TOLEDO, Ohio — Keith Henry, the owner of O'Henrys Kitchen OnWheels in Toledo, said when he was younger, unemployment became an ongoing burden for him. He started working at a factory, but for 11 years, he was missing out on his passion.
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed him to become his own boss and start cooking professionally.
“Cooking is one of the passions that I took up with my grandmother and I've been cooking for like 20 years," Henry said. "I've always cooked dinners and took them to work and decided to jump into a food truck."
Now, he's using that truck to help feed the community.
Henry said his food truck is now in partnership with employment agency Impact Employment Solutions, nonprofit Kicks and bakery Sweet Experience.
All together, they are planning to serve over 1,500 people on Thanksgiving Day.
"(Henry) wanted to support the community, we wanted to support the community," Chalise Morris, the owner of Sweet Experience, said. "We come from a long line of supporters of the community and the community has supported us and so we were overjoyed that he even wanted to include us. "
Henry said he knows people in Toledo are going through a tough time. But, he believes people should come together as a family.
"I know I was in a situation a long time ago," Henry said. "So, just to pay it forward to the next person to put a smile on a face."
The event will serve free food from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving day at The Summit event hall at 23 N. Summit St. in downtown Toledo. Hygiene donations from the event's sponsors will also be available.