94.9 WDKB and First National Bank presented this week’s #HometownHero award to:

Carolyn Brown

Donna in Ashton nominated Carolyn who runs the non-profit community cafe: The Kitchen Table. She founded The Kitchen Table in Rochelle as a way to feed community members good nutritious meals, regardless of their ability to pay. All are welcome! Those who have fallen on hard times pay what they can, while those more fortunate are given the opportunity to pay it forward.

Carolyn brought The Kitchen Table to life with donations and her own life savings. She doesn’t just own and run the cafe, she also does the majority of the cooking alongside an all volunteer staff. They serve two meals weekly (on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and two special meals monthly (a Sunday brunch and a Friday evening).

The Kitchen Table serves hundreds every month and they are so excited to be opening the restaurant’s addition this Spring which will allow them to serve even more! You may have seen Carolyn surprised with news of the addition in an episode of Mike Rowe’s Facebook show ‘Returning the Favor’ (Find the episode below!)

Thank you Carolyn for recognizing that everyone deserves to eat good food and thank you for providing a place for the community to find that good food, regardless of their circumstance. Your devotion to your mission, along with your friendly spirit, and wonderful cooking skills make it easy to call you a #HometownHero!