ROCKINGHAM — Residents of a local homeless shelter received a surprise meal from those who graduated a decade ago.
The Richmond Senior High School Class of 2014 held its 10-year reunion at Liberty Place for homecoming weekend, catered by Fuller’s Old-Fashioned BBQ of Fayetteville.
The class reunion spread included fried chicken, barbecue, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, hushpuppies, banana pudding, tea and lemonade.
There were several pans of food left over at the end of the event, so class members decided to donate the leftovers to Place of Grace Campus in East Rockingham so it wouldn’t go to waste.
“It’s extremely appreciated,” Pastor Gary Richardson of Place of Grace told the RO on Monday. “Anything from the community is appreciated.
“The guys here enjoyed it,” Richardson added. “They eat on it for two days.”
What eventually became Place of Grace started out in 2014 as a tent city on the grounds of New Life Church on Airport Road. A nearby building was rented for a while before a facility was built on church property two years later.
In 2018, Place of Grace entered a land-swap agreement with the county government, trading the church property for the old Rohanen Middle School.
Place of Grace is currently equipped to hold 12 men and 12 women, according to Richardson. Currently the shelter is housing nine men and two women.
Richardson said Place of Grace is currently preparing for its emergency shelter, which will be able to hold an additional 20 people from Nov. 1-March 1, 2025.
