WF Community Table nourishes all comers

What started as a free summer meal program for children who weren’t getting nutrition while out of school has grown into a year-round, twice weekly meal distribution event offering free meals, fresh produce, groceries and other essentials for our community. Meals bring people together so when our community gathered for meals, people began hanging out and talking to each other, asking questions, sharing stories, becoming friends, and exploring the issues that cause food insecurity. Now we host quarterly Community Gatherings open to everyone–the food secure and food insecure–to build community by learning together and discussing the issues, history, laws and institutions that have necessitated the services we provide. Wake Forest Community Table nourishes our community with food and conversations. As more people come to our table, we have more needs for volunteers and donations to keep our meal distribution events going. Not only do we distribute 200 free meals a week but

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WF Cares Holiday Kick-Off is Saturday

Help us ring in the holiday season and launch our annual holiday donation drive during the Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-off on Saturday, Nov. 16. Free and open to everyone, this family-friendly celebration is scheduled from noon-4 p.m. in downtown Wake Forest. Promising fun-filled activities for both children and adults, our Holiday Kick-off will offer a slew of activities and attractions the entire family can enjoy, including the Carolina Hurricanes Storm Tour and Slapshot Booth, Snow Axe Throwing, Zap-A-Penguin, Curling, roaming street performers, community performances, children’s craft activities, and more! Food and refreshments will be available for purchase at several downtown restaurants, while the following food and dessert trucks will also be onsite throughout the afternoon: La Katrina Tacos, Kono Pizza, Ultimate Eggrolls and Dusty Donuts. Free parking will be available at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and along several side streets and parking lots throughout downtown Wake Forest and beyond. In addition to ringing in the holiday season, the Holiday Kick-off will signal the

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Life in the war years

100 years of history             Life in Wake Forest was lived at much more measured pace in the 1940s. Yes, young Army officers may have been marching at double-time around the campus now that the Army Finance School filled the college classrooms that almost emptied after Pearl Harbor. Yes, other young men and women were also going off to war and to places like Norfolk where the bustle of war generated jobs.           But in Wake Forest a shopping trip to Raleigh usually meant a trip to and from in a Seaboard Coastline railroad car. Men could commute to their downtown Raleigh offices by rail. Raleigh was 25 miles away, the highway was two-lane U.S. 1 that came through town, right down Faculty Avenue, around the east side of the campus, down South Main Street and Forestville. Gasoline, like most other goods, was strictly rationed for the duration of the

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WF Community Table nourishes all comers

What started as a free summer meal program for children who weren’t getting nutrition while out of school has grown into a year-round, twice weekly meal distribution event offering free meals, fresh produce, groceries and other essentials for our community. Meals bring people together so when our community gathered for meals, people began hanging out and talking to each other, asking questions, sharing stories, becoming friends, and exploring the issues that cause food insecurity. Now we host quarterly Community Gatherings open to everyone–the food secure and food insecure–to build community by learning together and discussing the issues, history, laws and institutions that have necessitated the services we provide. Wake Forest Community Table nourishes our community with food and conversations. As more people come to our table, we have more needs for volunteers and donations to keep our meal distribution events going. Not only do we distribute 200 free meals a week but

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Take a virtual tree tour at Joyner Park

The Wake Forest Urban Forestry Division is inviting community members and visitors to explore a diverse collection of trees at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, through a new online virtual tour – just in time for fall foliage season. Available at https://bit.ly/JoynerParkTreeTour, the Joyner Park Tree Tour features a variety of tree species along the park’s three miles of paved walking trails. Nestled in the heart of Wake Forest, Joyner Park is a haven for nature lovers, history enthusiasts, and families looking to explore the outdoors. The 117-acre park is home to a diverse range of native trees, many of which have stood for generations. Now, for the first time ever, nature lovers can learn more about 18 different tree species within the park with just the click of a button. These trees have been outfitted with QR code placards that invite visitors to learn more about each specimen’s

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Public hearing on new UDO on Nov. 19

The Town of Wake Forest began the process of updating its UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) in the summer of 2022. Now, after more than two years of soliciting community input, the Town has prepared a draft UDO available for review and comment at https://engagewakeforest.org/udo-update. Public hearings on the draft UDO are scheduled for the Board of Commissioners meetings on Tuesday, Nov. 19, and Tuesday, Dec. 17. The meetings will begin at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Board Chambers. Anyone wishing to speak during either of these meetings must complete and submit the “Board of Commissioners – Sign Up to Speak Form” available at www.wakeforestnc.gov/public-meetings-portal by 3 p.m. on the day of the respective meeting. First adopted in 2013, along with the Manual of Specifications, Standards and Design (MSSD), the Wake Forest UDO combines into a single document the Town’s zoning, subdivision, land use, grading, stormwater management, and historic preservation regulations. The UDO

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NCFST Mobile Market here Nov. 14 and 25

The holiday season is upon us, and the NCFST Mobile Market will be here to make holiday meal shopping easier on Thursday, Nov. 14, and Monday, Nov. 25. You read that right! The second November visit is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 25. The Northern Community Food Security Team (NCFST) and Ripe for Revival typically park the mobile grocery store along South Brooks Street (across from the Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave.) on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 3-5 p.m. – rain or shine. This month, since Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday, the mobile market’s second visit will occur on Monday, Nov. 25. Open to everyone, the NCFST Mobile Market is a pay-what-you-can mobile grocery store that makes fresh and local produce, proteins, dairy, eggs, and other food products accessible and affordable to all, regardless of their budget. When shopping, there are limits on

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Free paper-shredding event offered at Joyner

The Town of Wake Forest will host a free Paper Shredding Event on Monday, Nov. 18, from noon-4 p.m. (or until the two paper shredding trucks are full) in the accessible parking lot of E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road. Sponsored by Skylift Garage Doors, the event will offer community members the opportunity to protect themselves from identity theft and dispose of confidential documents in an environmentally responsible manner. A drive-thru system using the main entrance and exit to Joyner Park will be used to help ensure a smooth drop-off experience. Anyone wishing to visit the park during the event should utilize the Joyner Park Community Center entrance located west of the main entrance. There is a limit of four “banker-box” sized boxes or four large bags of paper per household or business and a limit of one trip per household. All paper will be shredded on-site, then recycled.

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Pictures With Santa offered Nov. 16, Dec. 7

Pictures with Santa will be offered in downtown Wake Forest during the following community events this holiday season: *** Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-off on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 12:30-4 p.m. at The Makery, 317 E. Roosevelt Ave., courtesy of Birkner Insurance. *** Downtown Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at The Makery. A limited number of slots are available on each occasion, so guests planning to have a photo taken with Santa Claus must register in advance at https://bit.ly/WFSantaPics beginning Friday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m. Please note: Pictures with Santa will not be offered as part of the Lighting of Wake Forest. Designed to reduce wait times, each reservation will indicate the time guests should arrive at the line-up to have their photo taken with St. Nick. Pictures taken during the WF Cares Holiday Kick-off can be viewed and downloaded from the Town website after

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Everyone can go on a Jingle Bell Walk

The Friends of the Northern Wake Senior Center will host the 2024 Jingle Bell Walk on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave. Registration and check-in on the day of the event starts at 9:15 a.m., and the walk begins at 10:05 a.m. Online registration is available at https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/northern-wake-senior-center, and the entry fee is $20 per person. Children ages 10 and under are free. Everyone who registers will receive a Kazoo and an invitation to play with the Kazoo Band during the Jingle Bell Walk. Funds raised through the entry fee will be used to support Northern Wake Senior Center programs and initiatives. Open to community members of all ages and abilities, the Jingle Bell Walk is an easy, 1.3 mile walk through Downtown Wake Forest. Children, parents, grandparents, and well-behaved dogs are invited to participate wearing their most colorful and fun holiday attire. Following

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