The 2018 HHS Public Service Award recipient is Mr. Jeff Bacon. Mr. Bacon is a 1998 graduate of the Department of Nutrition. Following graduation, Jeff combined his talents as a culinary trained chef, with his nutrition degree, to work in management within the restaurant industry but had a desire to create something that was unique and altruistic.

Specifically, he wanted to help a population who was significantly “underserved”, those who had served time in prison, jail, and those who had struggled with addiction, homelessness, and who were underemployed as a result.

In 2006, Jeff began to work with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina to create the Community Kitchen, a 13-week training program for teaching basic culinary and hospitality skills to underemployed persons. In 2008, the Community Kitchen was recognized by the American Culinary Education Federation with their Quality Program Award.

Mr. Bacon then expanded his idea into a full-scale catering operation using leftover fresh produce donated to Second Harvest to provide agency partners, including local soup kitchens, group homes and Kid’s Café, with cooked, chilled, ready to serve meals.

He further developed the catering operation to include a full-service restaurant, Providence, located in the Double Tree Hotel in Winston Salem. Providence Restaurant and Catering offers a 24-month paid hospitality residency to alumni of the Triad Community Kitchen Program. A second full-service restaurant is planned for downtown Winston Salem in the old BB&T building.

Mr. Bacon has made a tremendous impact on the community, and the lives of individuals needing a second chance.