LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A local business that started with the motto “feed your people” is now celebrating five years of providing made-from-scratch meals to the community.
Riah Durick started her business when she became a first-time mom in 2016. The experience later inspired her to become a doula.
“I started attending births and then would be with people postpartum and realize there was such a need for people to be taken care of a lot better after having a baby,” Durick said.
She says the only way she knew how to do that was through food.
“When you’re trying to heal your body from something, having something that feels a little more substantial and sustainable, in my experience, has been really surprising to people,” Durick said.
Business evolved during pandemic
Her business was born in 2020 under the name “Nourish the Mama.”
“It was to care for new parents specifically with just from scratch food made really well with hands that actually care,” Durick said.
Like many businesses, hers took off when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“I started feeding patients who were in COVID or people who were in the hospital dealing with people in the hospital and then it kind of went over into cancer patients and then I was like ‘it seems like everyone has this need,’” Durick said.
Since 2020, she says it’s been a roller coaster. Durick changed the name of her business to “Nourished Folks” and her offerings have grown.
“Every single thing in my fridge goes to use and that has honestly been what has kept me alive,” Durick said.
Current operations
She now has grab-and-go options and a meal subscription service which she says currently feeds about 300 people each week.
“My biggest reaction is just seeing their name pop up again and again and again,” Durick said.
Durick says it’s been a tough year for the food industry, but her push to create new weekly menus, inspired by different cultures, is what she says keeps her going.
“If you could do anything to support your community it would be eating with restaurants that are value driven and aligned with your personal belief,” Durick said.
“It connects us all in every single culture. People gather around food in hard times, in good times,” Durick said.
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