Local News

A LIFE changing journey at St. Joseph of the Pine

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Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Written by John Riggio

When Richard Meadows first joined LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines, he was fresh out of the hospital, struggling with mobility, vision problems, and a growing sense of isolation. Today, he walks confidently without a cane, enjoys a vibrant social life, and feels healthier and more independent than he has in years.
Richard’s journey began when his son and daughter-in-law realized he needed more support at home.
“We found LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines by chance,” he recalls. “My daughter-in-law got in touch with someone from the program and walked me through what it was like. I was interested right away.” One of the first things that impressed him was the facility itself. “It was all on one floor, no steps! That was a huge plus for me.”
LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines is a PACE program -Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly- designed to help seniors get the care they need while continuing to live in the comfort of their own homes. Participants receive support with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, and getting to appointments at the LIFE wellness center. Each person is paired with a team of healthcare professionals who create a personalized care plan, including doctor visits, nursing care, therapy, medication management, and more. By combining medical care with social support, the program helps seniors maintain their independence and stay connected to their community.
At the heart of the program is the wellness center, a one-stop shop for care and connection. Participants access essential health services and take part in activities designed to enhance emotional and social well-being. From chair yoga and pet therapy to dance classes and arts and crafts, recreational therapy plays a key role in improving the quality of life
For participants like Richard, this comprehensive, personalized care model has been transformative. “When I came here, I had a hard time moving around and used a cane,” he recalls. “But the therapists helped me put that cane away. It was all about the will of my mind.” With the help of physical therapy, he built strength and confidence. “They helped me learn what I can do and what I can’t. Now I can get in and out of bed on my own—something I couldn’t do before.”
The benefits didn’t stop there. With support from the nutritionist and medication management team, Richard found relief from chronic stomach pain. “A month ago, I didn’t know what to eat and had pain. Now, I feel so much better.” He also received vision care that revealed and treated cataracts, dramatically improving his sight.
But for Richard, the greatest impact has come from the relationships he’s built. “My favorite part is how social it is. I’ve made so many new friends,” he says with a smile. “Before I joined, I was a little bit miserable. I had the blues. But now, I feel like I can do things on my own. I feel so much better.”
Richard’s story is a testament to the holistic, compassionate care that LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines provides. “I would love to tell everyone what the program has done for me. Now I can see, I’m better at walking, and I get so many benefits. I just want to say thank you.”
When asked what he would say to someone considering the program, Richard doesn’t hesitate: “You’re missing out, you need to join.”
To learn more about LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines, call 910-429-7223 or visit lifestjosephofthepines.org today.

 (Photo: Richard Meadows is a resident at LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines. Photo courtesy of LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines)

Deutsche Kuche food truck brings German cuisine to Fayetteville

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Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Written by Lena Simmons

The Harmon’s Deutsche Kuche German Kitchen has cuisine for the crisp, cool days of fall, soon heading our way. German cuisine has similarities to Southern cooking styles.
The menu features Frikadellen, a flattened meatball that can be seasoned with onions, garlic, nutmeg, parsley, mustard, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. The Frikadellen are sometimes called “the original hamburger.” The unofficial story is told of a man from the German city of Hamburg who migrated to New York City to make Frikadellen for a local food fair.
He decided to sandwich the meatball between two pieces of bread, so the customers can hold them and enjoy them while it is still hot. His Frikadellen became exceedingly popular, and the people started referring to them as hamburger sandwiches.
The food truck also serves bratwurst, a combination of pork and veal and enjoyed with brotchen (a roll) with mustard and sauerkraut. Schnitzel, another Deutsche Kuche staple, is similar in preparation; both are braided and fried cutlets. The key difference is the type of meat. The Southern dish is usually made with beef, not veal and served with gravy.
Katrina Harmon shares her perspective and passion about Harmon’s Deutsche Kuche.
“Harmon’s Deutsche Kuche (German Kitchen) is a food truck that was established in July 2024. We are based in Fayetteville, but serve other areas. My husband Mark and I are the owners,” she said. “Mark brings his German heritage, being born in Stuttgart to a German mother and American father. The Military brought this family to the States at a young age. His mother continued to make German meals they were accustomed to, along with receiving care packages from his Oma in Germany.”
“I am a native North Carolinian,” Katrina said. “I have two decades in the medical service industry and a lifelong passion for cooking and baking. Mark is at the window while I am cooking.”
“We decided to start a food truck to fulfill Katrina’s passion for cooking,” they said. “Mark has two decades of experience in the food industry. We decided to go with German cuisine because of the limited authentic German offerings. Most German restaurants try to Americanize the dishes. We are bringing true German flavors. We utilize family recipes and import many of our ingredients from Deutschland.”
Germany’s cuisine is not just about nourishment, but about creating a sense of togetherness. Taste and see authentic flavors, ingredients, and meals without a passport to Germany at the Harmon’s Deutsche Kuche, German Kitchen.
To find where they'll be parked throughout the week and to peruse the menu, visit their website at https://harmonsdeutschekuche.com/

(Photo: Harmon's Deutsche Kuche serves German cuisine all around Fayetteville and the surrounding areas. Photo courtesy of Harmon's Deutsche Kuche)

Featuring fresh and local … Cedar Creek Market, LLC

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Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Written by Crissy Neville

The recently opened Cedar Creek Market, LLC, in southeast Fayetteville, is a one-stop shop for all things fresh—from meats and produce to pantry and skincare products. In collaborating with area farmers, makers and creators and selling their own pastured and pasture-raised meats, owners Channing and Brandon Perdue also champion all things local. This mantra includes supporting local agriculture and agribusiness and educating others on all facets of farm life, long-held missions of this urban farm family.
While the marketplace is new for the Perdues, the couple's time in Fayetteville began 17 years ago when the Army made the city their first and longest-held home. Starting their family jump-started their interest in raising and eating fresh foods, and their goals accelerated in 2018 with the purchase of a 1940s, 10-acre homestead near downtown Fayetteville. On the small acreage, the Georgia natives planted gardens, raised a few heads of livestock and embraced sustainable living.
When Channing decided to homeschool their four children, she found great satisfaction in teaching them where their food came from and involving them in farm projects. Soon, the Perdue house and farm became a neighborhood hangout, where “everyone wanted to get their hands in the dirt and learn,” she said.
In 2021, the budding entrepreneurs turned their backyard efforts into Farms Helping Families Corp., “to start sustainable farms to help feed our community and enrich agricultural knowledge,” according to its mission statement. With Brandon in full-time active duty, Channing spearheaded the efforts and began hosting classes and community events. Lessons on goat milking and home chicken processing, farm-to-table dinners, farm tours, children’s activities and more ensued.
“We just started growing our own food and sharing with the community,” Channing said. “And, you know, a year or so into it, people started asking me questions about how to process chickens and how to raise goats and pigs. They wanted to know how to make cheese and yogurt and how to grow a garden. So, we started teaching classes. Then, it was just our home farm, just 10 acres and a few animals. We raised meat for ourselves and would sell and split a half a hog or half a cow with another family. We grew and canned our own vegetables. And then COVID happened, and everybody wanted to learn more.”
The Perdues expanded with the addition of nearly 400 acres in Cedar Creek, growing Farms Helping Families and creating a burgeoning market clientele. They acquired Charolais, Hereford and Angus cattle, Guernsey-Normande cross dairy cows, Berkshire pigs, various chicken breeds, meat and dairy goats, turkeys, ducks and horses. The farmers obtained certified roadside market certification and began working with a USDA-approved meat processor.
What they then offered through Farms Helping Families, including finished beef and pork bundles, whole chickens, eggs, raw milk and fresh produce from local growers, continues and culminates in Cedar Creek Market, LLC, on a bigger and broader scale. Located at 1304 Cedar Creek Road, the new venue opened for business in July, with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting held Aug. 9.
Channing is a self-taught farmer who credits the classes she has taken through the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State’s Agricultural Institute and the Soldiers to Agriculture program for helping her get where she is today. While no longer homeschooling the couple’s children, Ashlyn, Wyatt, Georgia and Mavrick, respectively ages 16, 13, 10 and 7, she imparts education in everything she does at home and work.
“This is a teaching farm,” she explained. “We’ll hold more classes and hands-on programs to help people learn about animal husbandry, wildlife and plants, nature, how to take care of land and things like that.”
And, as far as the education of one’s kids, a parent’s role never ends. “Here, they learn (many farm things) they will never experience in school,” she said.
Food insecurity is also important to Channing; it’s a subject she plans to tackle more as Farms Helping Families transitions to becoming the teaching-and-serving-families nonprofit arm of Cedar Creek Market, LLC.
“Food is not getting cheaper, and the cost of living is not either,” she said. “So, one way we can battle this is by teaching people how to grow their own food and become more sustainable.”
Right now, however, the option to pick up fresh, seasonal veggies, ethically sourced, all-natural meats in a variety of cuts, homemade jams, jellies and sauces, farm-fresh eggs and everything-included dinner bundles, plus recipes, is something Fayetteville can sink its teeth into.
The market also partners with numerous local and regional organizations and farms to widen its circle and support other small businesses. Such pairings stock Cedar Creek Market’s shelves with honey, jams, sauces, ornamental plants, lotions, goats’ milk soap, local art, fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and more. One very popular collaboration includes made-from-scratch pasta dishes, sauces and fresh bread from Gusto Napoletano Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant.
Outside the commercial arena, affiliations with the NC State Extension/Cumberland County Extension Soldier to Agriculture STAG Program, DOD SkillBridge, the Cumberland County Schools ICON Summer Internship Program and Veggies for Vets, among others, help the Perdues give back and contribute to the community.
Something new is always on the horizon at Cedar Creek Market, LLC. Coming this fall, stay tuned for the market’s six miles of horse trails to open—BYOH!
Connect with Cedar Creek Market, LLC at https://cedarcreekfarmersmarket.com/ or on socials @CedarCreekMarketFayettevilleNC.

(Photo courtesy of Cedar Creek Market LLC Facebook page)

SouthLight’s Buddy Check extends lifeline to veterans, first responders in Fayetteville

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Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Written by Jamie Bishop

At 9 a.m. sharp, the coffee is hot, the breakfast is ready, and the chairs at SouthLight’s Fayetteville office begin to fill. Veterans in worn ball caps, firefighters still smelling faintly of smoke, and police officers between shifts gather around the tables. For the next two hours, uniforms and job titles fade away, replaced by conversation, laughter, and a sense of shared understanding.
It’s called Buddy Check, and at SouthLight Fayetteville, the program is offered twice each month: once for veterans and their families, and once for first responders, including law enforcement, fire personnel, EMS, and telecommunications. Both groups are led by Wade Adair, a U.S. Army combat veteran and SouthLight’s veteran peer support specialist.
Adair brings his own story to the role. A decorated Operation Desert Storm veteran, he understands the unique challenges faced by those who serve.
“This is a space where people can breathe,” he said. “No paperwork, no judgment—just connection, resources, and someone ready to help.”
Modeled after the national American Legion Veteran Buddy Check concept, SouthLight’s gatherings are designed to strengthen peer networks while providing direct access to community resources. Attendees are welcomed with coffee and breakfast, then invited to share whatever is on their minds, whether it’s trouble securing housing, navigating benefits, finding counseling, or simply feeling isolated.
The meetings are intentionally informal, but they’re also highly productive. Adair works the room like a mission commander, listening closely, taking notes, and quietly pulling out his phone to connect attendees with the right people before the session ends.
“If someone needs a ride to a doctor’s appointment, we work on that now. If someone’s paperwork is stalled, we find the right contact. We don’t wait,” he said.
Adair has been outspoken about one of the biggest hurdles veterans and first responders face: delays in care and communication. In a recent phone interview, he didn’t mince words.
“I would change the amount of time it takes to deliver services and the communication,” he said. “If there is a delay or any type of issue or a reply that is needed, it has to be delivered with urgency and importance. If we can’t, we have to communicate that and provide an immediate alternative solution. Especially with those that are unhoused, those needing immediate treatment or help. That time frame in which the Veteran or anyone needing help is idle and hears nothing, is a time frame that can create a crisis. And that is unacceptable. And that goes for all of us providing services.”
For Adair, those words are more than a critique; they’re a call to action. He uses the Buddy Check platform to close those gaps in real time, ensuring no one leaves without a plan or a next step.
The dual focus on veterans and first responders is intentional. “We’ve all seen and done things the average person hasn’t,” Adair said. “That shared experience is what makes these gatherings powerful. Whether it’s a soldier, a police officer, or an EMT, there’s an understanding in the room that doesn’t need explaining.”
SouthLight’s First Responders Buddy Check meets monthly at the Fayetteville office, located at 439 Ramsey Street. Dates for the remainder of 2025 include: Monday, Aug. 25; Thursday, Sept. 25; Friday, Oct. 24; Tuesday, Nov. 25; and Friday, Dec. 19.
The Veterans Buddy Check follows a similar schedule, with upcoming dates including: Thursday, Sept. 11; Friday, Oct. 10; Tuesday, Nov. 11; and Thursday, Dec. 11. Each session runs from 9 to 11 a.m., with coffee and breakfast provided.
Family members are welcome at both programs, and no registration is required.
Adair encourages anyone eligible to attend, whether they’re seeking help or simply looking to connect.
“Sometimes just showing up is the first step toward getting back on your feet,” he said.
For more information about either program, attendees can contact Wade Adair at 984-389-6682 or adairw@southlight.org, or call SouthLight Fayetteville at 910-830-0990.