if the board approves the program.

But Jenks also brought up the possibility of expanding the program.

“People have talked about being able to do some nutrition education, potentially some cooking classes to show folks how to use some of the foods that they’re receiving from the pantry,” she said.

As Jenks looks to continue programs like FoodFirst, she also said she wants to keep fostering volunteer resources at the IFC.

“There are definitely volunteers who have been around for a long time here who are doing jobs that I’m used to having paid staff doing,” she said. “I’m very impressed by the level of community involvement.”

She said those volunteers and others at the IFC have helped her get acclimated to her new position in a new community. Jenks said she already feels that community is behind her and the IFC, and she hopes the meet and greet will provide her with a chance to get to know even more people.

“I can already tell that folks have wrapped their arms around what we’re doing,” Jenks said. “I look forward to meeting and talking with folks as things unfold.”

Photo via IFC

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