Our food pantry is here to provide groceries to people requiring assistance in the Triad area. The food pantry is open on Wednesdays, 8:30-10:00 and Fridays, 1:00-3:00 for the first ten clients. Clients can return for every 60 days. The pantry annually gives away in excess of 50,000 pounds to clients.
Required Client Information:
* Two identification cards, one of which must be a current picture ID.
* Current utility bill or governmental letter that validates proof of address.
* Proof of identity for each individual living in the home (ex. social security card).
The Client Choice Food Pantry is located at:
710 N. Trade Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Enoch Williams often wondered why he was named after a biblical character. It was this intrigue that has led him on a life search for God. “I was reared in a single family home with a lot of love given to me and my older brother by a hard-working mother. We still visited our father, and spent much quality time with him also.” Williams was taught spiritual things and even made a profession of faith at ten years old. “As I grew up, the things of God did not hold any interest for me. My profession was simply head knowledge, but as I got older my life took a different course. I was a ‘Sunday believer’, not a disciple of Christ.”
Enoch Williams was adrift in his own world of addiction, and the life that goes along with feeding a hellish habit. His loss of friends to prison and death began to take its toll on his life, but God intervened. “I arrived at Alpha Acres in March of 2013, broken and lost. Jesus saved me on April 24, 2013, and I truly became a new creature in Christ. I am not the same man I used to be.” True indeed! Enoch Williams is not the same man he used to be! When asked if he knew what his name meant, he spoke with a smile, “It means ‘dedicated’. I am dedicated to Christ and to my recovery. He wants me in His ministry full time, and that is to His glory!” Enoch is now living in the New Life Center, and has recently gained employment. He plans to be certified as an advocate for people that are recovering from substance abuse, as well as to further his theological education at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia majoring in Christian apologetics.
– Several pastors and businessmen became burdened for the homeless and hurting men in Winston-Salem and determined that there was a real need for a rescue mission ministry in the city. A building on North Trade Street was obtained, and Rev. Neal Wilcox was chosen as the first director. He and his wife Barbara moved to Winston-Salem on June 1, 1967, to begin what would become a long and fruitful ministry. The Winston-Salem Rescue Mission officially opened its doors on July 22, 1967.
1973 – The Lawrence Apartments (formerly Lawrence Hospital) were donated to the Mission. This building was remodeled and refurbished, and in October, 1974, the Mission building moved from North Trade Street to its current location at 717 Oak Street. This new location enabled the Mission to house up to seventy men each night. During this time, the Mission provided meals and shelter to men who had no home.
1975 – The purchase of a store at 705 North Trade Street provided work opportunities for the men who stayed at the Mission and also helped to bring in income to support the Mission.
1976 – A ladies division was opened and operated for eight years. Due to staffing shortages, it was necessary to close the women’s ministry. The building was renamed “Bethel Hall,” and the Mission was now able to accommodate eighty-five men.
Also, an apartment building in the Ardmore section of the city was donated to the Mission. This building was traded as a down payment on a farm in Davie County. This farm was used to raise pork and beef as well as some vegetables for the Mission and also provided more work opportunities for the men.
1986 – The Mission purchased a nearby warehouse and established the Industrial Division to provide job therapy and training to the countless men who came to the Mission for help and direction.
1994-1997 – The farm in Davie County was sold, and a 110-acre camp in Yadkin County was leased. The camp property was purchased in 1997, and a long-term drug and alcohol program was established and became known as Alpha Acres, “The Place of New Beginnings.” A computer-based learning center was introduced, and a Bible-centered recovery program became a reality.
2000 – The Mission received their certification from the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, which recognizes missions that have demonstrated a high quality of service to their communities through well-managed programs and operations.
In September, Rev. Neal Wilcox retired as Executive Director, having served the Mission for thirty-three years. Mr. Danny Parsons, a former Mission Board Member, was named as the new Executive Director. The Mission continued to grow, and the demand for shelter for more homeless men increased.
2003 – 2008 – The Mission purchased the USA Hotel on Trade Street for future expansion of the Mission ministries. Construction of the New Life Center, which housed a one year residential recovery program for men, was completed in 2008.
2013 – In June, Ken Heater was hired as Assistant Executive Director to serve a six month transition period with Danny Parsons, and on December 31, after 14 years of ministry, Danny Parsons retired as Executive Director.
2014 – On January 1, 2014, Ken Heater began serving as the third Executive Director of the Mission.
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