Community staple to receive community support following damaging fire
Kountry Kitchen Soul Food Place (Kountry Kitchen) in partnership with Radio One will host a donation drive from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, to provide financial support to displaced employees following last week’s devastating fire. Donations are also being accepted via GoFundMe, and Key Bank.
The restaurant in the Kennedy-King neighborhood is a long-standing staple in the Indianapolis community. The family-run establishment has been providing down-home meals and a family-like atmosphere for over 30 years. Just wrapping its 11th annual Free Christmas Dinner Giveaway where meals and other donations were given to those most in need, Kountry Kitchen is much more than a restaurant. It is a place of friendship, fellowship, and support. What started as a six-seat countertop diner in 1988 has evolved into a flourishing nationally recognized restaurant, home to local and celebrity visitors alike.
Last week’s devastating fire left the restaurant crippled with extensive structural damage. As owners, Cynthia and Isaac Wilson look to begin rebuilding efforts, they hope to provide financial support for their beloved staff during this unexpected closure.
“Words cannot express our level of gratitude for the outpouring of love and support that we are receiving in what is an extremely difficult time for our family and staff,” said Cynthia Wright-Wilson, owner of Kountry Kitchen. “It is such a blessing that no one was hurt. More than anything else, we want to make sure that our employees are taken care of while we figure out our next steps to rebuilding. We are so grateful for the communities’ generosity in helping us to support them during this time.”
Donations will be collected in a day long drive-by drive to help pay the wages of the employees and staff displaced by the fire. The community is asked to stop by the restaurant location and give. No donation size is too small. Pastor Covington of Friendship Baptist Church is asking that all local church communities consider taking up a love offering during this Sunday’s worship service in support of these efforts. Donations may also be made via GoFundMe by searching for “Kountry Kitchen Redeemed” or via Key Bank using account name “Kountry Kitchen Benevolent Fund”.
To learn more about Kountry Kitchen Soul Food Place, visit: www.kountrykitchenindy.com.
PHOTO ABOVE: Kountry Kitchen was damaged by fire early Saturday morning, Jan. 11.
