This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Zoe Dehmer — a co-founder of Carrboro United .
Carrboro United is a local food hub that launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that has since helped dozens of local restaurants and food providers and hundreds of people in the local community who make their living in the food industry.
Dehmer said the public response to Carrboro United has been overwhelming.
“I have three customers that have come over a hundred times in a year. We have, I think, over a hundred people that have come 50 times. That’s an average of once a week to the hud and thousands of customers altogether. So people have made a commitment to it that tells us that they’re really truly trying to save jobs locally.”
In addition, local restaurants have been saved thanks to efforts from Carrboro United.
“A lot of business owners have told us that Carrboro United is the difference between having to furlough staff or not, or having to close or not.”
In just over a year, Carrboro United has done about $2 million worth of business for 45 different vendors. Dehmer said it has helped to build a sense of community as well.
“We’re really thinking of ourselves as partners in business, not just on the same block, but faced with the same challenges and why not face them together?”
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters .
Listen to this week’s Hometown Hero segment:
https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/June/02/WCHL%20Hometown%20Hero%20-%20ZOE%20DEHMER.mp3 Related Stories
‹
Hometown Hero: Tom Raynor from Carrboro United This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Tom Raynor from Carrboro United. Carrboro United is a new food initiative that was created to safely feed the community and support the local economy throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative provides an opportunity for Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents to pick up fresh produce, quality meats, […]
Nominate a Hometown Hero! Do you know someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty without expecting anything for themselves in return? The 97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com Hometown Hero Award honors awesome local people that all too often fly under the radar and go unrecognized for their incredible talents and contributions. We are looking for people who are serious about making change and working collaboratively to make our local area a better place to live. A new Hometown Hero is selected each week.
Photo Gallery: The 2023 Hometown Heroes Luncheon Each week, 97.9 The Hill WCHL celebrates a Hometown Hero for the work they do — big and small — to help others in our community. On February 4, the Hometown Heroes nominated from 2022 gathered for a special luncheon to continue celebrating their altruism and efforts. The event was held at the Blue Hill […]
Hometown Hero: Meg McGurk from the Town of Chapel Hill This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Meg McGurk from the Town of Chapel Hill. McGurk has served as the town’s community safety planner since 2018 and has been essential in Chapel Hill’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, she’s served as planning section chief and manager of emergency operations. “Meg has […]
'Remarkable Gift': Carrboro United Local Food Hub to Close Saturday After more than a year in operations a popular local food hub is closing. Carrboro United, a program created to protect and stimulate the Carrboro economy during the pandemic, served thousands. Team members announced the last day of operation is Saturday.
Hometown Hero: Brian Link from East Chapel Hill High School This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Brian Link from East Chapel Hill High School — who was recently named the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ Teacher of the Year. The award is the highest honor given to a CHCCS educator by the school district. Link is a social studies teacher at East Chapel […]
Hometown Hero: Kelly Drayton from the Town of Chapel Hill This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Kelly Drayton — the emergency management coordinator for the Town of Chapel Hill. During the pandemic, Drayton also took over as the manager for the emergency operation center within the town. “She has led the charge for the emergency operation center that began with opening up […]
Hometown Hero: Women of Chapel Hill's Documentary 'I Was Still Singing' This week’s Hometown Heroes, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, are the 28 women recently featured in Chapel Hill’s digital history project, “I Was Still Singing,” highlighting the role that women played in the civil rights movement here in Chapel Hill. “Women have played such a tremendous part,” said Danita Mason Hogans, the creative director for the […]
Hometown Hero: Lili Engelhardt This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Lili Engelhardt, who was instrumental in staging this year’s Touch a Truck event in Chapel Hill — a very popular event put on by UNC Children’s Hospital and Troop 39 of the Boy Scouts of America. The event showcases many vehicles — from emergency, construction, and […]
Hometown Hero: Eutie Wilson, Ike McKinney, Peter LaPlaca and Other UNC Medical Center Shuttle Drivers This week’s Hometown Heroes are UNC medical center shuttle drivers — which includes folks like Eutie Wilson, Ike McKinney and Peter LaPlaca. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the drivers that take patients and their families from parking decks and the Ronald McDonald House to UNC Medical Centers have been of critical importance. “They’re […]
›
