This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Henry Lister from the Refugee Support Center.

The Refugee Support Center is hosting its Food Fest Fundraiser this Saturday (July 27) at the United Church of Chapel Hill. Traditional foods will be prepared and served by local refugees from Burma, Congo and Syria. All proceeds will support the Refugee Support Center.

“We ran out of food in the first hour,” said Lister. “That’s how many people showed up last year. We ran out of food in the first hour. That’s how many people showed up last year.”

Lister said running out of food is a good thing, and its means that the event has been successful, but he promised that this year’s Food Fest Fundraiser will have enough for everyone.

The event brings together dozens of cooks and works to support the over 1,200 refugee families in the Orange County area.

“People confuse refugees and immigrants and migrants,” said Lister. “Refugees are people that have come here escaping for their lives.

“They’re some of the most brave people on the planet, yet they’ve escaped from fear and death and they’ve come to the United States and they are adding to our culture.”

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