PubCorps relaunch brings meal-packing brunch to RailYard

Nonprofit organization rallies community conversation over a beer

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 29, 2023

PubCorps, a Black Mountain-based nonprofit organization that hosts meal-packing brunches to address food insecurity in the area, will relaunch, May 7, at the RailYard. Photo by Fred McCormick

Four years ago, Black Mountain business owner John Richardson wanted to bring community members together for a conversation over a beer. 

“We’ve got to do something to raise awareness about food insecurity right here in the Swannanoa Valley,” he said. “One out of every two kids in our school district often don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”

That call to action will echo around the RailYard, from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Sunday, May 7, with the relaunch of the PubCorps Sunday Brunch, which will pack 50,000 meals to be delivered to MANNA FoodBank and distributed to area families facing food insecurity.

The event will feature two musical sets, beginning with DJ5 and continuing with Jamie Munn. Brunch is available through SmashBalls, which opens at noon, and each registered volunteer will receive a free beer, or choice of beverage, once the meals are packed. Volunteers can register for the event at pubcorps.com.

The nonprofit organization was founded in 2019 by Richardson, who wanted to find a way to harness the social connections fostered by local restaurants and bars while strengthening bonds in the community.

“Food insecurity is a major problem all over the world, and many people do not realize the extent of it in their own backyards,” he said. “PubCorps isn’t about having all of the answers, it’s about bringing people together to do what we can and building off the conversations and connections that come from that.”

The organization’s efforts are two-fold, he added.

“We live in a time where everyone constantly has their heads down, looking at their phones, but they’re not necessarily connecting with friends and neighbors,” Richardson said. “Our meal-packing events, like the Sunday Brunch, are largely about combatting loneliness, which is even more important in the post-COVID era. This is a shared experience of service, and getting together for a beer when the work is done, and that’s where the magic happens.”

PubCorps will be headquartered at the RailYard, an expansive indoor-outdoor space that opened its doors in downtown Black Mountain in March. The venue will also serve as a regular host site for the nonprofit’s meal-packing events, which partner with the Black Mountain Rotary Club and Meals of Hope.

“We want the local community to own this initiative,” said PubCorps Operations Chief J.P. Kennedy. “We believe this is something that Black Mountain can be proud of.”