Njoy! Njoy! has been feeding unhoused community members for about 10 years. It operates out of a West Dayton building that used to be an old church on West Riverview Avenue.
The nonprofit, pronounced enjoy, was founded by Freida Oriahki along with her mom Lottie Rutherford, who always loved to cook.
Rutherford was known for her world famous pound cake. But she cooked everything from a hearty chicken pot pie to pulled pork sandwiches with homemade french fries, according to Oriahki.
Oriakhi said her mom would never turn anyone away if they came by her house hungry. Opening the nonprofit was a natural next step.
“We wanted them to be able to come and enjoy themselves and eat. And we had music for them. We played jazz while they ate and just enjoyed themselves,” Oriahki said. “We had it be like an upscale restaurant and they really liked that.”
Oriahki added their mission from the beginning was simple.
“Some of these people have just not been dealt the same hand of cards that you have been dealt. But that doesn't make them a bad person. They just need a little help. Somebody who will say, 'I understand what you're going through. How can we help you?' ” she said.
Because of the pandemic, however, the dining room has been closed. Oriakhi, who does most of the cooking along with a few other volunteers, now serves food for pick up every third Thursday of the month. They see nearly 100 visitors whenever they serve lunch.
Oriahki also gives out groceries every fourth Thursday.
The nonprofit has outgrown its old building and plans to build a bigger space next door with the city’s $300,000 grant.
The funds come from Dayton’s Recovery Plan, which is a roadmap for how the city plans to invest its $138 million in American Rescue Plan Act money.
A section of the plan includes investing in community health and wellness and assisting small businesses and organizations, particularly in underserved neighborhoods.
The new space for the nonprofit will be called Angels at Work Resource Center. It will have a bigger dining room, a food pantry, a community closet and offer GED classes and several other community services.
Construction could start as soon as early 2023. Although the nonprofit is still looking for more funding for the building which is estimated to to cost over $600,000.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Support for WYSO's reporting on food and food insecurity in the Miami Valley comes from the CareSource Foundation.