Aired on October 12, 2025

• Restaurant, Donation Supported, Food Insecurity

Imagine a world where fresh, locally-grown, healthily prepared food is available at a sit-down restaurant …and you can pay what you want for it. That’s the premise of Quiltmaker Cafe opening soon in Pittsboro, NC. The oldest restaurant of this kind opened in Denver over 20 years ago and several other similar restaurants across the country successfully serve their communities as well. For the last few years, Jennie Knowlton and her team at Quiltmaker Cafe, a non-profit organization, have worked diligently to open a donation supported restaurant where patrons can safely gather and eat good food with dignity and in community. Quiltmaker Cafe will open soon and this couldn’t be more timely. Despite the abundance and wealth of the USA, food insecurity is a massive problem. With rising food costs, stagnating incomes, and significant cuts to American jobs, the hunger problem is worsening. Listen in and meet our guest:

Jennie Knowlton is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Quiltmaker Café, a nonprofit and donation supported restaurant in downtown Pittsboro that offers a full menu but no pricing. Having experienced food insecurity several different times in her life, Jennie’s top priority for the Café is to serve delicious, healthy, dignified meals to everyone who needs it in the supportive atmosphere of the restaurant.

“On The Porch” is hosted by Randolph ”Randy” Voller. He is also the publisher of Chatham County Line. Randy welcomes guests to the show who are from the communities of art, academia, business, and politics for friendly and informative conversations. “On The Porch” airs every Sunday at 11 AM, and is repeated at 4 PM and 8 PM on WCHL-FM 97.9. The show also streams on ChapelBoro.com
Current and previous shows of “On The Porch” are posted as on-demand, ad-free podcasts at ChapelBoro.com, Spotify and Apple Podcasts
To be a guest on the show or send us a comment, email: ontheporch@wchl.com