2026 ROW BACK DOOR KITCHEN TOUR GRANT RECIPIENTS
Each year, ROW members direct a portion of proceeds from the Back Door Kitchen Tour toward grants that strengthen the historic downtown district and the community that calls it home. This year’s recipients reflect the breadth of that mission, from a landmark that has stood since Reconstruction, to families navigating everyday hardship, to young people in need of a champion.
Giblem Lodge #2
When Giblem Lodge #2 was built in 1871, it became Wilmington’s first African American Masonic Lodge—and it has endured ever since. The Lodge survived the Wilmington Coup of 1898 and continues today as a living resource for Black economic growth, youth education, and cultural enrichment in the heart of downtown. ROW members are proud to support the Lodge’s restoration work, providing the resources to engage a structural engineer who will assess and stabilize the building as it prepares for a full renovation. Preserving Giblem Lodge #2 means preserving a piece of Wilmington history that belongs to all of us.
Eric Lee, Michael McMillan, Mark Moore
Giblem Lodge
Gilbert Foundation
Darlena Moore was young when she lost her mother to cancer and entered the foster care system. Dick and Mary Gilbert took her in and their belief in her future shaped everything that came after. Through the Gilbert Foundation, Moore now extends that same lifeline to students who need someone in their corner, providing scholarships and wraparound support that open doors. ROW members are honored to support the Foundation’s scholarship work, investing in young people whose potential only needs the right opportunity to take root.
Darlena Moore
Gilbert Foundation
Boys and Girls Club of SE North Carolina
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina has spent decades doing one of the most important jobs in any community: giving young people somewhere to go, someone to look up to, and the tools to build a future worth believing in.
Funds rained by ROW and its members will go towards building and installing a covered outdoor patio table.
Dawn-Michele Blalock, CEO
Boys and Girls Club of SE North Carolina
Thalian Hall
Since its construction in the 1850s, Thalian Hall has served as Wilmington's cultural center. Today, Thalian Hall maintains an extensive archive collection that documents the full sweep of that history. ROW members are proud to support Thalian Hall's work to display those archival materials, and to support the ongoing Thalian restoration.
Shane Fernando, CEO
Thalian Hall
Good Shepherd Wilmington
Good Shepherd Center began as a modest soup kitchen in 1983 and has grown into the Cape Fear region's largest provider of homeless services, offering 24-hour emergency shelter, hot meals, medical care, case management, and housing placement support to neighbors in crisis, regardless of their circumstances. ROW members are proud to support Good Shepherd's holiday food assistance, helping ensure that the season of giving reaches the people who need it most.
Meagan Hutchings, Lauren Henderson
Good Shepherd Center
Diaper Bank of North Carolina – Lower Cape Fear Branch
For families already stretched thin, the cost of diapers, menstrual products, and personal care items can be the difference between stability and crisis. The Diaper Bank of North Carolina’s Lower Cape Fear Branch works to close that gap, distributing dignity-restoring essentials to infants, older community members, and everyone in between. ROW members are supporting the Branch’s ability to purchase and distribute more of these critical supplies—reaching more Wilmington families with the things that shouldn’t be out of anyone’s reach.
Julie Bowling, Director
NC Diaper Bank
Fronting Life
Fronting Life is a nonprofit building a community where recovery and wellness share the same space as creativity, connection, and a genuine night out. Through meditation, healing arts, creative writing, and sober community events, Fronting Life offers people in recovery the programming and belonging they need to thrive. ROW members are proud to support their work in our downtown community.
Travis Mickel, President
Fronting Life
Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County
The mission of the Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County is to support artists and arts organizations through innovative public/private partnerships that support jobs, stimulate commerce, and showcase the region as an arts destination. Funds will be used to produce a future piece of public art to be located in Downtown Wilmington.
Rhonda Bellamy, CEO
Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County
The Sister Isaac Center
The Sister Isaac Center quietly serves 10,000 Wilmington clients each year, providing clothing, personal care items, and food assistance to individuals and families in need. When the North Carolina Foodbank's deliveries dropped sharply last Decemberthe gap between what was available and what was needed became impossible to ignore. ROW members are proud to support the Center's ability to purchase protein for its clients, making sure that a visit to Sister Isaac means leaving with something that sustains.
Theresa Weissburg
The Sister Isaac Center
2025 ROW BACK DOOR KITCHEN TOUR (BKDT) GRANT RECIPIENTS
Alliance for Cape Fear Trees
Our grant to Alliance for Cape Fear Trees enables the Alliance to plant 50-60 trees in the downtown area. The Grant also supports the Alliance’s mission to foster environmental resilience, improve air and water quality, and promote tree equity, ensuring that all residents—regardless of income level—benefit from the beauty and health advantages of a robust tree canopy.
Isabelle Shepherd
www.allianceforcapefeartrees.com
Carousel Center
The grant to the Carousel Center helped this critical resource for children transform their reception area into a bright and welcoming space. Children who have experienced trauma now have an environment that helps them feel more comfortable and at ease. The grant was part of a larger effort to replace worn carpeting and dark lighting with uplifting changes that create an atmosphere of respect and dignity for clients.
Dr. Stephanie Borrett
Castle Street Collective
The grant to Castle Street Collective supported their community-driven efforts to make Castle Street a beautiful place to live, shop, and dine. The grant enabled the Collective to plant greenery as well as engage art students at Williston Middle School to create public art pieces at Howard’s Seafood and Convenience Store.
Scott Hawkins
Williston Middle School
Our grant to Williston Middle School helps this neighborhood school create a respectful and welcoming environment for children and families. With these funds, the committed team of educators can transform their main office into a space that invites families and community partners to join them in providing a rich educational experience to students at this Title I school. Title 1 is a federal program that provides additional resources to support students who are at risk of falling behind. Funding is based on the percentage of children receiving a free or reduced-price lunch.
Jo Mcdonnell
DREAMS of Wilmington
Funds from the grant to DREAMS helped the arts organization upgrade its sound system, enabling young performers to amplify their voices. This essential resource in our community provides arts education to youth and teens in nearly every arts discipline. Our young community members explore visual, performing, and culinary arts while building their confidence and interpersonal skills.
Dr. Kimberly D. Lebby
https://givetodreams.org/
The Sister Isaac Center
ROW's grant to Sister Isaac’s Center supported their mission to provide goods and assistance to community members in need by contributing to the purchase of a van. The van is essential for transporting food, clothing, and other necessities.
Theresa Weissburg
Brooklyn Arts Music Academy
The grant to the Brooklyn Arts Music Academy allows the next generation of harpists to learn the skills required to master this complex instrument. The Academy serves 300 preschool students and 15 Academy students. Academy students are selected for 1:1 music lessons based upon musical aptitude, economic need, and past participation in preschool classes.
Christina Brier
St. Jude's Metropolitan Community Church
ROW’s Back Door Kitchen Tour grant enabled St. Jude's to purchase a mobile shower trailer. The showers help those without permanent housing to maintain personal hygiene. The mobile showers are shared among multiple churches throughout downtown.
Reverend John McLaughlin
2024 ROW BACK DOOR KITCHEN TOUR (BKDT) GRANT RECIPIENTS
Special Pedals
Special Pedals is an organization helping people with disabilities learn a trade and providing bicycles to community members in need. Their dedication to improving the community is admirable, and we are so grateful to be able to help them grow.
St. Mary's Tileston School
Funds to help restore the school's columns which suffered severe water damage. St.Mary’s school was constructed in 1871. Read more about this historic organization on the St. Mary’s School website.
Wilmington Fire Department
We were able to help the Wilmington Fire Department with the funds to purchase a
commercial grill for the Firestation.
Hannah Block/USO
Grant to go towards buying more chairs for the center so they can host bigger events and seat larger audiences with ease. We are immensely proud to contribute to its mission and support its endeavors.
Burgwin-Wright
ROW granted funds to help with some needed repairs to the original wrought iron fence.
Per the Burgwin-Wright website:
Built in 1770, the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens is the only structure in Wilmington from the colonial era open to the public. Operated as a museum house, it offers visitors a unique opportunity to view a fine example of Georgian architecture and experience what life was like during pre-revolutionary Wilmington.
New Hanover Sheriff's Department
New Hanover County Sheriff's Office
Funds to purchase e-bikes for enhanced community patrol.
